The Vampire Diaries: Bound By Blood (Kindle Worlds Novella) by J.R. Rain

out a simple, if not unique, existence. That would have been an ideal time to meet my soul mate.
    Soul mate, pal?
    Wishful thinking. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure what a soul mate was. All I knew was that the girl sitting next to me had captured my heart unlike any other in all my life.
    My weird Elemental, fire-starting, rain-creating, wind-blowing heart.
    I sighed as I looked out over the great pit, where miners had spent years removing gypsum and iron ore and God knew what else. The mine, long since depleted, had been abandoned for years now and sat like a scar on the Earth, just outside of town. Funny, I had never thought of it as a scar before. Truth be known, I had had no feelings about it.
    But now I did. Go figure.
    Parked next to my own truck was Gracie’s car. She had arrived with two iced coffees, which I thought was considerate of her. We had made some small talk, and I had gushed like a smitten teen. I wasn’t sure she knew that I was gushing. Maybe she just thought I had a speech impediment.
    “So, now that you have me out here in the middle of nowhere, overlooking your bizarre idea of a scenic view,” said Gracie, sipping her iced coffee and watching me, “what did you want to talk about?”
    “Vampires,” I said.
    She nodded and continued watching from over her plastic cup. “I figured as much.”
    “I met two of them this morning. Two brothers.”
    “The Salvatore brothers, I assume.”
    I glanced at her. “You assume correctly. How do you know about them?”
    “You could say my family has a long history with the Salvatores, especially the brothers. Why do you bring them up?”
    “Well, for one, because they are vampires.”
    “Mr. Long, in this town, that doesn’t mean much.”
    “What do you know of this town?” I asked.
    “Nuh-uh, Mr. Detective Man. You tell me why you brought up the Salvatore brothers first, and then I’ll tell you what I know. Maybe.”
    I sipped my own coffee. The setting sun was warm on my face, shining nearly directly into my car. Michael had said that the vampires of this town wore magical rings to exist in sunlight. I had to admit that I had already checked Gracie’s fingers for rings … and found none. Also, she didn’t give off that pungent hint of death. In fact, she smelled good. Very, very good. With no perfume on at all, her fragrance contained hints of toothpaste, soap, and the sun-kissed skin of a silky blonde who liked the outdoors, probably as much as I did.
    She’s no vampire, I thought. She’s too … clean.
    I considered her proposal then nodded. “Okay, then. I’ll tell you what I know, if you tell me what you know.”
    “You might have yourself a deal there, partner,” she said.
    “Damon Salvatore all but admitted to killing your sister and her boyfriend.”
    Gracie had been about to drink from her straw when she paused. “He said that?”
    “Actually, yes. Worse, he seemed proud of it.”
    “Damon has always been a dick.”
    “You seem to know him,” I said.
    “I know of him. Through whisperings from my family. Remember, Mr. Long. I don’t live in town, and for the most part I have been shunned by my family. I am not privy to all the family secrets.”
    “But you know about the vampires?”
    “All the founding families are privy to the vampire problem, Mr. Long.”
    I knew of the founding families, of course. You couldn’t go anywhere in this town without hearing something about them, or celebrating something about them. If ever there was a town that idolized its forefathers and foremothers, it was this one. Now I was beginning to see why.
    “Privy, in what way?” I asked.
    “The founding families have made it their life’s mission to control the vampire problem.”
    “Then why do the Salvatore brothers walk in daylight?”
    “The Salvatore brothers are in with the sheriff and other family members. They have proven to be helpful at times … .” Her voice trailed off.
    “While other times they kill wantonly,” I