Blood Enchanted (Blood Enchanted, Book 1): A Vampire Hunter Paranormal Romance Series by Nicola Claire
Authors: Nicola Claire
Ads: Link
against the far wall of the Guts & Glory sports bar, fishing a toothpick out of his pocket and cleaning between his teeth as though bored. His canines were long. The toothpick almost disappeared behind them.
I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath. My head hurt. My body hurt. My fucking little pinkie hurt. I was just one big ball of hurt.
And I was tired.
Facing off against my mother was a challenge at the best of times; she was one switched on lady. But when she was pissed at me, it required a certain level of deviousness I simply did not possess right at this minute.
I sighed and rubbed my forehead.
“Luc’s missing.” Somehow it felt better sharing it.
My eyes locked on those of Ediz’s. I could drop him in it. I could tell my mother that he was connected to the vampire who held my brother, her son. He wouldn’t stand a chance against the Prophesied. I could do it. I should do it.
He held my gaze and waited patiently for me to make up my mind.
“We know,” my mother said softly. It didn’t surprise me. Not really. How could they not have known? Papa was the Champion and Alain was his spy master.
Alain who had agreed to join with me because of my dad.
Alain who had been trying to locate Luc as long as I had.
They probably knew about Hakan Bahar, as well.
“What I want to know,” my mother continued, “is why you’re staking rogue vampires in a ghoul bar and the ghouls have fled.”
Cutting right to the chase, that’s my mother.
“There was something wrong with that vampire,” I admitted, feeling like a little girl again, replaying the many, many, many times I’d had to justify my actions to my mother inside my head.
She’d taken my training seriously. Luc had been Papa’s to guide. I had been Mama’s. Mama could be a tough teacher when she tried.
My mother flicked concerned eyes to my face and then returned her attention to the shifter. Now was not the time to have heart to hearts about feelings . I was sure she was watching me for clues as to what talents I’d manifested. Any statement I made now was far from simple in her eyes.
I heaved another sigh.
“And this shifter?” Mama enquired.
I looked at Ediz again; he’d stopped cleaning his teeth and sat quietly. Almost as though he’d let me drop him in it without offering any opposition at all. I wondered briefly why he was even here. I wondered why Hakan had sent him.
“He was helping me.” The words were out before I could second guess them. Those ribbons now twisting in an anticipatory form of delight. Thoughts of Hakan Bahar were messing with my mojo.
“OK,” Mama said with a nod, accepting my explanation. The relief I felt was astounding. “Thank you for your assistance,” she said, addressing Ediz. “You may go.” Dismissal from an Iunctio councillor was not something you could argue with.
Ediz bowed, did that fancy hand flourish thing again, and then started for the front door. He stopped midway, his green eyes landing on me. Reaching inside his jacket he pulled out a cloth wrapped object, and held it out in the palm of his hand.
I reached forward, my eyes on his impassive face, and lifted it up. A silver tip flashed in the dim light. My stake. The one I had used to incapacitate Hakan.
The air rushed out of me and those blasted twisted ribbons twirled and danced inside. Half excited. Half appalled. And a whole lot heartbroken. None of it made any sense.
The door swung shut behind the shifter and I just stood there staring at the stake in my hand.
“Yours?” Mama asked. She knew damn well it was. She was giving me space to admit it. I was not the easiest person to get information out of. She’d had to adopt a cunning interrogation style.
I nodded my head slowly.
“And the shifter had it, why?”
My eyes lifted to her face, taking in the worry and concern there. The shadows beneath her dark eyes. She always worried about me. She never stopped. She’d made damn sure I could look after myself, had
I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath. My head hurt. My body hurt. My fucking little pinkie hurt. I was just one big ball of hurt.
And I was tired.
Facing off against my mother was a challenge at the best of times; she was one switched on lady. But when she was pissed at me, it required a certain level of deviousness I simply did not possess right at this minute.
I sighed and rubbed my forehead.
“Luc’s missing.” Somehow it felt better sharing it.
My eyes locked on those of Ediz’s. I could drop him in it. I could tell my mother that he was connected to the vampire who held my brother, her son. He wouldn’t stand a chance against the Prophesied. I could do it. I should do it.
He held my gaze and waited patiently for me to make up my mind.
“We know,” my mother said softly. It didn’t surprise me. Not really. How could they not have known? Papa was the Champion and Alain was his spy master.
Alain who had agreed to join with me because of my dad.
Alain who had been trying to locate Luc as long as I had.
They probably knew about Hakan Bahar, as well.
“What I want to know,” my mother continued, “is why you’re staking rogue vampires in a ghoul bar and the ghouls have fled.”
Cutting right to the chase, that’s my mother.
“There was something wrong with that vampire,” I admitted, feeling like a little girl again, replaying the many, many, many times I’d had to justify my actions to my mother inside my head.
She’d taken my training seriously. Luc had been Papa’s to guide. I had been Mama’s. Mama could be a tough teacher when she tried.
My mother flicked concerned eyes to my face and then returned her attention to the shifter. Now was not the time to have heart to hearts about feelings . I was sure she was watching me for clues as to what talents I’d manifested. Any statement I made now was far from simple in her eyes.
I heaved another sigh.
“And this shifter?” Mama enquired.
I looked at Ediz again; he’d stopped cleaning his teeth and sat quietly. Almost as though he’d let me drop him in it without offering any opposition at all. I wondered briefly why he was even here. I wondered why Hakan had sent him.
“He was helping me.” The words were out before I could second guess them. Those ribbons now twisting in an anticipatory form of delight. Thoughts of Hakan Bahar were messing with my mojo.
“OK,” Mama said with a nod, accepting my explanation. The relief I felt was astounding. “Thank you for your assistance,” she said, addressing Ediz. “You may go.” Dismissal from an Iunctio councillor was not something you could argue with.
Ediz bowed, did that fancy hand flourish thing again, and then started for the front door. He stopped midway, his green eyes landing on me. Reaching inside his jacket he pulled out a cloth wrapped object, and held it out in the palm of his hand.
I reached forward, my eyes on his impassive face, and lifted it up. A silver tip flashed in the dim light. My stake. The one I had used to incapacitate Hakan.
The air rushed out of me and those blasted twisted ribbons twirled and danced inside. Half excited. Half appalled. And a whole lot heartbroken. None of it made any sense.
The door swung shut behind the shifter and I just stood there staring at the stake in my hand.
“Yours?” Mama asked. She knew damn well it was. She was giving me space to admit it. I was not the easiest person to get information out of. She’d had to adopt a cunning interrogation style.
I nodded my head slowly.
“And the shifter had it, why?”
My eyes lifted to her face, taking in the worry and concern there. The shadows beneath her dark eyes. She always worried about me. She never stopped. She’d made damn sure I could look after myself, had
Similar Books
