Page 20 of Peacemaker

The Jikininki really was eager to please. Wherever he’d come from, it must have been quite terrifying.

I headed toward the kitchen. My dinner had been interrupted and I was starving. The others were already in there—I could hear them laughing and the sound of silverware clinking on plates—and I was eager to join them. They’d abandoned the dining room for the kitchen and the big table there, and had likely pulled a hodgepodge of cold food from the fridge upon which to feast.

It wasn’t only the food that drew me to the kitchen. I craved being with those men more than I craved any food.

I’d eat, then I’d find Amias. He would be inside Willow-Wisp. Since he’d discovered the place—and the sun—he’d been reluctant to leave it.

It was as though he believed he might not be permitted back inside if he left. But he’d had two weeks to allow the sun to burn away the darkness. It was time for him to get back to being the master vampire of Red Valley, and I would need his help with the sudden invasion of healthy vampires.

When I entered the kitchen, I found Clayton eating colorful cereal from the largest bowl I’d ever seen, Leo with half a cooked chicken carcass in his hand, and Shane and Rhys arm wrestling.

“Oh my God,” I said, my hands on my hips. “You all are such…” I shook my head. “Such…”

“Men?” Rhys asked, helpfully.

“Yes. That’s exactly the word.” Smiling, I headed for the fridge to find myself some leftovers to heat up.

For a brief second, everything was nearly perfect.

“Trinity,” Leo said, pointing at a heaping plate of food on the table. “I warmed you a plate.”

I sat down beside him, a little surprised. “Thanks, Leo.” I smiled at him, my gaze lingering on his. He was the first to look away.

I felt my face heat for no apparent reason. Afraid the others would notice the sudden awkwardness and comment, I dropped my stare to my plate and dug into my food.

Rhys slammed Shane’s hand to the table, then took a long swig of his beer. “So, tonight.”

I nodded. “We can use this. We can force the mayor to ditch his insane new regulations.”

“We can try,” Rhys agreed. “But Trinity, something was different.”

“The question is,” I said, “why?”

“And what,” Leo said. “Those weren’t exactly vampires.”

I put my fork down. “They were immune to silver. Not even Silverlight’s arc hurt them.”

“Trinity,” Leo said, “if more of these vampires come, will you let the humans die to force the mayor’s hand?”

I stared down at the table and said nothing. I didn’t really know the answer. I wanted to. I meant to. But when it came down to it…

“Because people may have to die before the humans are willing to change,” Leo continued.

Clayton nodded. “There will be casualties.” He shoved his nearly empty bowl aside. “On both sides.”

“On three sides,” Shane said. “Us, the humans, and the assholes we killed tonight.”

“I’ll talk to Amias after I eat,” I told them. “He’ll know something.”

“How could he?” Shane asked. “He hasn’t left the graveyard.”

“He’ll know,” I said, a bit grimly. “Vampires have that whole mind connection thing. If Willow-Wisp is blocking his signal and he doesn’t know, I’m going to kick his ass out of there and make him find out.”

“Hurry back.” Clayton dropped his hot stare to my lips. “I want to touch you before the world goes crazy.”

I froze with my glass halfway to my mouth, then squirmed on my chair and took a sip of water to clear the sudden dryness from my throat. “I…okay.”

Clayton was embracing everything he’d been forced to suppress during Miriam’s cruel reign. He’d become insatiable. Voracious, fierce, emotional, and so very, very passionate.