Moonglow: Blood Magic Book 2 Read online

  “Hey now, you can’t think that way. You’re one person, and you were scared. No one would blame you for running away.”

  Shifting away from Finn, I tried to pull myself together. I was already getting far too close to him, and it had barely been two days. “I’ll call his work in the morning and see if they know anything. There’s also my friend, Nicki. She might know where he went.”

  Finn nodded. “It might not even be anything bad, Tegan. Maybe he just wanted to get away from it all, sell the house and use the money to retire somewhere hot and sunny.”

  “Maybe,” I agreed, but I scarcely believed it. It just wasn’t something my dad would do—not without telling me.

  As Finn pulled away from the house, I glanced up to the window of my old bedroom. I wished I could just go in, sit there for a while and feel the comfort of the place. I doubted the new owners would let me though. I’d planned on checking in with Florence, but it was late and I was way too stressed about Dad. I’d come see her in two weeks on my way back out of Tribane instead.

  The journey to the city was too short, and soon the familiar skyline came into view as we drove over Macken’s Bridge.

  “So, do you have any idea how you’re going to get back in touch with Cristescu?” Finn asked.

  “I’ll probably just go to Crimson to look for him. I’m sure he’ll be around somewhere.”

  “Actually, funny you should say that. I have it on good authority that they’re throwing an exclusive event at the club tomorrow night. All the most powerful vamps in the city are going to be there. It would be the perfect time for you to gather information about Rebecca.”

  Tension filled my body. I wasn’t sure I was ready to see Ethan, but I only had two weeks. I needed to bite the bullet. “Sounds like as good a plan as any,” I replied, while a hundred butterflies flitted around inside my stomach. Tomorrow night. That was so close. I was going to see Ethan tomorrow night. The prospect was both exhilarating and vomit-inducing.

  When we arrived at Finn’s house, I asked him about his friend, Noel. Finn grew quiet and shook his head, informing me that Noel died in one of the battles with the vampires. He’d named Finn as his next of kin, since he didn’t have any kids himself, which meant the house went to him.

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” I whispered just as his dog, Wolf, came barrelling down the hallway. I still hadn’t lost my fear of big dogs, so I stood as far away from Wolf as I could manage. Seriously, I’d never seen a German Shepherd this large, and I wondered if one of his parents was an actual wolf.

  He prowled around me, sniffing at my shoes before doing the doggy version of a shrug and going to greet Finn, who gave an amused chuckle when I followed Wolf into the kitchen, continuing to give him a wide berth.

  “He’s a teddy bear, Tegan. Seriously, you don’t need to look so terrified.”

  “Who took care of him while you were away?” I asked.

  “The next-door neighbour,” Finn replied, taking two bottles of water from the fridge and offering one to me. I took it and swallowed a large mouthful.

  “So, where’s my room?” I asked tiredly.

  Finn waggled his brows. “You can stay in my bed if you like.”

  “What were those conditions I set down before coming here again?” I reminded him.

  “But I’ve got you here now so …” Finn drifted off, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

  “True, but I can leave whenever I want.”

  “Ah, calm down. I’m just teasing. You need to have more of a sense of humour. Come on, I’ll show you the guest room.”

  The room Finn showed me was clean and sparse, containing only a bed and a wardrobe. He placed my bag at the end of the bed and told me he’d see me in the morning. I stripped off and climbed under the covers, but sleep evaded me. I couldn’t stop worrying about my dad. I may have come back to help rescue Rebecca, but his disappearance made things a hundred times more complicated.

  I wasn’t just going to the vampires to find information about the little girl anymore. Now I needed to find out what happened to my father as well. And so help me, if they’d done anything to hurt him I’d find a way to make each and every one of them pay.

  ***

  In the morning I went downstairs in search of breakfast and found Finn already up and dressed. He told me I had an hour to get ready before we had to go meet with Governor Pamphrock.

  I nodded and shut myself in the living room with my phone to call my dad’s work. A friendly secretary answered. When I asked her about my dad, she put me on hold for five minutes before returning to say that he resigned out of the blue several months ago and left no forwarding information. Dismayed, I hung up and tried to call Nicki next. Her phone rang, but nobody answered. I dragged a hand through my hair in frustration.

  After eating a slice of toast, I dressed and joined Finn in the front yard where he was chatting with the woman who lived next door. She was telling him how much she enjoyed taking care of Wolf while he was away and that it was an absolute pleasure to care for such a well-mannered dog. Despite this, I was still wary of the animal. There was something in his eyes. They seemed almost … human.

  Finn and I climbed into his van, and he drove us to a large warehouse. I peered out at the massive brick building. “What is this place?”

  “This is the main DOH training compound,” Finn answered. “With all the recent deaths, there’s been a big need for new recruits, so you’ll see a lot of newbies inside.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that, so I decided to keep my mouth shut. Inside there were lots of busy looking people dressed in black uniforms. Along one of the back walls was a large window, through which you could view a shooting practice range. There were also various assault courses where budding slayers were undertaking their training. I felt like I’d just entered some kind of super-secret military layer.

  Finn led me up a set of stairs to an office room. He knocked on the door, and a middle-aged man with a neat haircut wearing a smart navy suit emerged.

  “Ah,” he greeted. “I’ve been waiting for you two. It’s good to see you, Lieutenant Roe,” he said, taking Finn’s hand and giving it a firm shake.

  “Governor Pamphrock, this is Tegan Stolle,” Finn introduced.

  Pamphrock turned his attention to me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Stolle, and I’m grateful for your help.”

  Pamphrock had that refined beauty I’d come to associate with the dhampirs, similar to Gabriel and Delilah. They were attractive in a less jarring way than vampires. Still, the man before me appeared confident. You could tell that he held power and authority by the way he carried himself, and I wondered exactly how old he was as he directed us to take the seats in front of his desk. When he sat, he eyed me closely.

  “Miss Stolle, do you mind me asking how exactly you became acquainted with Ethan Cristescu?”

  “Tegan moved away from Tribane because Cristescu had been pursuing her,” Finn answered for me. I shot him a questioning look. “You know how obsessive vamps can get when they set their sights on a particular human.”

  Well, that wasn’t quite the truth, but I understood why he lied. He was doing it to keep my secret.

  Pamphrock’s expression turned thoughtful as he studied me. “He didn’t compel you?”

  “No, I managed to get away before he could erase my memories,” I lied.

  “So, you were frightened of him and ran away? How are you going to explain your return? Clearly, someone who was so scared of a vampire wouldn’t willingly walk straight back into his life.”

  “I could pretend that I’ve come to terms with what he is,” I suggested. “Tell him that I want to give things another shot.”

  Pamphrock considered me for a moment. “I suppose that might work. But tell me, why are you agreeing to help me find my daughter, Miss Stolle? Is it the money?”

  “Tegan agreed to help before I even mentioned paying her,” Finn interjected.

  Pamphrock seemed intrigued by this. “
Oh?” His eyes landed on me. “You must have the same hero gene as Lieutenant Roe here.”

  “I’m not so sure about that. I just couldn’t walk away knowing I might be able to help you get your daughter back, sir.”

  Pamphrock rubbed his chin, and I felt a little self-conscious at his prolonged attention. He drew closer, inhaling a deep breath, and his brow furrowed. “Have we met before? You seem familiar to me in some way.”

  “No, I don’t think so,” I replied, uneasy with the way he seemed to be smelling me. It reminded me all too much of the vampires I’d met.

  “This might sound strange,” Pamphrock went on. “But in a way, you remind me of Rebecca.” He opened a drawer below his desk and retrieved a photograph before sliding it across the desk to me. “This is the most recent picture I have of my daughter.”

  I glanced down at the photo. Rebecca had long blonde hair, olive skin, and big brown eyes. She looked absolutely nothing like me. In fact, with my dark hair, blue eyes, and pale complexion, we were polar opposites. I wasn’t sure how I reminded Pamphrock of her.

  “Memorise her face. I’d let you keep the picture, but I can’t risk Cristescu finding you with it and realising what you’re up to.”

  “Alright,” I replied, committing Rebecca’s features to memory before I handed the picture back to Pamphrock. He and Finn exchanged brief eye contact before Pamphrock said, “I would like to speak with Lieutenant Roe alone for a moment. If you don’t mind, Miss Stolle.”

  “Sure, I’ll wait outside,” I said, rising from my seat and leaving the room. About five minutes later, Finn emerged with a face like thunder.

  “What was that all about?” I asked as we walked out.

  “Pamphrock was just reminding me of the consequences if you happen to betray us,” Finn answered. “You better not screw this up, Tegan.”

  “Hey, I’ll do the best I can,” I said irritably. “By the way, where is Rebecca’s mother? I thought I’d be meeting her, too, since so much responsibility is being placed on me.”

  Finn glanced in my direction. “As far as I know she’s out of the picture. Pamphrock’s got several kids, all from different mothers, and Rebecca is his youngest. That’s probably why the vampires targeted her. She’s where Pamphrock’s most vulnerable.”

  When we were in the van, Finn removed an envelope from his pocket and dropped it onto my lap. I peered inside, my eyes widening when I saw the money.

  “You’ll get the rest once we’ve gotten Rebecca home safely,” he said as he drove us back to the house. He handed me the front door key and told me he had some errands to run. I went inside, wary of Wolf’s presence, but he wasn’t about. Maybe he’d gone next door to visit the lady who seemed to like him so much.

  Exhaling a relieved breath, I decided to treat myself to a long soak in the tub. When I emerged, I wrapped up in a clean towel and tried not to fixate on my anxiety about seeing Ethan tonight. I exited the bathroom and almost walked right into Wolf, who sat in the hallway staring at me stoically.

  “What the hell? How did you get back into the house?”

  Wolf gave a low huff then turned and walked away. I got the feeling Finn’s dog didn’t trust me much and was keeping a close eye on me on his owner’s behalf. Inside the guest room, I shut the door and focused on what to wear for the night ahead. I didn’t want to seem like I was out to impress, because that might make Ethan suspicious, but at the same time, I wanted to look good. I selected an electric blue halter top, pairing it with a pair of tight black pants that did a good job of showcasing my newly toned legs.

  I set the clothes out and decided to take a nap. When I awoke, I heard Finn downstairs playing around with Wolf. I climbed out of bed and quickly got ready, fixing my hair and make-up before donning my outfit.

  Arriving downstairs, I found Finn in the kitchen eating noodles. He gave a low whistle. “You look nice.”

  “Thanks. Are there any more of those? I’m starving.” Finn nodded to an unopened box of noodles, and I went to grab a fork. Wolf gave me a little bump as I walked past him. “I don’t think your dog likes me,” I said.

  “It’s not that he doesn’t like you. He just senses that you don’t like him.”

  “I’d like him better if he wasn’t staring at me all the time,” I grumbled as I dug into the noodles.

  Finn slid something to me across the counter. I picked it up and found it was a ticket to the event at Crimson tonight. “How did you manage to snag this?” I asked, certain it wasn’t an easy task for a slayer to get a ticket to an exclusive vampire event.

  Finn winked. “I have my ways.”

  “Where will you be while I’m at the club?”

  “Nearby. You should probably put my number on speed dial just in case anything goes wrong. I’ll be there in a flash.”

  I swallowed the lump that had quickly formed in my throat. “Okay.”

  I was so close to seeing Ethan again, and I wasn’t sure how good of an actor I was.

  Finn and I travelled separately to avoid suspicion. I took a taxi to Crimson while he drove over in the old Ford Fiesta that was sitting in his garage. It was much less conspicuous than taking the DOH van, obviously. I couldn’t quit fidgeting in the taxi on the way to the club. My phone lit up with a text and I saw it was from Finn.

  Don’t be nervous. You’ve got this. I have faith in you.

  Somehow, his encouragement bolstered me as I stepped out into the cold winter night and headed for a club filled with vampires, one of whom was going to be very surprised to see me.

  5.

  Exiting the taxi, I joined a well-dressed bunch eagerly waiting to get into the club. I wondered how eager they’d be if they knew there were vampires inside, possibly targeting them for blood.

  It took about twenty minutes before I got in, and I was relieved when I saw Lucas wasn’t standing with the bouncers. I wanted to have a look around before any of the vampires noticed me. Perhaps I could find some clues to my dad and Rebecca’s whereabouts.

  I handed my ticket to the girl at the door and went to leave my coat in the cloakroom. A dark-haired man, who I pegged for a vampire, handed me a small, numbered slip. I shoved it in my bag and walked away quickly before he had the chance to smell me.

  As I entered the main part of the club, the dance floor was teeming with bodies. The DJ was an Asian girl with colourful dreadlocks, and I suspected from her flawless skin that she was a vampire, too.

  A little bit of time and distance had me seeing this place far more clearly.

  I stepped up to the bar and ordered a gin and tonic. Sipping my drink, I surveyed the club, scoping out the VIP section high above the dance floor in particular. It was where Ethan normally hung out, and tonight it was absolutely jam-packed with vampires. I couldn’t take my eyes off the beautiful, deadly creatures as they mingled, hunger in their eyes as they watched the unsuspecting humans dancing below them.

  I downed my drink and did a quick circuit of the club, but it seemed like all the vampires were in the VIP section. If I was going to overhear any whisperings about Rebecca, then I needed to figure out a way to get up there. Unfortunately, I had to go through the dancefloor to get to the VIP stairway, and as I said earlier, it was packed.

  Bodies brushed off me as I moved through the groups dancing to “Money” by Pink Floyd. That warning tingle touched the back of my neck and I glanced up, a familiar blond head of hair catching my attention. Then I saw his face, and he was still as handsome as ever.

  Ethan.

  I stopped moving, unable to tear my gaze away as I drank him in. Tonight, he wore a dark shirt that fitted him perfectly over his broad shoulders. He stood next to Lucas, who was speaking in his ear. Ethan’s head dipped down as he listened, nodding, his expression serious.

  With him currently unaware of me, I soaked in every detail of him. His tall, lean frame and his olive-toned skin and impossibly gold eyes. I was the only human who could see through the glamour to his real eye colour. The average person would’ve
simply seen them as brown.

  There was a split second of silence when one song ended and the next began, and it was during that second that Ethan’s attention drifted away from Lucas and landed directly on me.

  Shockwaves ran through my body, every nerve ending firing. A myriad of emotions flashed across his face as he stared at me; confusion, then disbelief, followed by the third, fiery determination. He said something to Lucas, and then he was on the move, descending the stairs and heading directly towards me. I stood utterly still in the centre of the crowded dance floor, frozen in place.

  The song changed to “Cosmic Dancer” by T-Rex, and time seemed to move in slow motion. Ethan closed the distance between us and then he was standing before me, staring at me like I was a ghost. An impenetrable atmosphere surrounded us because no one on the dance floor dared move into our space.

  I was transfixed by him, and it seemed that he was transfixed by me. I watched him inhale deeply, warring impulses raging within me. I wanted to flee and throw myself at him all at once. I reminded myself that I was being paid to spy on him and a swell of regret washed over me. I wished my intentions for being here were pure, but they weren’t. It was something I already struggled with and we hadn’t even said a word to one another yet.

  I gasped when he stepped closer and placed his cool hand on my arm. Then he bent, and I shivered when he lowered his mouth to just above my ear, his hand coming up to touch one of my white strands of hair.

  His soft breath drifted across my skin when he finally spoke, “Are you real, or is this a very convincing hallucination?”

  His proximity made me forget everything else around me—the sounds, the people. At that moment, there was only him. “I’m real, um, hi, by the way.”

  The dimples in his cheeks deepened. “Hi.” His attention returned to my hair. “What happened here? Fashion statement or spell gone wrong?” He stroked my shoulder blade, and since I was wearing a halter top it meant his palm was flat to my bare skin. My throat ran dry as his hand wandered up, this time cupping the back of my neck.