Page 129 of Solar Shadows

He wasn’t a vampire, no purple aura on him. So what was he? Another new variety of witch like Tony and his crystal shit?

I had to speak to him or I wouldn’t sleep a wink.

Still, my nerves weren’t making it easy.

Will he hate me?

Will he think this is all my fault?

Ugh. Darn brain making me think the worst.

Please don’t hate me.

I beg you.

Chapter 44

OLLIE

Isat in the gym cross-legged. Alone. Still keeping this change in me a secret because I needed to sit with it for a little while longer. Untangle the mess in my head first, then drop the bombshell.

Man, I wasn’t looking forward tothatmeeting.

Isaac’s power left me the moment I’d saved him, but I still felt him cuddling my insides.

I’ll save you again and again if I have to…

This didn’t have to be a bad thing. This could all be so useful, when I finally adjusted to it properly. Just because magic dished out the information happily didn’t mean I’d digested it yet.

I got the feeling Isaac would blame himself. I got that vibe from him while we headed home, picked up by witchcops and whisked away from Blood House. We didn’t speak much, our minds too overloaded. But he radiated guilt, and I could tell he wanted to throw a million apologies my way.

He hadn’t done anything wrong. Him texting Tony didn’t start this, because Tony was gunning for him regardless. And I’d been the one to shoot the crystals, no one else. All this was a case of living in dangerous times, being part of the rise of Aurora.

I knew what I was getting myself into.

At least I’m not dead…

I’d like to tell him this stuff at some point, but first I checked the notes I’d been making on my notepad.

Ollie’s Vamp Stuff:

·No vampire speed or strength

·Got some fangs I can pop in and out for taking blood and using magic (refuse to call it blood magic!)

·No vampire healing

·No vampire blood hunger

·Sunlight doesn’t hurt me

·Garlic is now gross (I miss garlic bread already)

Not a massive change, although the garlic thing hurt.

Maybe I should check the mansion library’s extensive catalog and see if there were any of my kind in the history books.

Doubtful.