lips. “Feed.”
Corey turned his face away. “It’s forbidden.”
“It’ll stay within this car. No one will ever know.” Marcus shot a pointed look in Jai Li’s direction. “He’s already one of us. It’s not like I’ll sire a new vamp.”
She considered this a moment then nodded. “Do it, Corey.”
Marcus used his thumbnail to tear the skin. Blood welled in the cut, and he pressed it against Corey’s mouth. “Drink it or you’ll die.”
Corey latched onto his wrist. His throat worked greedily as Marcus's blood flowed into his mouth.
“Should I find a donor?” Jai Li’s petite features darkened with concern.
"Yeah, he needs more blood than I can give him. I don't think he can wait.”
After a few moments, Marcus pulled his arm away. Corey made a desperate noise and grabbed for him. Marcus cradled him against his chest and murmured words meant to soothe. Corey’s body relaxed a bit, and he seemed to doze.
They were close to the Lincoln crossover, an old city bridge where the homeless and prostitutes gathered. “Pull over here.”
Moments later, he plucked a listless Corey from the car and sat him near the underpass. Jai Li went in search of a warm body. She returned after a few moments, a woman in hot pants and a tube top with her. Jai Li must have said something that frightened her. The woman’s fear radiated toward them in waves. Marcus’s hunger reared its head, eager for nourishment.
He joined Jai Li beside the car while Corey fed. “You know this can never leave the three of us, right?”
Jai Li watched Corey with wary eyes. “I agree. It stays with us. Isabella will never know.”
Marcus spotted the blade he’d pulled from Corey’s leg. He snatched it off the floorboard. While it was true that vampires were allergic to silver, it was uncommon for one to react so violently. It weakened their kind, but as far as he knew, it was never life threatening.
Jai Li wrapped her arms loosely around Marcus's waist and rested her forehead against his shoulder. “I thought we were going to lose him.”
He put an arm around her and tossed the blade aside. It skittered across the concrete and left a black smear in its wake. “Maybe it isn't just silver.”
A light breeze blew long strands of black hair across Jai Li's face when she pulled away. “Do you think it had a spell on it? Can the witch do that?”
He stared at the car's dented hood. “Honestly, she could be capable of anything. I just don't know. I've never encountered anyone like her before.”
Jai Li moved to the front of the car and ran her hand along the hood’s curve. Her lips pressed into a thin line. “I hate that bitch.”
“Looks like Corey’s done,” Marcus pushed away from the vehicle. “Why don’t you pop the trunk and I’ll gather his trash.”
Emily tackled Brenda's laptop and the maze of information it contained. There was so much data on the web, and she had no idea where to begin.
“Want some help?” Brenda bit off the end of a peanut butter sandwich.
“Nah, I just got a little sidetracked.”
Brenda eased onto the couch next to her. She chewed slowly and watched Emily peck at the keys with one stiff finger. “Honestly, you type slower than my grandma.”
That was saying a lot since the woman had died ten years ago.
Brenda pawed through the various books piled on the coffee table then grimaced at the titles. The Idiot's Guide to Witchcraft. Paganism and You. Beginner's Guide to Wicca . She didn’t mention the vampire encyclopedia lying next to Emily.
“Why the sudden interest? Is Christianity not working for you anymore?”
Emily placed the computer on top of the table. “It's working just fine, thanks.”
“I’ll help if you tell me why we're doing research on witchcraft, of all things.”
Emily debated on exactly how much she wanted to admit. “A witch wanted to hire me to do a reading. I turned her down.”
Brenda gawked at her. “How'd she even know you
Corey turned his face away. “It’s forbidden.”
“It’ll stay within this car. No one will ever know.” Marcus shot a pointed look in Jai Li’s direction. “He’s already one of us. It’s not like I’ll sire a new vamp.”
She considered this a moment then nodded. “Do it, Corey.”
Marcus used his thumbnail to tear the skin. Blood welled in the cut, and he pressed it against Corey’s mouth. “Drink it or you’ll die.”
Corey latched onto his wrist. His throat worked greedily as Marcus's blood flowed into his mouth.
“Should I find a donor?” Jai Li’s petite features darkened with concern.
"Yeah, he needs more blood than I can give him. I don't think he can wait.”
After a few moments, Marcus pulled his arm away. Corey made a desperate noise and grabbed for him. Marcus cradled him against his chest and murmured words meant to soothe. Corey’s body relaxed a bit, and he seemed to doze.
They were close to the Lincoln crossover, an old city bridge where the homeless and prostitutes gathered. “Pull over here.”
Moments later, he plucked a listless Corey from the car and sat him near the underpass. Jai Li went in search of a warm body. She returned after a few moments, a woman in hot pants and a tube top with her. Jai Li must have said something that frightened her. The woman’s fear radiated toward them in waves. Marcus’s hunger reared its head, eager for nourishment.
He joined Jai Li beside the car while Corey fed. “You know this can never leave the three of us, right?”
Jai Li watched Corey with wary eyes. “I agree. It stays with us. Isabella will never know.”
Marcus spotted the blade he’d pulled from Corey’s leg. He snatched it off the floorboard. While it was true that vampires were allergic to silver, it was uncommon for one to react so violently. It weakened their kind, but as far as he knew, it was never life threatening.
Jai Li wrapped her arms loosely around Marcus's waist and rested her forehead against his shoulder. “I thought we were going to lose him.”
He put an arm around her and tossed the blade aside. It skittered across the concrete and left a black smear in its wake. “Maybe it isn't just silver.”
A light breeze blew long strands of black hair across Jai Li's face when she pulled away. “Do you think it had a spell on it? Can the witch do that?”
He stared at the car's dented hood. “Honestly, she could be capable of anything. I just don't know. I've never encountered anyone like her before.”
Jai Li moved to the front of the car and ran her hand along the hood’s curve. Her lips pressed into a thin line. “I hate that bitch.”
“Looks like Corey’s done,” Marcus pushed away from the vehicle. “Why don’t you pop the trunk and I’ll gather his trash.”
Emily tackled Brenda's laptop and the maze of information it contained. There was so much data on the web, and she had no idea where to begin.
“Want some help?” Brenda bit off the end of a peanut butter sandwich.
“Nah, I just got a little sidetracked.”
Brenda eased onto the couch next to her. She chewed slowly and watched Emily peck at the keys with one stiff finger. “Honestly, you type slower than my grandma.”
That was saying a lot since the woman had died ten years ago.
Brenda pawed through the various books piled on the coffee table then grimaced at the titles. The Idiot's Guide to Witchcraft. Paganism and You. Beginner's Guide to Wicca . She didn’t mention the vampire encyclopedia lying next to Emily.
“Why the sudden interest? Is Christianity not working for you anymore?”
Emily placed the computer on top of the table. “It's working just fine, thanks.”
“I’ll help if you tell me why we're doing research on witchcraft, of all things.”
Emily debated on exactly how much she wanted to admit. “A witch wanted to hire me to do a reading. I turned her down.”
Brenda gawked at her. “How'd she even know you
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