orders.
“He murdered one of my
people tonight,” says Ethan coolly as though that’s a sufficient reason.
“I’m sure it was only in
self-defence. And anyway, how many humans have your people killed in the last
couple of days? If you want to kill Finn you’ll have to go through me first.”
I stare at Ethan just
as sternly as he’s staring at me, while I clench my fists to keep my hands from
shaking. “Have you forgotten how he welcomed you into his home not too long ago
and made a pact to work with you when your own people had shut you out?”
“No, I have not
forgotten,” says Ethan. “And really, I care nothing about whatever killing has
taken place. It is the way he looks at you that makes me want to murder him.”
“Now you’re being ridiculous,”
I retort as my stomach tightens from the possessive gleam in his eyes.
“Hey, man,” Finn
interrupts. “I know she’s with you now. There’s no need for the caveman routine.”
I inwardly wish Finn
didn’t always have to be such a smart arse. He has a way with words that
manages to rile people up, even when he’s supposedly trying to be civil.
Ethan takes a step
forward and I stand, placing myself in his path. I lean in close and whisper
beseechingly, “Please, don’t. If you hurt him you’ll lose me forever.”
He looks deep into my
eyes, an internal struggle going on in his own. The tension in the room makes
me want to run quickly out of it. Jesus, this is bloody hell.
I wish that these two
could just get along. What makes it worse is that I know it’s not really the
whole vampire vs. slayer thing that makes them dislike one another so much.
It’s me.
After what seems like
forever but what is really only a matter of seconds, Ethan exhales and turns
his attention to Finn.
“You are lucky my love
favours you,” he says before dismissing the vampire who brought Finn here with
a simple wave of his hand. The blonde guy looks palpably disappointed with
Ethan’s decision and walks out with hunched shoulders.
“Well now,” says Finn
after a stretch of silence. “Who’d like to do the honours of untying me?”
I walk around to the
back of his chair and undo the rope around his wrists. Whoever tied it put it
on way too tight and I wince at how the rope has cut into his skin.
“It’s a good thing you
decided to pardon me, your highness,” Finn talks to Ethan directly now. His
openly sarcastic tone isn’t going to do him any favours and I poke him in the
shoulder to urge him to be polite. He gives me an amused look before
continuing, “Because I’ve got some news you might be interested in hearing.”
“Oh yes?” says Ethan,
going to sit down on the couch. “And what news is this?”
“Do you know about the
barrier around the city?”
Ethan gives him a bored
look that says, of course I do.
“Okay, so do you also
know that while the barrier isn’t allowing anyone to leave, it’s letting people
come inside? They just can’t get back out once they pass through it.”
Ethan gives him his
full attention now. “How do you know this?”
“Saw it with my own two
peepers,” says Finn. “It spells trouble whatever way you want to spin it.
There’ll be riots and all sorts before the week is out. Shit, I spoke to two
police officers earlier today and they said people have been looting the stores
so that they can stockpile food.”
“That does sound bad,”
Lucas agrees.
“You need to find
Theodore and figure out some kind of a truce. Tell him he can have a portion of
the city for himself if that will keep him happy,” Finn suggests.
“If I thought that
would subdue him I’d do it in a heartbeat,” says Ethan. “But Theodore isn’t a
man who will accept fifty percent. He wants it all.”
“You could at least
try,” Finn mutters in annoyance and nobody talks for a minute.
I’m the one to break
the silence. “Hey, I got Rebecca back from Emilia,” I say to Finn and he nods
smiling.
“I know. You beat me to
it.
“He murdered one of my
people tonight,” says Ethan coolly as though that’s a sufficient reason.
“I’m sure it was only in
self-defence. And anyway, how many humans have your people killed in the last
couple of days? If you want to kill Finn you’ll have to go through me first.”
I stare at Ethan just
as sternly as he’s staring at me, while I clench my fists to keep my hands from
shaking. “Have you forgotten how he welcomed you into his home not too long ago
and made a pact to work with you when your own people had shut you out?”
“No, I have not
forgotten,” says Ethan. “And really, I care nothing about whatever killing has
taken place. It is the way he looks at you that makes me want to murder him.”
“Now you’re being ridiculous,”
I retort as my stomach tightens from the possessive gleam in his eyes.
“Hey, man,” Finn
interrupts. “I know she’s with you now. There’s no need for the caveman routine.”
I inwardly wish Finn
didn’t always have to be such a smart arse. He has a way with words that
manages to rile people up, even when he’s supposedly trying to be civil.
Ethan takes a step
forward and I stand, placing myself in his path. I lean in close and whisper
beseechingly, “Please, don’t. If you hurt him you’ll lose me forever.”
He looks deep into my
eyes, an internal struggle going on in his own. The tension in the room makes
me want to run quickly out of it. Jesus, this is bloody hell.
I wish that these two
could just get along. What makes it worse is that I know it’s not really the
whole vampire vs. slayer thing that makes them dislike one another so much.
It’s me.
After what seems like
forever but what is really only a matter of seconds, Ethan exhales and turns
his attention to Finn.
“You are lucky my love
favours you,” he says before dismissing the vampire who brought Finn here with
a simple wave of his hand. The blonde guy looks palpably disappointed with
Ethan’s decision and walks out with hunched shoulders.
“Well now,” says Finn
after a stretch of silence. “Who’d like to do the honours of untying me?”
I walk around to the
back of his chair and undo the rope around his wrists. Whoever tied it put it
on way too tight and I wince at how the rope has cut into his skin.
“It’s a good thing you
decided to pardon me, your highness,” Finn talks to Ethan directly now. His
openly sarcastic tone isn’t going to do him any favours and I poke him in the
shoulder to urge him to be polite. He gives me an amused look before
continuing, “Because I’ve got some news you might be interested in hearing.”
“Oh yes?” says Ethan,
going to sit down on the couch. “And what news is this?”
“Do you know about the
barrier around the city?”
Ethan gives him a bored
look that says, of course I do.
“Okay, so do you also
know that while the barrier isn’t allowing anyone to leave, it’s letting people
come inside? They just can’t get back out once they pass through it.”
Ethan gives him his
full attention now. “How do you know this?”
“Saw it with my own two
peepers,” says Finn. “It spells trouble whatever way you want to spin it.
There’ll be riots and all sorts before the week is out. Shit, I spoke to two
police officers earlier today and they said people have been looting the stores
so that they can stockpile food.”
“That does sound bad,”
Lucas agrees.
“You need to find
Theodore and figure out some kind of a truce. Tell him he can have a portion of
the city for himself if that will keep him happy,” Finn suggests.
“If I thought that
would subdue him I’d do it in a heartbeat,” says Ethan. “But Theodore isn’t a
man who will accept fifty percent. He wants it all.”
“You could at least
try,” Finn mutters in annoyance and nobody talks for a minute.
I’m the one to break
the silence. “Hey, I got Rebecca back from Emilia,” I say to Finn and he nods
smiling.
“I know. You beat me to
it.
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