I’m standing behind Justine when she swings the front door open. With a hand against the top of the doorframe, Sebastian leans forward to glare at us from under hooded eyebrows. His eyes blaze so hot they’re almost glowing, and his razor-sharp incisors extend below his lips. Knowing he’s a vampire is scary enough, but seeing his lethal expression makes him all the more fearsome, even with my new powers—not that I know what they are or how to control them.

From what Justine said, I thought only witches had auras, but clearly, that isn’t the case. Sebastian gently glows, his edges muddied with red light. I can feel his energy. So angry, hostile— it makes me cringe. I’ve never felt anything close to what he feels, not ever, not even when I lost my parents to a drunk driver.

“Let. Me. In,” he says quietly, his tone dark and eerily calm.

Justine folds her arms over her chest. “I don’t think so. Not while you’re like this.”

“Just in case I need to use it…what was the word you used to kick him out?” I whisper.

“Exitus,” she says. “But it will only work in your own home.”

I have a feeling that word might come in handy in the future.

His nostrils flare, and he scowls first at Justine and then at me. He curls his lips while his fangs slowly retract. After closing his eyes, he takes a deep, thoughtful breath, and when his lids flash open again, his eyes return to the same mesmerizing blue that almost rendered me speechless the first time I met him.

“And now?” he asks sweetly. “Will you let me in?”

“Still no.” She shakes her head. “And I want twenty-five hundred dollars to fix my door and my wall.”

He scoffs at her. “It’s an old door that should’ve been replaced anyway. A thousand and not a penny more.”

“You aren’t considering the time I have to spend to find a contractor, wait for him to come and fix it, and the time I have to spend here watching over someone to make sure they fix it right.”

Are they seriously debating money and fixing doors right now? A minute ago, I would have sworn he was going to kill us when he walked through the door.

“Highway robbery.” He thrums his fingers on the doorframe before glancing around Justine and scrutinizing the damaged wall and door. “Fifteen hundred. Not a penny more.”

“Done.” She holds out her hand, but he’s still on the other side of the frame. Hesitantly, he reaches his hand out to shake hers, but his hand sizzles when it passes the frame. He yanks it back, and his flesh bubbles before smoothing to its former consistency.

“Not nice,” he says, but it’s more amused than annoyed.

She merely grins. “I’ve fixed your witch.”

“Thank you.”

“I want you to swear you won’t hurt her or me if I invite you in.”

He rolls his eyes. His voice is pure butter when he says, “I would never harm her…”

“Bullshit.”

“All right. You have my word. Not nice what you did there, sweetheart. I brought her here because I trusted you, and then you betrayed me. I won’t forget that.”

“Oh, please. I did what you asked. But I won’t let you hurt an innocent. I had to make sure this is what she wanted. I wouldn’t wish her life on anyone.” She glances back at me. “I hope she doesn’t regret it.” With my hands in hers, she adds, “I can’t let him in quite yet. He needs to stew for a little while before he gets over this. You’re welcome to leave, but if you want to stay…that’s okay too.”

I meet Sebastian’s eyes. They’re still blue, but red clouds over them in waves, back and forth between the two colors. How I wish I could stay here and learn more, but that’s not in the cards. Not today. And a deal’s a deal. I can’t risk him or Alexander hurting my sister.

“You have no idea how much I wish I could stay. I have so much to learn.”

“It’ll come with time.”

“Thank you again for everything.” I pull her into a hug and hold her tightly. At first, she’s unsure how to respond, and her arms stay at her sides, but then they travel up my side and lock around my back.

“I’m here if you need help.”

“Thank you. Someday soon, I might need your help with something important.” I already know what that something will be. She may not know my history or my parents, but I’ll bet she can point me in a few worthwhile directions.

“I’ll be waiting.”

Justine takes a step out of the way, and I heave a deep breath as I take the few steps toward Sebastian. He doesn’t move as I dip down and walk under the bridge of his arm, still resting on the frame. If he’s going to punish me, it will likely be now, or maybe not. Maybe he’ll wait until Justine can’t see us anymore in case she tries to intervene. He’s stronger than her—I can tell. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be still in her house refusing to let him in. Or maybe she doesn’t want to hurt him. I suppose that’s also a possibility.

I’m in the car fastening my seatbelt when he finally turns away from Justine. She says something, but I can’t hear it with the window up. He stalks to the car, his aura settling now. When he gets inside, he takes a deep breath, and the murky depths of his aura settle until I see him for who he really is. It surprises me. Silver and gold with flecks of red. Good, bad? A combination of both? His energy has changed. He’s no longer angry, or at least, not like he was. Now he feels completely different, though I can’t truly decide how.

He turns his head in my direction as he starts the car. It rumbles quietly, and the heat vents gently blow cool air in my face.

I say something I never expect to say, or even consider. “Are you okay?”

He regards me curiously, lines on his forehead creasing his otherwise smooth face. “You must be hungry. I forget humans need to eat.”

“That’s what you want to talk about?”

He nods solemnly and pulls away from the small cluster of houses. To my surprise, we say nothing else to one another until we’re about to stop at a roadside diner about thirty miles away from Justine’s. We’re still a long way away from the mansion, and though I insisted I could wait, he pulled over anyway. A waitress with nail extensions and pink hair, gray at the roots, leads us to a table, but Sebastian quickly refuses it.

“A booth,” he says. But the first three booths she offers aren’t good enough either. Eventually, he agrees to one near the bathrooms. She hands us menus on a single sheet of paper, and I order a Coke. Sebastian asks for water.

“Care to tell me what’s so special about this table?” With my menu in my hands and in front of my chest, I lower it just enough to look over the top so I can make eye contact.

“The hall to the bathroom, the door to the kitchen, and the front door are all in my line of sight now.”

I chuckle. “It’s only dinner. I don’t think we’re going to be ambushed.”

“One can never tell. Considering who you are and what I am, we have to expect the worst in every situation. Now that your magic is out of the bag, we have no idea who can see you.”

His emotions hit me again. Worry. Something tells me it’s worry for me, not him. I figured as much, considering who he thinks I used to be, but feeling the emotion as it radiates from his body is another thing entirely. Few people have loved or cared for me in any way that mattered. This feels substantial, and I have no idea what to do with it.

“What did you and Justine talk about after I got in the car?”

“Money arrangements for her door,” he says dryly.

I fight a smile. “Seriously?”

He shrugs but keeps his eyes on the entrance.

“I don’t believe you.”

“It really doesn’t matter if you do or you don’t. It’s the truth.”

My gaze wanders over his borders, still amazed with how beautiful his shine is.

He shakes his head, still refusing to look at me. “You’re like her now, aren’t you? A seer?”

“How can you tell?”

“The way you’re looking at me right now—not directly at me, but not away either. She used to look at me the same way.”

With flushed cheeks at getting caught staring longer than I should, I peruse the menu and ignore his question. He already knows the answer anyway. Fish and chips, it is. I set the menu down and fold my hands on the top of the table.

“What else can you do?” he asks.

“I have no idea. But…”

He crooks an eyebrow, waiting patiently.

“She also thinks I’m Penelope.”

He runs a slender finger along the length of his upper lip. He opens his mouth to comment, but the waitress returns, and I give her my order. She eyes Sebastian while holding her pen and paper at the ready.

“Nothing for me.”

“Shouldn’t be long.” With a lazy finger, she points around the room to the mostly empty space with only a handful of customers sitting at stools by the counter.

“Thank you,” I say.

The waitress nods and shoves her pen behind her ear and her pad in her apron pocket. I watch her trudge forward, her feet barely picking up off the floor. I can’t imagine how many hours she spends running around on those feet.

“I want to know everything that happened after she kicked me out. I want to know what was said, what she did, everything. I don’t think I have to remind you what’s at stake.”

I chuckle at him. “We both know you’re not going to hurt my sister.”

“Try me.”

I shrug and shake my head. “You won’t do it. I don’t believe you anymore.”

He bristles but says nothing.

“Look, I’m going to help you because…isn’t that what I’m meant to do? Isn’t that who I am? Deep down?” Hopefully not too deep.

“It is.”

“You don’t need to threaten or bribe me. I’m helping because I want to. I want to know who I am, and I want to know all about this magic I have and where I come from. Fighting you isn’t going to help me get the answers I need.”

“We’re on the same page. Good. Tell me everything.”

I roll my eyes at him. He doesn’t need to be pushy. “She thinks the same as you do, that I’m this Penelope witch. She didn’t give me any more than you did, although she told me a great story about Penelope rescuing some witches in Salem. That was kind of neat.”

“Hmm.” He strokes a finger along his chin while he reminiscences. “The woman who accused most of the witches was a vampire. She accused them because her vampire clan were hunting Penelope, and the witches refused to give her up. After the crowd fled, vampires tried to take her down, but she staked every last one of them.”

“Seriously?”

He nods.

“No wonder you loved her. I mean...she sounds brave and good and...just... I don’t know... extraordinary.”

“And you will be too.”

At that, I laugh. “I wouldn’t hold your breath.”

“Why? I don’t need air to live.”

Huh. Another question answered.

“As much as I love to talk about Penelope, we need to get back on topic.”

“Right. Where were we?” I tap my finger to my lips. “Oh. Well, she removed the cloak with magic, and then…everything changed.”

“Meaning?”

I sigh. “Meaning, I saw her light. I see yours now. Other than that, I have no idea what I’m capable of. She said it’ll come to me when I need it.”

He adjusts in his seat and thrums his fingers, clearly annoyed by my lack of information.

“Do you think…I mean…do you think someone gave me away to hide me?”

“Anything’s possible.”

“That’s the only that makes sense. I was cloaked and given away. Someone went to great lengths to make sure I had no ties to the supernatural.”

“And you’re sure your sister and parents didn’t know?”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Then why the fake birth certificate?” He leans to the side as he digs into the back pocket of his jeans. He pulls out a wallet and unfolds it before plucking out a small, rectangular piece of paper. He tosses it on the table, and the light paper flutters before settling flat.

I pick it up and stare at the details. It looks like a legit birth certificate—my birth certificate. Like he said, my adopted parents are listed as my birth parents. It doesn’t look fake, but it can’t be real either.

“I can’t explain this.”

“Your parents knew more than you think.”

I have to accept that might be true, though it wounds me deeply to think my parents lied to me all these years. Did they know what I was? Or cloak me? Or know who my real parents were? The few times I’d brought up finding them, my mother would get upset and cry, asking me why she wasn’t enough. I never looked while they were alive because I couldn’t hurt them that way. Now, I have to wonder if that’s the real reason they didn’t want me looking.

“Your parents are dead so I suspect you’ll never know the answers.”

I lean back in my seat and feel heaviness in my heart. I miss them so much, like it happened only yesterday. Every day, I’ve wished to see them one more time, to have one more conversation, and those wishes will never be granted. My whole identity is in question, and I want that more than ever. Even if I manage to find my blood parents, I’ll never know what my parents knew and what they didn’t or why they did the things they did. My only option is to accept it, and yet, I don’t think I can.

I flip over the birth certificate and look at the blank back. “Can I keep this?”

“I have no use for it.”

I shake my head at him. “A simple yes would have been fine.”

“Did Justine say anything else to you while you two hid in the house?”

“Hid? We weren’t hiding. She wanted to make sure we had privacy.”

He gives me an eye roll so big I wonder if his eyes will get stuck.

“She told me you were lovers,” I say, hoping to switch topics without a fight.

“Did she?” he smiles wickedly.

“She also said you didn’t measure up,” I lie.

He chuckles and leans in even further. “Care to see for yourself? The back seat of the SUV is rather spacious, especially if you’re on all fours.”

I open my mouth to fire back a retort but then snap my mouth shut. Heat spreads over every inch of the skin on my neck and face.

The waitress comes by, plate in hand, and sets it in front of me. Sebastian grins and thanks her as she also places a bottle of ketchup on the table. “Change your mind? Are you hungry now?”

His eyes flicker with amusement. “Oh, definitely, but not for food.”

“Mmhmm,” the waitress mumbles before rushing off.

I spy my hands, and my aura is pinker than a cloud of cotton candy.

“What’s a matter, Emily? Cat got your tongue?”

I refuse to let him embarrass me into backing down. “Maybe she didn’t say that.”

“No, I suspect she didn’t.”

“What happened between you two?” I ask, sincerely this time.

His jaw widens as he grits his teeth. Though I sense his emotions, I can’t decide what he feels. Conflicted, maybe? Or maybe he’s working harder to not feel anything because he worries I’ll see through his cool façade.

“Like all the human women I’ve slept with, she wanted me to turn her, and I declined.”

“She loved you and wanted you forever?”

He groans and leans back. “Humans are so emotional. No decision should be made based on emotions. Shit like that gets you killed.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“How do you mean?” He eyes me.

“I guess emotions are what makes us human. I don’t think a person can truly live if they turn them off. I’d rather live my whole life making mistakes because I love someone rather than turning off my emotions and missing out. Otherwise, what are we? Robots? Doesn’t seem like much of a life to me.”

“Well, I’m not human. I’m vampire.”

“I’m very clear on that fact. But you still care about her. You can deny it all you want, but you do. Maybe you even wish you’d chosen differently?”

He laughs. “No. I don’t wish that. I did her a favor.”

“Is that it? You did it for her?”

His eyes blaze but settle quickly. “This is going to get old quickly if you keep trying to get in my head.”

I hold my hands up in surrender. “Okay. If you don’t want to admit you care about anyone or anything, that’s fine. It would just make it a little easier to trust you if I thought you gave a shit about anyone besides yourself.” After a pause, I add, “I liked her, and I can’t imagine her as a vampire, but I have to ask…will you turn her?”

He considers it a moment. “What answer would make you feel better?”

“The truth.”

“No, I won’t.”

“You lied to her? Again? You’d go back on your word like that?”

“Like I said, I did her a favor. She doesn’t want this—not really. And if I did turn her, by the time she realized she made a mistake, it would be too late.”

I want to scream at him for not living up to his promises and for being a liar, but I can’t find the steam for it because I know what he’s doing is right, and he’s doing it for the right reasons. Do I think he’ll betray me? I don’t know. Maybe. Probably. But I don’t think it will be to hurt me, and I feel oddly okay with that. If it came down to it, and I needed to protect myself or my sister, I’d probably do the same.

“What? No comment? No crying foul?”

I shrug, pour a dollop of ketchup on my plate, and dip a fry in it. He watches me warily while I devour my greasy, delicious fries. When it’s clear no condemnation is coming, he relaxes, leaning back in his seat and extending his arms out over the back. He wrinkles his nose when I break off a piece of my fish. It never occurred to me how strong something like that might smell to him. I almost feel bad. Almost. I bite hard into the fish and chew with a smile on my face.

Though he grimaces at me, it takes maybe ten seconds before his lips curl up at the sides.

“Want some?”

He shakes his head. “No. I don’t think so.”

“Suit yourself.” I fork another bite into my mouth. After I finish chewing, I ask, “How often do you…feed?”

“Are you offering?”

“No. I’m certainly not.”

A cell phone rings quietly, and he roots in his pocket before pulling it out. “I can live on a pint or two a week. You need less and less the older you get.” He presses a button on his phone after groaning at the name on the display. “Yes?” Pause. His aura darkens, and his red flecks grow exponentially bigger. “She’s right in front of me.” Another pause. “Two hours at most. I—” He frowns. “As you wish.” He pulls the phone away from his face and ends the call.

“Alexander?” I guess. I swallow the food in my mouth.

“The one and only.”

“It sounds as if you’re in trouble.”

He grins wickedly. After putting his phone away, he pulls out his black leather wallet and drops a twenty on the table. “I’m always in trouble.”

“You’re not going to share?”

He points to my fish. “Finish your food.”

I take my last bite and down my Coke while he stands beside the table. I have to pee, but he’s in a rush, and I can hold it so I let him hurry me outside. The air is cooler, and I curl my shoulders as a shiver crawls up my spine. In the car, he turns on the heat, and I thank him. We drive for five minutes before he finally responds to my question.

“He doesn’t know I took you out today to get your magic back.”

I stare at him in disbelief. This can’t be good for him, not by a long shot. Before, I was powerless, and the only weapon I had was my blood. If Alexander didn’t bite me, I couldn’t hurt him. And now? I don’t know. I must be a bigger threat to him than I was before. What does that mean for me? For my sister?

“I don’t know what to say. Are you going to tell him? Will he know?”

He shakes his head. “No. And I suggest you keep it to yourself.”

“Why would you do that? I can’t imagine he’d want that, and it puts you at risk. Not to mention Kara and me.”

“Alexander is an idiot. If Markus suspects who you are, he’ll try to kill you, and as a human with no magic, you’d have been powerless to stop him. This way, you stand a chance.”

“Markus is the elder?”

He nods.

“You’re trying to save my life?” I say softly, not exactly surprised to hear this but definitely happy to hear him say it out loud.

He shrugs a single shoulder. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

With meaning to, I feel a flutter inside of me and refuse to admit to myself that it’s because this cocky vampire cares for me more than he should.