Iniquitous (The Marked #3)(67)

That’s all it took for the old Taylor to come bubbling back to the surface.

“You have my word.” And I wouldn’t go back on it, though I would have to figure out another way to keep her safe. Something a little less drastic, and hopefully, more effective.

She relaxed against the pillows and smiled back at me, her eyes wide with merriment. “I seriously can’t believe my best-friend is a vampire slayer,” she said in total awe. “You’re like Buffy the freaking vampire slayer, but with better hair!”

I scoffed at her assessment. “Are you nuts? Buffy had great hair.”

“So, we’re just going to completely ignore the whole bangs fiasco?”

“It was the 90’s,” I defended. “It wasn’t a good era for anyone’s hair.”

“You can’t blame that on a decade.”

“Are they seriously arguing over bangs right now?” asked Ben, shaking his head at us.

“I think so.” Trace leaned his shoulder into Ben and asked, “What the hell is a Buffy?”

“Blasphemy!” shouted Taylor.

She was just about to go off on him when my cell phone rang, interrupting us.

I looked down at the caller I.D. and quickly answered. “Hi, Gabriel.”

“How is your friend doing?” he asked, his tone even and courteous.

“She’s okay. Better than okay,” I said and smiled at her.

“Good.” A short pause. “Can you step away? We need you back at the Manor.”

“Why? What happened?”

“One of Roderick sisters would like to talk with you.”

I paused, absorbing the weirdness of his statement.

“She came alone,” he added.

“Which sister is it?”

“Arianna.”

At least it was the nice one. “We’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

I hung up and looked back at Taylor regretfully.

“You’re leaving me already.” It wasn’t a question and she was definitely not happy about it.

“I have to, but I’ll be back to visit you tomorrow.” I leaned over and gave her a big hug. “I wouldn’t leave if it wasn’t super important, you know that right?”

“Like world-saving important?”

“Kind of.” I ticked my chin at Ben who sat back down in the chair next to her bed. It didn’t look like he was leaving any time soon. “I’m sure Ben will fill you in on everything.”

She didn’t seem to be paying attention anymore. “Wow. Jemma the Vampire Slayer and her sidekick Taylor Valentine,” she said dreamily and sort of to herself. “We're going to be famous!”

I couldn’t help but laugh at her craziness. Though mostly, I was just glad to have my best-friend back.

“See you around, sidekick.”

“Later, Slayer.”





29. TALES FROM THE CRYPT


The crimson-laced sky shed its tears of peril all around us as Trace and I pulled up to Huntington Manor. Every drop from the heavens was another reminder of what had happened, and of what still needed to be done. Too many people were in danger, people like Taylor who didn’t have the means to protect herself from the evil that lurked around us.

I opened the door and walked inside without bothering to ring the doorbell. I’d been here more times than I could count, and as strange as it sounded, it was the only place in Hollow Hills where I was safe, and that feeling felt a lot like home.

“We’re here,” I announced as Trace and I walked down the hall and into the den.

Arianna, Gabriel and Dominic were all seated around the coffee table, a quiet fire burning in the background as though bearing witness to the testimony that had taken place.

“Hello, angel.” Dominic patted the seat next to him on the sofa. My feet tried to take me there but I was hugely aware of Trace standing behind me, watching my every move.

It took everything I had not to go sit beside him. My eyes shifted to Arianna instead. She was wearing a pair of fitted jeans and a black turtleneck, and her dark hair was pulled back into a slick ponytail. She seemed different without her sisters. Less scary.

More human.

“You wanted to see me?” I asked her stiffly.

She gave me a sidelong glance. “Can we talk…alone?”

Gabriel’s expression tensed and Trace immediately stepped in beside me like I suddenly needed a guard to have a conversation with someone. I knew they meant well, but sometimes they made me feel like I was right back in that dungeon.

“Can you guys please give us a minute alone?”

“Not happening, Jemma.” Trace rolled a kink out of his neck and then clenched his jaw.

I knew he was just trying to keep me safe, but there wasn’t any danger here. Besides, I wanted to hear her out. “Can you just trust me please? It’ll be fine, Trace.”

He still wasn’t budging.

“Look, if I need you, I’ll scream really loud, okay?” It was meant to lighten the mood, but it didn’t definitely didn’t ease any of the tension in his body.

“She isn’t stupid enough to attempt anything with the three of us waiting in the next room,” Dominic reminded. At least one of them was on my side.

Trace looked over at Gabriel who conceded with a nod. He gave me one more apprehensive look, and then the three of them walked out of the den together, leaving me with Arianna.