The way he said it, with tense shoulders and a hard glint in his eye, meant bad things. Roger suspected Lycus’s interest in this matter was a symptom of a larger issue. The elves were worked up in a way that suggested danger was afoot. Roger wondered if this had anything to do with the whispers he’d heard about Lucifer’s planned visit. Lucifer hadn’t walked the golden halls in…decades. Only something major would bring him here now. Roger doubted this was solely about the demons’ failure to stay put.
Roger let condescension slip into his tone. “You realize, of course, that the Brink is a vampire’s breeding ground. If they were allowed to grow their numbers without hindrance, they would be unstoppable should they decide to expand their presence in the Realm. Or don’t you read history scrolls?”
Silence descended between them. Roger increased the menace in his stare.
Lycus dropped his hands. “If she returns, let me know.”
“Just so we’re by the book—on whose authority?”
“The Relations branch sent me. Officially.”
“Noted.” Roger took a step back and then nodded as Lycus trotted out of the gate.
Relations was the faction of the elves who kept their friends close and their enemies under constant threat. They wouldn’t have sent someone as high-caliber as Lycus if it were a simple question of unchecked power. Something was brewing, all right, and Charity had sparked the elves’ watchful eye.
A shiver coated Roger’s skin, something that hadn’t happened in years. One thing was imminently clear: for the time being, they had to keep Charity out of the Realm at all costs.Chapter Twenty-FourDread consumed Charity, turning into acid and rising up the back of her throat. She stood with Devon, Yasmine, and Macy in a quiet, grassy outcropping on the college campus.
“Okay, Charity, you ready?” Devon bent to catch Charity’s eye.
She picked at the frayed material outlining the sleeve of her worn hoodie. If she didn’t answer, did that mean she could skip the class where she might see a creature who used to be Donnie?
“Charity?” Devon asked.
“Yes, Devon. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” She brushed a stray piece of hair away from her cheek.
He straightened and took a step toward Yasmine, who would be shadowing him tonight. He held up his phone. “You have my number?”
She nodded and placed her hand on her rear jeans pocket, feeling the sleek new smartphone trapped there. Normal people would’ve taken pleasure in surprising her with something as exciting as a girl’s first cell phone. Instead, Devon had walked into the kitchen in his boxers, adjusted his junk like a Neanderthal, and tossed the package at her.
He’d said, “You needed a phone. Now you have one. You have a new computer, too. It’s in the office. Don’t break them. What is this, oatmeal? You couldn’t make something edible?”
She hitched her backpack a little higher on her shoulders, the weight greatly reduced thanks to the thin and light computer she’d unpacked earlier in the office. She should’ve been over the moon now that she was firmly in the modern age with everyone around her. Unfortunately, all she could think about was whether the cute boy she’d been crushing on all year would be in class tonight—and whether he’d been turned into a walking nightmare.
“That’s a work phone,” Devon said, professional and confident. “You need to keep it on at all times tonight. Keep it on vibrate, and respond if any of us contact you. Got it?”
“Yes,” she responded, brushing the hard outline with her fingertips again.
“If it doesn’t show up, wait in the class until one of us texts you with an all-clear. That’ll mean we’re waiting for you outside.”
“Okay.” They’d gone over the plan before leaving Devon’s house, but clearly Devon didn’t think any of it had sunk in. She wondered herself.
His voice hardened. “If it does show up, don’t let it get you alone. Vampires naturally beguile their prey. You’ll be attracted to it. Maybe even crave it. But don’t act on that, got it? That’s a trick. You have to remember that those feelings aren’t real.”
“I know.”
“Keep your eye on it, but keep your distance, too. If it follows you, stay around other people until you can lead it to Macy or me. We’ll handle it from there. Okay?”
“I know.”
Devon looked out over the grass for a silent moment. His sigh was so soft that she barely heard it. Then he stepped closer and put his large hand on her shoulder. The comforting heat of his touch seeped down into her.
“It’s not really Donnie, Charity, okay?” he murmured, for her ears alone. “It is a creature wearing a mask that looks like Donnie. It won’t care about you; it’ll care about your blood. This is a war. Donnie was a casualty of that war. Understand?”
With a sinking feeling in her gut, Charity pulled away. “I know,” she whispered again, acid sharp in her throat. She blew out a breath and tried to keep her composure.