Page 131 of Taming the Beasts

Just like that I was suspicious all over again.

“What are you two doing here?” Bennett asked. He didn’t seem to be quite as enthralled by the discussion about the artifacts.

“I...um...” I suddenly felt very unsure. But I had to tell them. “Emma was talking to King...”

Emma cleared her throat.

“Fine,wewere talking to King...”

Titan folded his arms across his chest.

But I kept going. “And he was talking about how he really thinks Kebe is a super powerful vampire. That has developed quicker speed. And adapted to eating normal food.”

“Zoey, I told you all that already,” Kebe said. “I don’t know why none of you believe me.” She laughed. “But it wasn’tallskills I developed. I had the help of some artifacts.”

“Wait, what?” I asked.

“The guys confronted me and they’re just too sweet to lie to.” She patted Huxley’s thigh.

I frowned.

She gestured toward the table. “I used one artifact to teleport a few times. And I used another to tolerate food a little better. And another to make my makeup permanent. And another to...”

“I’m sorry,” Emma said. “But can we go back to the teleport thing?”

Kebe nodded. “Sure. What’s up?”

“If you used an artifact to teleport...where did you go?”

Exactly what I was wondering.

“Not to Egypt, that’s for sure. I spent way too much time there in my youth. And it’s just not the same now, you know?”

“That doesn’t answer the question,” I said.

“Doesn’t it? You’re accusing me of murder. And I’m telling you that you’re wrong.”

“How about you tell us where the heck you went?”

Kebe sighed. “Fine. I wanted it to be a surprise. But I went out of town real quick. I had this perfect idea for a wedding present for Callum. And the only way it would get here on time was if I went to pick it up myself.”

“We really don’t need anything,” Callum said. “But that was very sweet of you.”

No! Not sweet! She’d said a wedding present forCallum. NotEmma and Callum. And she didn’t say what it was. We needed the physical evidence. “So? Where is this present?”

“Are you really going to make me spoil the surprise?” she asked.

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Callum said and gave me a pointed look.

Why was I the one in trouble here? Kebe was the one being terrible. “If you can’t show me the present, show me how you teleported. Do it right now. Which artifact did you say it was?”

“I can’t,” Kebe said. “It could only be used a dozen times and I used my last few teleportations on getting the gift and returning.” She smiled at Callum.

He smiled back.

“You’re saying that some of these artifacts expire?” Emma asked. “Really?”

“Indeed.”