Page 43 of Night Prey
“Worried about what? Sophie can’t have male company now?”
Igor grimaces. “Of course she can… I mean, is that what he was? I haven’t seen that male around. Is he new in town?”
Shit. I can’t tell Igor that Vaughn is a newly made vampire. That’s huge news. Vampires have been unable to turn humans since the Nightingales left this world.
“Yes, he’s new. He’s actually from Boston. A regular.”
“Miss Sophie, you have to be careful. You don’t know if he’s affiliated with the usurper king.”
“What’s the big deal if he is?” Tish pipes up again. “No one knows that Sophie is Queen Tatiana’s daughter. Wouldn’t it be convenient if she managed to infiltrate the inner circle of the usurper king?”
Igor rubs his face. “Yeah… it’d be useful.”
“You worry too much, Igor. I can take care of myself.” I get up and walk to the front door.
Like the good soldier he is, I don’t need to spell it out that I want him to go.
“Well, good night, then, Miss Sophie. I’ll call you next time.”
“Okay. Thanks for stopping by.”
No sooner do I close the door than Tish starts with the inquisition. “What’s with all the bullshit, Soph?”
I only answer when I’m certain Igor is truly gone and can’t overhear our conversation. “If I told Igor the truth about Vaughn, he’d be compelled to tell Father, and I don’t want anyone knowing about him.”
“Why? What else did you learn from drinking his blood?”
I stare at her sharp, feline eyes. “I don’t think everything that Father has told me is the truth. Actually, I know it isn’t.”
Seventeen
VAUGHN
Ihave to run all the way back to Bloodstone to retrieve my car—and also to check if Niko and her boyfriend are still around. I’m relieved when I don’t see his truck. I so didn’t want to venture into the catacombs again knowing that freakish ghost is roaming freely there. I’ve had enough high-adrenaline experiences for one evening.
I drive by Isadora’s house to see if Niko is back home, all the while thinking that I might have fucked up the first assignment the High Witch gave me. Just because the teens have left Bloodstone doesn’t mean they went back to her place.
As I approach the house, I exhale in relief. The evening wasn’t a total bust. The boyfriend’s truck is parked in the driveway, and the lights are on. The kids are home. I could drive away and consider my duties for the evening fulfilled. I don’t think they plan to go out again, and whatever crap Niko and her boyfriend are doing inside the house isn’t my problem. But I can’t in good conscience leave.
I call Isadora, hoping she answers the phone. It rings and rings, and I think I’m probably about to get her voicemail when she finally answers, “Hello?”
“Hello, ma’am.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Uh… I guess. I’m calling because Niko did sneak out of the house with her boyfriend.”
“I knew it! Where did they go?”
“They went to Bloodstone Institute. Snuck in via the catacombs.”
“What? Did you ask them what they were doing there?”
“Didn’t realize it was in the job description to run interference, but… no. I encountered a problem.”
“What problem?”
I don’t want to tell anyone about Sophie yet, which is moronic, really. Why am I protecting her? I know where she lives; I could send the Red Guard after her.
