Page 7 of How to Stake a Vampire

No one missed the slight growl underscoring his voice.

“Nevertheless,” Oscar said from his arena of darkness, “the fact remains that she succeeded where others would have failed. That suggests a natural affinity that shouldn’t be dismissed.” His gimlet eyes studied me like a cat would a mouse it had found wandering inside its food bowl.

“Or it suggests she got lucky,” Wendall shot back.

I was about to express heartfelt agreement with the dragon newt when Samuel spoke.

“Lucky?” An edge had crept into his voice. “You think it wasluckthat let my luna stop an entire ballroom full of supernatural creatures from tearing each other apart?”

Victoria’s expression turned glassy. “Samuel, you’re meant to be downplaying Abby’s role in that incident.”

Samuel looked like he was past caring at this point.

I had to admit, my alpha coming to my defense made my insides all warm and gooey. Of course, that could also be acid.

The dragon newt had the grace to look slightly abashed at Samuel’s glower. “I merely meant?—”

“You meant that because she’s new to our world, she couldn’t possibly understand the complexities of magical artifacts,” Samuel interrupted. “Sometimes an outsider’s perspective is exactly what we need, though.” He scanned the table, his expression stony. “Everyone in that ballroom was so busy following the rules of engagement they’d established over centuries that they couldn’t see the forest for the trees. Had it not been for Abby, we’d all be slaves pandering to Camilla’s every whim right now.”

A heavy silence fell over the room. Daria broke it.

“Which brings us back to my original question,” the witch said succinctly. “What are we going to do about it?”

I became the object of everyone’s stares and realized they wanted an answer from me.

“Sometimes the best solution is the simplest one,” I said hesitantly.

“And what would that be?” Daria asked.

“Lock it away. Somewhere secure. Preferably heavily warded, so it can’t hurt anyone ever again.” I paused. “And then everyone should do their best to forget it even exists.”

The Alliance exchanged wary glances.

“That’s asking a lot from a bunch of supernatural creatures who like to dream up ways of stabbing each other in the back,” Cornelius said with a heavy sigh.

“Exactly,” Oscar added with a surly pout from his alcove of gloom.

“It’s a good thing we have a white luna in town,” Portia said sharply.

Melody ignored her fellow Alliance members and studied me with otherworldly eyes. “You don’t want to understand how it works? How you were able to channel its power?”

“Nope,” I said firmly. “Holding that thing was the spookiest thing I’ve ever done in my life.” I made a face. “Never mind the naked guy that popped out of nowhere straight after.”

Samuel, Victoria, Portia, and the Tremaines shuddered at the memory of a nude Arthur Holt. Pearl looked like she was considering regurgitating a fur ball.

Daria cleared her throat and rapped the table with a gavel. “Alright. All those in favor of securing the crystal skull in our containment facility indefinitely?”

Hands went up around the table. Victoria, Samuel, Gregory, Constantia, Wendall, Cornelius, Portia, Finnic, and somewhat reluctantly, Titania.

“Opposed?”

Oscar raised his hand. Melody hesitated, then did the same.

“Abstaining?” Daria asked distractedly for the sake of it while she made notes.

Bo put his paw up. Everyone stared at him, Pearl with a heavy dose of pity.

“You’re not a member of the Alliance,” Daria pointed out coolly.