Page 129 of Origins of Eternity

“Cassia is dead,” Arwen said. “I killed her. So, if you’re trying to trick me or–”

“Cassia’s dead?” Sarah asked.

“Yes. She’s currently lying on my kitchen floor, all blue. Forgive me if I don’t invite you inside to see for yourself, but she came here and tried to kill us. Iro nearly died because of her. I still don’t know for sure that she’s going to be okay, so if you don’t want me to do to you what I did to Cassia…” Her fangs came back out, but she didn’t care this time. “I’d suggest you leave right fucking now.”

“We’re not tricking you. Cassia is responsible for Miranda and Gigi’s deaths. We get that now. She’s sick or evil, maybe both, but we don’t want any trouble. We got turned against our will, just like you, Arwen. We didn’t want this. We don’t want to be like her,” Alexia added. “We’ll go, but Arwen, we don’t have anyone now. We haven’t been home since we were turned. We’re not from here. Cassia made us give up everything and promised us some amazing, eternal life, but Gigi and Miranda are gone. Amy split or wasn’t at the house today, at least, but she never fit in anyway. The other ones Cassia turned are sitting around like zombies, not knowing what to do, and the humans are only there for food or waiting their turn to become like us. Zara ran off.”

“Go home,” Arwen said.

“And do what? We’re vampires.”

Arwen thought for a moment and asked, “Do you really mean what you said? That you don’t want to live how Cassia lived?”

“Yes. Look, we like each other,” Sarah explained. “It’s not just the hot vampire sex thing.” She took Alexia’s hand. “We actually like each other, and we wanted to get away before today. We just didn’t know how. Cassia kept us at that house. She kept us fed, and well…”

“Yeah, I get it; you all had a lot of sex.” Arwen turned toward the house. “I have to go, but I’ll get Zara back to that house, and maybe the three of you can figure something out, find a place to stay, or support each other somehow. If you hurt her, though, I–”

“We like Zara,” Alexia said. “We don’t want to hurt her or anyone else.”

“Then, go. It’s the best I can do right now. I need to get back to Iro.”

They both nodded in confirmation as if Arwen was their new Cassia and got back into their car without another word. Arwen hurried into the house, pushing the thoughts of them aside, and then closed and locked the door. She dropped the dead woman’s purse on the kitchen counter, picked up all six of the remaining containers from the fridge, and returned to the hidden room, finding Iro lying down, having finished all four of the others.

“How are you?” she asked.

“God, you’re okay,” Iro said, relieved, and took Arwen’s hand the moment Arwen set the containers on the floor and sat on the bed.

“I’m fine. I saw a purse outside, so I brought it in because there’s a dead woman in our house, and I don’t need anyone wondering why her purse was right outside. I dragged them both inside, but they can’t stay there forever.”

“They’ll start to smell.”

“Yes, but not just that. If someone saw or heard something, the police could be here soon.”

“We need to get rid of the bodies,” Iro said. “But that woman deserves better than being buried in my backyard. I don’t even know her name.”

“I’ll check her ID. Maybe we can put her somewhere where she’ll be found. I don’t know. Is that too risky?”

“Probably. I bit her, Arwen.”

“Right,” she said. “DNA. But do they even have your DNA on file? You’re over three hundred years old and probably have, like, fifty identities, right?”

“We’ll figure it out later,” Iro said. “Can I have another one, please?”

Arwen lifted another container, and Iro drank from it greedily.

“We’ll need more,” Arwen noted. “Let me go call your guy and get some delivered.”

“Tomorrow. This will be enough for today. Here.” Iro held it out to her. “I know you’re hungry and craving it right now. I have human blood on me.”

“It can wait. I’ll be right back. I need to call Zara.”

“Zara? Why?”

“To make sure she’s okay. I don’t know if Cassia went toherbefore she came here. You and I were pretty busy there for a while, and I don’t regret that, but at the same time, sex probably wasn’t the best idea with Cassia out there, hating us both.”

“I thought she’d forgotten,” Iro replied.

“I know. Give me a minute, okay? I’ll be right back.”