sofa, end tables, coffee table, and no TV, the room was a classic family room.
“This is beautiful,” I commented. “I love how it overlooks the first floor.”
“What breaking news is occurring in little old Erin that you’d leave the city for us?” She asked, ignoring my compliment.
I smiled warily. “Breaking news is admittedly the great love of my life, but we’ve had a falling out recently. I needed a vacation, and honestly, the chance to report something real.”
“Breaking news isn’t ‘real’ news?”
“It used to be my favorite kind of news. The rush, the immediacy, the race: it’s a sport, and I was my team’s star player.” I sighed. “Or I liked to think so. But since I discovered the truth about Dominic and Bex and, and—” I hedged, hesitating to say it.
“Vampires,” Ronnie said helpfully, her smile understanding. “Since you found out that you’re a night blood.”
I nodded. “And since I realized that vampires are the cause of many, if not most, of the violent crimes in the city, I’ve felt disenchanted about my job. Maybe when Dominic gains better control of his coven after the Leveling, I can go back to reporting news like I used to, but until then—” I shrugged. “Here I am.”
“It’ll never go back to the way it was. Once you find out about them and who you are, everything else in life becomes nothing but background.” Ronnie wrung her hands. “Did Ian invite you to stay with us, or did you need somewhere to stay while on assignment?”
I leaned against the arm of the nearest couch to alleviate some of the pressure on my hip and crossed my arms. “I could have chosen any county for on-site research on my article, if that’s what you’re implying. I chose Erin because Walker encouraged me to visit.”
She worried her bottom lip with her teeth, nodding.
I shook my head. “If you’ve got something to say, you may as well say it. Everything is just background anyway, right?”
“That’s my point.” Ronnie said. She crossed her arms too, but it seemed to me like she was holding herself together. “You could have chosen any county upstate, but you chose Erin, New York because of Ian. Whether you came here to learn more about being a night blood or to learn more about Ian, I don’t know and it’s really not my business, but I know Ian a little better than you do. Whether he’s invested in you as a night blood or a reporter, or whether he’s actually invested in you, it doesn’t matter compared to his investment in the great love of his life: vampire hunting. He’s got a personal vendetta against Bex and a deep rooted hate for all vampires, and rightfully so, but you will never hold a bigger place in his heart than the one that Bex already carved out.”
It took me a moment to respond. Of all the things to come out of Ronnie’s mouth, I hadn’t expected a warning against Walker for my sake.
“I suspected as much,” I said quietly.
Ronnie frowned. “So you’re not here for Ian?”
“I didn’t say that. I’m here for multiple reasons. It’s complicated.”
“Anything involving vampires always is.” Ronnie turned away from the parlor and walked down the hall. “How would you like to meet some of the other night bloods living here?” she asked, her voice forcibly chipper.
I raised my eyebrows. “Aren’t most people asleep at this hour? It’s past midnight.”
“Most of us live a nocturnal lifestyle. Who can sleep knowing the vampires are awake and potentially outside your window?”
“Well then, lead the way.”
Everyone was friendly and welcoming as we knocked door to door. Walker’s residents greeted me with varying degrees of excitement to have another “night blood sister,” as Theresa gushed. Ronnie introduced Theresa as the first to move into the house after herself. Logan and his sons—Keagan, Douglas, William, and Colin—recently moved into the room across the hall from Theresa and were still unpacking. Ronnie
“This is beautiful,” I commented. “I love how it overlooks the first floor.”
“What breaking news is occurring in little old Erin that you’d leave the city for us?” She asked, ignoring my compliment.
I smiled warily. “Breaking news is admittedly the great love of my life, but we’ve had a falling out recently. I needed a vacation, and honestly, the chance to report something real.”
“Breaking news isn’t ‘real’ news?”
“It used to be my favorite kind of news. The rush, the immediacy, the race: it’s a sport, and I was my team’s star player.” I sighed. “Or I liked to think so. But since I discovered the truth about Dominic and Bex and, and—” I hedged, hesitating to say it.
“Vampires,” Ronnie said helpfully, her smile understanding. “Since you found out that you’re a night blood.”
I nodded. “And since I realized that vampires are the cause of many, if not most, of the violent crimes in the city, I’ve felt disenchanted about my job. Maybe when Dominic gains better control of his coven after the Leveling, I can go back to reporting news like I used to, but until then—” I shrugged. “Here I am.”
“It’ll never go back to the way it was. Once you find out about them and who you are, everything else in life becomes nothing but background.” Ronnie wrung her hands. “Did Ian invite you to stay with us, or did you need somewhere to stay while on assignment?”
I leaned against the arm of the nearest couch to alleviate some of the pressure on my hip and crossed my arms. “I could have chosen any county for on-site research on my article, if that’s what you’re implying. I chose Erin because Walker encouraged me to visit.”
She worried her bottom lip with her teeth, nodding.
I shook my head. “If you’ve got something to say, you may as well say it. Everything is just background anyway, right?”
“That’s my point.” Ronnie said. She crossed her arms too, but it seemed to me like she was holding herself together. “You could have chosen any county upstate, but you chose Erin, New York because of Ian. Whether you came here to learn more about being a night blood or to learn more about Ian, I don’t know and it’s really not my business, but I know Ian a little better than you do. Whether he’s invested in you as a night blood or a reporter, or whether he’s actually invested in you, it doesn’t matter compared to his investment in the great love of his life: vampire hunting. He’s got a personal vendetta against Bex and a deep rooted hate for all vampires, and rightfully so, but you will never hold a bigger place in his heart than the one that Bex already carved out.”
It took me a moment to respond. Of all the things to come out of Ronnie’s mouth, I hadn’t expected a warning against Walker for my sake.
“I suspected as much,” I said quietly.
Ronnie frowned. “So you’re not here for Ian?”
“I didn’t say that. I’m here for multiple reasons. It’s complicated.”
“Anything involving vampires always is.” Ronnie turned away from the parlor and walked down the hall. “How would you like to meet some of the other night bloods living here?” she asked, her voice forcibly chipper.
I raised my eyebrows. “Aren’t most people asleep at this hour? It’s past midnight.”
“Most of us live a nocturnal lifestyle. Who can sleep knowing the vampires are awake and potentially outside your window?”
“Well then, lead the way.”
Everyone was friendly and welcoming as we knocked door to door. Walker’s residents greeted me with varying degrees of excitement to have another “night blood sister,” as Theresa gushed. Ronnie introduced Theresa as the first to move into the house after herself. Logan and his sons—Keagan, Douglas, William, and Colin—recently moved into the room across the hall from Theresa and were still unpacking. Ronnie
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