Page 22 of Thicker than Water

Thank Hecate, the next week goes by without any more trouble from that vampire. I finish up my last shift and start walking home, looking forward to having a few days off. But I find myself starting to wonder if I should have taken the opportunity to get more information. Lavinia keeps hounding me to get closer to the vampires, but I don’t know if I can do it that way. Every time I even think about Celine Côté, my heart starts to race. I keep picturing her on that couch, blood dripping from her sharp fangs, her hands wrapped around…

“Amara!”

My hawk familiar swoops down and hovers in front of me. A man nearby shouts in surprise, and crosses the street to get away from him.

“Merlin! What’s going on?”

His sharp, beady eyes are filled with fear. “Amara, you’ve got to go back to the hotel! Lavinia is sending a team of Hecate witches to capture Oana.”

“What?Why would Lavinia do that? Even if she manages to capture her, it will tip off Tudor and the other vampires that we’re on to him.”

Merlin shakes his feathered head. “Lavinia wants to take out Oana before the vampires can do anything to sabotage the Triple Council.”

I groan. This is the last thing I want to deal with, but Merlin is right. Without another word, I reach into my bag for my wand, and head back toward the Respite hotel.

With my wand up my sleeve, I race up the stairs.

“O Hecate,” I whisper as I go. “Watch over me and my workings this eve, protect all that need you, despite conscience or creed…”

The eighth floor is empty, but I still try to appear nondescript, like I’m supposed to be here. I wish I didn’t have my silk uniform on, but I didn’t have time to change into my T-shirt and jeans.

One of the hotel room doors open, and a cleaner steps out with her cart.

“Hi Amara!” she says.

“Hallie!”

My stomach drops. She can’t be here when the Hecate witches attack. It’s much too dangerous for a non-magical person.

“Hallie, are you almost finished on this floor?”

She shuts the hotel room door behind her. “No, I’ve got a few more rooms to do. Why?”

“Listen, you should-”

A loud banging rings down the hallway. It came from room 813.

Hallie looks over in concern. “What was that?”

“It was…probably just a party,” I shrug, unconvincingly.

“I’m going to check it out,” the young cleaner says, adjusting the thick-rimmed glasses on her nose. “Sometimes there are fights in the hotel, we might have to alert security…”

A scream echoes up the hallway.

Hallie looks at me with wide eyes. “We’ve got to help!”

Before I can stop her, she takes off toward the sound.

“Hallie, wait!” I yell, following her.

But it’s too late. She’s already opening room #813 with her master key.

“You’ve got to get out of here,” I plead with her, as she pushes the door open. “You don’t understand…”

“Somebody could be hurt!” she responds, disappearing into the hotel room.

I follow closely behind. The crackle of magic in the air brings goosebumps to my skin.