Page 149 of The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood & Boyfriends

Slowly, Dom slid to the floor, falling to her knees beside him, and sobbed quietly.

Brennan looked around. Everyone had spread out to the edges of the room, as far from Travis, Brennan, and Cole as possible. They all watched the spectacle with wide eyes, except for a few unaffected vampires watching with bored or amused expressions, like this was an average Saturday night. And there, before the doors, were Nellie and Sunny, dressed to the nines andaliveand awake and okay. Next to them were two vampires Brennan recognized from Facebook, Quinn and Narrissa, along with Mari, who rushed in with a janitorial cart loaded with blood.

Nellie locked eyes with Brennan. She smiled, soft and proud.

Mari started doling out blood packs. An older woman ripped into one with her fangs and chugged it.

Dressed in a purple tea-length dress, Sunny didn’t miss a beat. Sheused the silence to gracefully stride up to the microphone by the quartet of musicians who were only now looking around in confusion, released from Travis’s thrall.

“A huge thanks to the Sturbridge University drama troupe for their impressive performance,” Sunny said, each word crisp and pointed. The words sounded candy-coated, and Brennan realized they were imbued with magic. “And to the special-effects team that made it possible.” She started a small, polite golf clap that people slowly but surely joined.

She was using her vampire powers on a huge room full of humans. Something about that would have terrified Brennan a few months ago, but now it was the ultimate comfort. She was protecting them. That was her job.

“Of course, you’ll all comply in deleting any photos and videos of the performance from your phones,” Sunny added, the magic laced in her words cutting hard enough that even Brennan felt a tug to clear out his recent photo album.

Around Brennan, people reached for their phones, even the Redditors. Only Micah paused, staring at her phone with pinched brows before tapping, reluctant but obedient.

“Wow,” someone remarked behind him as the crowd finished applauding and started to edge away from cowering near the walls. “The budget this year must have been astronomical.”

“Was that KeepItSunny from Instagram?” someone else asked.

Sunny stepped away from the mic and waved at Quinn and Narrissa, who easily picked up Travis and left the room, like they were clearing a set.

Nellie went to Dom, who was crying on the floor.

The quartet began to play again.

And that was it.

It was over.

Travis was dead.

They’d won. But Travis had gotten exactly what he wanted.

26WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FOREVER

BRENNAN’S PHONE

bloodsucking memes for immortal non-teens (new england clan)

QUINN MILLER

PARTY! OF! THE! CENTURY!

Miraculously, it took all of three minutes for the ball to revert to full swing. Though hotel staff were furiously cleaning the food and punch from the floors while an angry manager was having words with an unintimidated Sunny.

Brennan was still in shock, shaking and numb and not quite believing it was really over.

The group came together in front of the grand doors—Brennan and Cole, hands clasped tight, Mari, and Tony.

“Are you okay?” Mari ran up to Cole and embraced him while Tony punched Brennan in the arm with too much enthusiasm.

“That was the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me! Did you guys see me whippin’ out sauce like nobody’s business?” Tony said. “I was on a roll, the wind couldn’t stop me!”

“Brennan,” Cole said, voice cutting through the clamoring like a hot knife through butter. “Are you okay?”

Someone appeared at Brennan’s side and pressed a blood pack intohis hands. Quinn Miller, the Facebook vampire, who’d helped Dom save Sunny and Nellie.