Page 16 of The Shade of Things
“Vamps and shifters,” Ian said. A shudder racked his body.
“Hey, you’re doing great. This is all useful stuff for us,” I said, with the same soft smile I’d given Sadie when she’d been brave enough to go back to sleep in her own bed after a nightmare. “Was that the first time you’d seen beings like that?”
Eli looked thoughtful when Ian nodded. “They broke your perception filter.” Eli rubbed his arm, memories of his own violent introduction to the world of magic no doubt coming to mind. “How? Did one of the supernatural creatures hurt you?”
Ian pressed his palms into his eyes. “It all hurt,” he whispered. “I survived.”
“You did,” Eli said. “Now we want to make sure Teresa does.”
Ian clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white. “Can you survive the human race?”
Had revisiting his trauma led him into existential musings on life and death? “That’s a glass half empty, half full debate, depending on how you see life,” I said. “If we live a long time, have we survived or does death negate any longevity?”
“Oh my gawd, you people are dense,” Celeste said. “The human race isn’t some philosophical bullshit. You’re being literal, aren’t you, Ian?”
“Sapiens are being abducted and forced to run an actual race?” I exchanged a horrified glance with Eli, though on some level, it didn’t surprise me. When Laurent and I went to the Wise Brothers for information, we’d ended up unwilling contestants in a Jeopardy!-style game show where they’d outed some of our most humiliating memories. With those two, there’d been a quid pro quo of sorts with the flow of information.
Was there anything in it for the Sapiens?
I jabbed a finger at Celeste. “Did you know about this?”
She rolled her eyes. “No. I’m just not a total moron.”
“This game is employing vamps, but you’ve never heard of it. As if.”
“Yeah, because I guarantee they aren’t approaching my grandfather’s vampires. Not all masters run as tight a ship as he does.” She gave a crisp nod. “They don’t all have Blood Alley to fatten their coffers either.”
Ian rocked back and forth. “I survived.” He chanted it like a mantra.
The vampire’s stomach grumbled. “Are we done? I’m hungry.”
“Shut up,” Clea said mildly.
My stomach growled as well, and I pulled out a granola bar, trying to unwrap it quietly and hoping Ian snapped out of it enough so we could continue questioning him.
When he remained lost in the past, Eli pointed to the vampire. “If that missing girl is being forced to play some sick game, there’s no time to waste. Get him to talk or else.”
Celeste sighed. “Time to snap out of it, big boy.”
Her fangs descended and Eli tensed, but I placed a hand on his arm since Clea didn’t look concerned about the vampire’s actions.
I broke off a piece of my bar, but before I could pop it in my mouth, Eli snatched it away and ate it. I elbowed him. “Next time bring your own snacks.”
Celeste wrapped an arm around Ian’s shoulder, leaning him against her with a surprising amount of gentleness. She took his hand, her eyes locked on his until he gave a small nod, and then sank her fangs into the veins at his wrist.
I’d seen vamps turn feeding into a carnal act and I’d seen it done violently. This was, dare I say, tender.
“That’s not what I expected,” Eli said to me in a low voice.
“Me neither.” I didn’t want to like Celeste for any reason.
Clea tilted her head like she was listening to something and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” I said, hurriedly swallowing. A fed Celeste was probably not a murderous Celeste, but I didn’t want to test that hypothesis when I was exhausted.
“I’m not your babysitter,” Clea tossed out over her shoulder.
Ian’s breathing slowed, his eyes glazing, and the tension seeped out of his body.
