“If I thought that would subdue him, I’d do it in a heartbeat,” Ethan said. “But Theodore isn’t a man who will accept a percentage. He wants it all.”
“You could at least try,” Finn muttered in annoyance, and nobody spoke for a minute.
I was the one to break the silence. “Hey, I got Rebecca back from Emilia,” I said to Finn, and he nodded, smiling.
“I know. You beat me to it. I went there today, but all I found was a distraught butler who told me Emilia had been taken by Theodore.”
“Yes!” I exclaimed. “It was so weird. One minute Emilia was setting fire to anyone who got in her way as she chased us for Rebecca, and the next, she was gone. I saw Theodore holding her and laughing before he disappeared.”
“Creepy.”
“So creepy,” I agreed.
“Have you other news, slayer?” Ethan interrupted us icily.
Finn scratched at his head. “Actually, yeah, I do.” He paused like he was unsure whether he should disclose this other news or not.
“Out with it,” Lucas interjected impatiently.
“Fine, fine. The other night we came across a woman.”
“What woman?” Ethan asked.
“I was driving along when a limo came speeding out of nowhere. All this white light was streaming from the windows. Magic, I’m guessing. Then this woman jumped out right in front of us. I almost ran her over. Then, get this, our old friend Michael Ridley emerged to chase after her. She was scared witless of him. We managed to fend him off. Well, actually, Ira did by biting off his hand.”
Lucas chuckled at that. I grimaced and swore under my breath. Ethan remained stoically silent.
“So anyway, this woman, her name is Alora and she’s half-elf. She can see into the future. Ridley kidnapped her two years ago and had been using her for her powers. He tried to cast a spell to take her ability from her, but it went wrong and ended up blinding her. I’ve kind of taken her under my wing, and she has these visions. She said that up until recently her visions were always different, but now she keeps seeing the same thing over and over.”
“What does she see?” I practically whispered, enthralled by Finn’s story.
“She sees a little blonde girl who will bring peace to the city. I think it might be Rebecca.”
I gasped and eyed Ethan, gauging his reaction to this information. His expression showed nothing except a tiny hint of interest.
After a stretch of silence, Ethan clasped his hands together, a thoughtful look on his face as he said, “So, we will keep Rebecca as safe as we possibly can. If she is to lead someday, and if this elf woman’s vision is correct, then no expense will be spared to ensure she reaches adulthood. I will see to it myself.”
Finn studied him, looking a little shocked by his response. “You care that much about peace?”
“You might not believe it, but I don’t enjoy war and bloodshed. If I had my way, all supernatural creatures would be able to live peacefully in Tribane.”
Finn’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Well, I’m glad to hear it. But do you think it’s wise for a girl with Rebecca’s blood to be raised by vampires?”
“She will not be among vampires for long. I’ll make arrangements for her to be taken somewhere safe,” Ethan assured him.
“Wait,” I argued. “You can’t just send her to live with strangers.”
“Would you prefer to keep her here where she might be abducted yet again?” Ethan countered. I had no easy answer, falling silent as I worried my lip with my teeth. The likelihood of Rebecca’s mother being of healthy and sound mind enough to care for her was low. It was also unlikely that she’d have the resources to keep her as safe as Ethan could.
“Right,” Finn said, breaking through the quiet as he rose from his seat. “I better be going. Things to do, people to see.”
“Not too fast. I want you to bring Delilah to me. As you can see, I may be changed, but I am not a threat. My sister needs to come home now,” Ethan said.
Finn eyed him. “Okay, I’ll pass on the message.”
“See that you do.” There was a pause as Ethan eyed him with a serious look. “And thank you.”
Finn seemingly didn’t know what to say to that, so he kept schtum. “I’ll walk you out,” I said, and we proceeded to the door.
In the hallway, Finn turned to me with a serious look on his face. “You want to be here, right? He’s not forcing you? Because if he is—"
“What? No, I’m fine. He’s not forcing me. Drinking my blood made Ethan stronger than any vampire I’ve seen before, but otherwise, he’s still the same. He hasn’t gone all savage and blood-hungry or anything. He’s still a good man.”
Finn raised an eyebrow at that, but I didn’t argue with him, choosing instead to change the subject. “So, where have you all been staying?” I asked.