“Where are the others?”
“They’re safe.”
“What’s going on here?” I asked as I surreptitiously eyed the muscular, red-haired vampire who was glaring daggers in Finn’s direction.
“I got jumped by a couple of vamps. I told them your boyfriend might not take too kindly to them killing me. Though, to be honest, by the way he’s looking at me right now, I think he’d take very kindly to it indeed.”
I pulled away from Finn and turned to look at Ethan. “Stop it. Nobody’s killing Finn tonight. Or ever.”
The red-haired vampire stared at me in awe as I addressed Ethan, while Lucas shook his head as if I were ridiculous for having the gall to give orders.
“He murdered one of my people tonight,” Ethan spoke coolly.
“I’m sure it was only in self-defence,” I countered. “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.”
Just to show how serious I was, I summoned some of my magic, allowing it to spark and crackle from the palm of my hand. With each day that passed, it was becoming second nature to use my magic. Rarely did I need to be threatened anymore for it to make an appearance. I simply needed to call on the magic and immediately it answered. The red-haired vampire’s body startled. He clearly didn’t know I was a witch, and while it felt strange to say it, technically that’s what I was.
A witch.
It wasn’t an unpleasant thought. In fact, my magic practically purred under my skin as I accepted my new identity. It was like I’d finally come into my own.
I stared at Ethan just as sternly as he stared at me. “Have you forgotten how Finn welcomed you into his home not too long ago and made a pact to work with you when your own people shut you out?”
“No, I haven’t forgotten,” Ethan replied. “And really, I care very little for 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 retorted as my stomach tightened from the possessive gleam in his eyes.
“Hey, man,” Finn interrupted. “I know she’s with you now. There’s no need for the caveman routine.”
I inwardly wished Finn didn’t always have to be so ready with a smart comment. He had a way with words that managed to rile people up, even when he was supposedly trying to be civil.
Ethan took a step forward, and I stood, placing myself in front of Finn. “If you hurt him, you’ll lose me forever,” I said, and I meant it.
Ethan looked deep into my eyes, an internal struggle going on in his own. The tension in the room was so thick it made me want to flee, but I stood my ground.
After what seemed like forever, but what was really only a matter of seconds, Ethan exhaled and turned his attention to Finn.
“You are lucky Tegan favours you,” he said before dismissing the vampire who brought Finn here with a simple wave of his hand. The red-haired vampire looked palpably disappointed with Ethan’s decision as he walked out with hunched shoulders.
“Well, now,” Finn said once he was gone. “Who’d like to do the honours of untying me?”
I walked around to the back of his chair and slid the blade he’d given me from my jeans pocket, cutting through the cable tie.
“It’s a good thing you decided to pardon me, your highness,” Finn said, speaking directly to Ethan. I poked him in the shoulder, urging him to drop the sarcastic tone. He was way too cocky for someone who just barely avoided getting killed. He shot me an amused look before continuing, “Because I’ve got some news you might be interested in hearing.”
“Oh?” Ethan said, going to sit down on the couch. “And what news is this?”
“Do you know about the barrier around the city?”
Ethan gave him a bored look that said, Of course, I do.
“Okay, but 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.”
Now he had Ethan’s full attention as he sat up straight. “How do you know this?”
“Saw it with my own two eyes,” Finn replied. “It spells trouble whichever way you want to spin it. There’ll be riots and all sorts of trouble before the week is out. I spoke to two police officers earlier today, and they said people have been looting the stores and stockpiling food.”
“That does sound bad,” Lucas agreed.
“You need to find Theodore and figure out some kind of truce. Tell him he can have a portion of the city for himself if that will keep him happy,” Finn suggested.