Page 14 of Burn Falls

She instantly blushed at his compliment, and then chugged the fresh whiskey the bartender had poured. I didn’t blame her. Before my turning, I was known to drink half a bottle of whiskey while playing cards. In fact, I would still drink that much after stressful nights at the hospital.

I slid my glass over to her, encouraging her to loosen up. “Calla, this is my friend, Athan. Athan, Calla.”

They shook hands, and then Athan kissed the back of hers. My cold, non-circulating blood started to boil as I watched his lips touch her skin. I could feel the tips of my fangs against my tongue reminding me that I needed to calm the fuck down. Athan stepped closer to her, his hand still in hers and stared down into her emerald eyes. “Calla, we need to know everything about the man who attacked your father.”

“Why?” she asked looking up at him.

He tilted his head slightly as though he realized compulsion wasn’t working on her. “So we can find him.”

“How can you find someone if I don’t even know what he looks like?”

“Tell us everything you do know,” he encouraged.

Calla was silent for a beat, and laughter pierced my ears. Laughter from my co-workers who were in their own world, not realizing that two vampires were in the bar trying to compel a human.

“I already told Draven everything I know.”

“You told her your real name?” he asked me telepathically.

“It slipped, and I thought I could compel her,” I replied telepathically.

“Not everything,” Athan said out loud to Calla.

Her gaze darted to me. “Why do you two want to know so badly? I already told everyone everything I know, and the troopers know nothing every time we call them.”

Athan stepped back, and we locked eyes. “She can’t be compelled.”

“I can fucking see that,” I remarked back. Then to answer Calla, I said, “We’re just curious. I live in Burn Falls too, and we want to know more about the attack, so we know who to look out for.”

“Well, if I knew anything else, you’d know it too. Don’t you think I want to find the person who is responsible for my father being in that hospital bed?” She waved her hand in the direction of the hospital.

“I know you do,” I said to Calla and then using my thoughts said to Athan, “I’ve got Calla. Go see if you can find anything in Burn Falls and I’ll meet you back at my place before sunrise.”

“Maybe the alcohol will loosen her tongue and give us answers?”

I turned to him and nodded, then said out loud, “Didn’t you have somewhere to be?”

Athan patted my shoulder a couple of times. “I do.” He held out a hand to Calla. “It was nice to meet you, Calla. I hope your father’s situation improves.”

She took his hand and shook it, but there was no feeling behind it. The smile she gave him didn’t meet her eyes. I knew that look, the numbness. The alcohol was starting to hit home.

“Another?” I asked, pointing to the third empty whiskey glass.

She looked down at it. “I better not. If something were to happen—”

“I’m right here with you. If anything happens, they’ll page me and then we’ll go right over.”

“I don’t want to be drunk if anything—”

“You don’t need to be drunk,” I interrupted. “You can just numb the pain.” I knew that she was going to be drunk. She was almost there. But I also knew that Miles was never waking up again, and there was no point in her hurrying back. The machines were only giving her false hope.

“Okay. One more,” she agreed.

I flagged down the bartender and ordered two more. “Your father’s whiskey is remarkable,” I told her as I took another taste. The alcohol burned through my bloodstream, and I edged closer to her. She had this pull on me. A pull I’d been fighting since the night I met her in the waiting room at the hospital.

“It really is,” she agreed, taking a sip. “It’s the caraway seed mixed with cinnamon.”

“Caraway seed? Never heard of it.”