I need my friend.
“Katy, I need to tell—” Myles starts off, but the door swings open and Henry steps in, closing the door behind him. The smile on his lips instantly drops into a frown as his eyes narrow in on Myles, the embers in them burning to life in anger. Myles wraps an arm around my waist, pushing me behind him in one smooth motion with a long growl echoing from his chest.
“Wait!” I shout, pushing Myles’s arm off me and jumping into the middle. Jumping in the middle of an angry alpha wolf and a dark angel isn’t the best idea I’ve ever had, but I’m not letting this happen. “Henry is my mate now, so he is just reacting to you touching me. Give me a second.”
“Mate? You’ve taken a mate?” Myles all but growls at me, and his reaction isn’t something I really understand.
“Technically she has two mates. The master vampire has a mate bond with her soul, but they haven’t accepted it yet, but they are close,” Henry informs Myles, sounding way too smug for my liking as he steps closer, wrapping a possessive arm around me.
“How could you know that?” I demand, and Henry looks sheepish as he answers me.
“Ren is my friend, you know this. I’m not against your relationship with him, and he will see reason about us. Your wolf friend might be a hard pass, though,” he warns me, his eyes flickering to Myles.
“She is my true mate as well, Angel-Prickhead, and I don’t give a shit who Ren is. I’m not going anywhere unless Katy demands it.” Myles’s statement hangs in the air as I turn to him, my wide eyes matching my mouth which has dropped open. Myles nervously meets my gaze, and everything about us seems to make far more sense now. I’ve never been overly attracted to anyone except for Henry, Thallon, Ren and now Myles...and it seems it’s meant to be this way. Only, what do I say to Myles? We have known each other less than a few months, and I haven’t even seen his wolf or kissed him more than once—and he jumped away from me like I was on fire. True mates...that is a statement.
“I need some time to deal with this all,” I say, biting on my lip and stepping away from them both. Myles looks hurt for a moment before he looks away from me, and my heart hurts for him. I didn’t mean I needed time away from him...that’s not what I want. Hell, I’m making a big mess of this. “Henry, did you come here for a reason?”
“Oh shit, yeah,” he says, still staring at Myles like he is his worst enemy. “I asked Bryne if you could see Vesnia alone, and he agreed. It’s too dangerous to meet in public, but Thallon said his house is currently empty. Vesnia is waiting for you there, and I will guard outside. You have about an hour.”
I can’t help the smile on my face as I jump at Henry, hugging him tightly. “Thank you!” I don’t wait as I slip on my boots and rush out of the door, hoping Myles and Henry will work out their problems. Or fight it out. Either way, I don’t want to be there. I get to the end of the corridor, and being as brave as I can, I run and jump off the balcony into the air, spreading my wings out to glide. Henry’s laugh finds my ears as he jumps off after me and flies to my side, offering me his hand. I take it, and he guides me down to the garden outside Thallon’s old house, and we land by the door. Henry tugs me closer to him and kisses me once before letting me go, and I rush to the door, pulling it open and stepping inside. Standing by the lit fireplace, Vesnia turns back to me, and we stare at each other in silence for a long time. I take in her pale skin, her bright red curly hair that looks more vibrant than ever, and even the freckles on her cheeks look brighter. Her dark brown eyes stare at me with an understanding we don’t need to speak to each other...it simply just is.
Vesnia Burns is my best friend.
Riley never was, and I was a fool not to see it before. Growing up with someone and becoming familiar to them doesn’t make you a best friend. No, friends sacrifice for each other, they always have each other’s backs, and they never let each other down. I think I move first to run to her, and we embrace in the middle of the room.
“I’ve missed breakfast with you. Even your loud chewing,” I mumble as I pull back, taking her hands in mine. Tears fall down her cheeks as she laughs, and I smile with her as I let go of one hand to wipe my own tears away.
“Says the girl who got crumbs everywhere with one piece of toast,” she counters with an arched eyebrow. “How do you miss that big mouth of yours?”
We both laugh, but eventually the reality of everything around us comes crashing down. “I’m going to get you out of here and free. I promise.”
“How long could you see ghosts? See the master vampire?” she asks me, and the hurt leaking out her words makes me feel so guilty.
I swallow the guilt as I answer. “I’ve been able to see ghosts since I was a kid, and I saw Ren for the first time when I came to the academy. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you my secret; I got so used to never telling anyone that it became second nature to hide my gift.”
“Do you see it as a gift?” she asks me, curiosity colouring her tone.
“I never did, but now I do. I see ghosts for a reason, and that reason has to do with my bloodline apparently. Ren thinks one of my ancestors must have been a vampire. And not any vampire, a master vampire, because it is a power they have. Ren has the same power,” I explain to her. “But enough about me. How are you?” I ask and reach up, touching the gold chain around her neck. The line is hanging down her back, and I grit my teeth with anger. This is so wrong.
“Don’t worry about me...it’s not as bad as you think,” Ves says, and I frown at her.
“What isn’t as bad as I think?”
“Being bitten and fed on. It’s actually pleasurable, and when you do it during sex...it can be…” she drifts off when she sees I’m not shocked. I damn well know it makes sex frigging amazing, and feeding is so pleasurable I ache to do it again even when I’m not hungry. “Oh my gosh, you’ve had sex and fed!”
My cheeks burn as I nod, and she laughs, shaking her head. “Isn’t it amazing?” she asks with a far-off look.
“So Bryne isn’t cruel to you?” I ask. “I don’t need to kill him?”
Her eyes widen, and she squeezes my hand. “No, god, no. Bryne is mute. His tongue was cut out by angels when he was a kid, but he is kind, and I know he loves me. So much can be said without words, simply actions speak enough.”
I feel guilty now I shouted at him and he couldn’t reply to me. I feel sick at the thought of angels doing that to a child. “Why would the angels do that to a child?”
“The more stories I’ve heard told...the more I hate the angels. They act like gods, when they are not. Master vampires are the closest the world will get to gods and goddesses. Their blood holds the power of the goddess, and angels do not hold more power,” she angrily tells me. “Be careful, Kaitlyn, just because we have wings, we might not be on the right side.”
“Vampires came from two angels and a goddess. Vampires are the children of angels...why would they hurt them like this?” I whisper. “It makes no sense.”
“The light above controls the angels... It/he/whatever is to blame,” she says.
“What even is the light above? The Great Light? Whatever its name is. Do you know for sure? Everyone talks about it, but no one ever says what it is,” I whisper. “I think he might be a god.”