Page 67 of Vampire Visions

Novak widened his eyes as he looked at the tech in his hand. “First, can we start writing all this shit down? I need a pocket-sized guide or something. Second, whose laptop am I plugging this into? Because it’s not going in mine.”

“Downstairs,” I requested, pretty much expecting everyone to come. “We can use the laptop down there or the computer from CBP. And I’ll try to start writing the facts down. Maybe in a miniature, leather-bound notebook that you can keep with you all the time,” I sassed at Novak.

He kissed me on the cheek as he passed me by. “That’s all I’m asking for, Trouble.” Giving me a reckless wink, he sauntered into the pantry, leaving the door open behind him. Through the soundproof bubble and down the stairs, we trailed quietly after my vampire mate.

With no idea what to expect, my anxiety grew with each step. Dread crawled all over me yet again, making my heart gallop. The unknown was suffocating, but I managed to smother the panic by braiding my hair. I just needed to keep myself busy and let someone else handle the bullshit for a few minutes.

27

Sloane

Monday Early Morning

Click. Click. Click.

Novak pecked at the keys on the keyboard before clicking the mouse a dozen fucking times.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Palmer rapped his fingers on the table in a steady rhythm. One, two, three, four, over and fucking over again.

I sighed, rubbing at my temples while the anticipation tried to kill me. Patience wasn’t a gift of mine. I’d braided my hair at least seven times already, trying my damnedest to stay busy. “Will you just open the files?” I questioned Novak as calmly as I could.

His eyes darted up from the laptop screen, meeting mine with equal impatience. “I’m trying. I keep opening it, but it’s loading slowly.”

“What do you mean by it?” I asked, loosening my hair just to start all over again.

“It’s just one thing. A video.” He sighed, massaging his temples as he closed his eyes. When he opened them back up, he shook his head and spun the laptop around. In the middle of the black screen was a picture that read, “Are you watching, Little King?”

“Whatever virus was on that drive just took over. We need to dispose of this laptop as soon as we watch the video. Are you ready?” Novak raised his pierced brow at me, and I shook my head. I wasn’t ready, but we needed to watch it and then destroy it. He pushed the laptop across the table.

“Start it,” I commanded reluctantly, watching as he walked to stand behind me.

All my guys crowded around as Novak leaned over my shoulder and pressed the spacebar. The image on the screen blinked three times before dissolving. The next one said, “Good.” Swirling to make way for another, I braced myself for more mystery. “Pay close attention,” the third image read. And then the slideshow started.

Flashes of blonde hair.

Several angles of a feminine but emaciated profile.

“I have what the Kings seek.”

“But I don’t want gold or riches.”

My mother’s necklace lying on a wooden surface.

The handwritten letter that I’d read on Tuesday.

“Who is next on my list?”

“Maybe it’s the witches.”

The next series of images made Palmer gasp. I recognized the front of the guild headquarters, but only because I’d helped with the design of the new building. The landscapes and pictures of the town weren’t jogging any memories for me.

“That’s Belfast,” Palmer affirmed. “He’s with the mages.”

The scenery in the pictures changed abruptly, and these places I did know. I knew them well. Shivering at the sights in front of me, I tried to memorize as many details as possible so I could figure out when he’d been there.

Mountain views from the wilderness of West Virginia.