Page 74 of Bitten Vampire

I shiver. The Grand Master does not need to sleep at all. Crikey.

“We’ve all seen the footage,” Tony says. “I’ve compiled every good angle—soundtrack optional—if anyone’s curious.”

“I watched the CCTV. She’s awkward,” James snaps. “She’s young, it was pure luck. How old were you when you were turned, Fred?”

“James, it doesn’t matter how old she was when she was turned; when she’s a talented day-walker,” Ralph muses.

Valdarr gestures to the sofa, and we sit. “Drinks, anyone?”

I half expect human donors to file in,throats bared, but Valdarr fetches bagged blood himself and pours it into crystal glasses.

Simone catches my puzzled look. “We don’t feed directly from humans,” she explains, hands folded on her knees. “James keeps volunteers at his estate up the road, but the rest of us prefer bagged blood; it’s simpler, safer. We are peaceful monsters.”

“We were peaceful,” Ralph adds, “until Clan Nocturna and our Grand Master interfered. I can’t believe they sent human assassins. Do they even realise Winifred is a rare, valuable day-walker?”

“Why does everyone keep saying that? She’s not a day-walker,” James bites back. “During daylight Fred’s human.”

Tony’s mouth drops open.

“Human? I don’t understand. Did something go wrong with the turning?” Ralph asks.

I shrug. “I have no idea.”

I hardly understand House’s magic myself; how can I explain it to a room full of vampires? A small part of me still hopes the Grand Master turned me—conventionally, however impossible—rather than leaving me a freak. Then guilt bites: House saved my life. As I told Lander, without her interference I would be dead.

The excitement in the room fades, and they all watch me as though I’m some strange, new creature.

Six pairs of eyes swing to Valdarr.

He sighs, pain etched across his face. “The Grand Master killed her—he meant to drain her—and we believe magic was responsible for Fred’s turning. The Ministry of Magic thinks the wizard’s house she lived in altered the process. Fred died, he disposed of the body, yet the sentienthouse’s magic revived her and held her in suspension. She rose as a vampire, drove home, and at dawn the house completed the spell. Fred is human by day, vampire by night.”

“Fairy-tale stuff,” Simone breathes. “Serious magic. Can we see this wizard’s house?”

“It’s already moved,” Valdarr says. “The Ministry of Magic botched an attempt to contain it. Lander Kane tried to chain the house to the site, seize control, and Fred—by all accounts—knocked him flat and broke his wand.”

Simone shoots me a wicked grin.

Tony leans forward, his gaze sharpening. “About the humans you killed today—do you need to talk? Was it your first time?”

“Hardly,” James hisses. “She murdered a team of assassins and didn’t even let them crawl home; conveniently, the bodies vanished with the house.”

“If we are pointing fingers, James, I took out twenty of those same assassins,” Valdarr says.

“To protect her.” James jabs a trembling finger at me.

“Have you got a problem with our youngest, James?” Tony asks cautiously.

“Yes, I have.”

“James,” Valdarr growls, handing around glasses of blood. I take mine with a mumbled “thanks,” try not to grimace, and swirl the thick liquid, giving my restless fingers something to do.

“No! I will not be silenced. I have the right to speak my truth.”

“Oh, great. Here we go,” Simone mutters.

“After offering your blood, you lacked thedecency to stay dead, thereby embarrassing our esteemed Grand Master. You seduced his heir, bit a claimed thrall, spelled a master vampire, murdered Clan Nocturna vampires when they retaliated, attacked a Ministry of Magic councillor—causing an incident—and your actions provoked today’s assault on our peaceful clan, killing honest security staff and endangering our liege.” He scowls at Simone. “That was hardly brave work. My advice is to drag Winifred to the Hall of Silence, put her on trial, and be rid of the problem.”

Off with her head.