Page 29 of Thicker than Water

I cross my arms. “Me? Why do I have to deal with them?”

“Because you’re the oldest,” Tudor responds.

He turns to exit the suite, then stops when he spots the bartender. He tilts his head as he regards her. “Do I…know you from somewhere?”

She shrinks back against the door. I can smell the adrenaline rushing through her veins. Tudor has that effect on breathers.

“She was in the hotel room, when Hallie was turned,” I say.

“Hmm,” Tudor hums. He leans in closer toward the poor bartender, his nostrils flaring. I know that look. He’s picked up on her scent.

Her lips tremble in fear. I get the sudden urge to throw myself between her and Tudor. It takes me completely by surprise. I could neverimaginegetting in the way of my Creator and a breather he wants to drink from. It would be an exceptionally dangerous move.

But I can’tstandthe way he’s looking at her.

“Tudor,” I interject. “I believe Xia was looking for you earlier. Something about the security for our…guest.”

This is enough to distract my Creator. He looks back to me with a nod.

“Yes, we need to prioritize our defense,” he says. “If you see her again, tell her I’ll be in my office.”

“Yes, father.”

He exits.

My sisters didn’t notice anything, of course. Renata and Lexi arestill bickering like toddlers. Hallie shrieks from across the suite. She accidentally cut herself on one of the shards from the broken wineglasses scattered across the floor.

“Look, Celine!” she says, holding up her hand as the cut quickly vanishes. “Look how fast I can heal now!”

“Be careful,” I tell her. “Your healing ability uses up your reserves of life force. If you’re not going to drink from humans, you need to keep a close watch on how much you’re using.”

“I’ll be ok,” Hallie says confidently.

The bartender quickly takes her tray to pick up the pieces of broken glass. Today, she wears her hair in box braids, pulled into a knot at the top of her head, with two braids hanging down to frame her face. Two small gold hoops glitter at her ears. Gold, not silver. I also notice that she’s not wearing her silk uniform. She’s switched it out for a dark green sweater dress. It hugs her body tightly, showing off her long legs.

Hallie helps her, zipping around with supernatural speed and depositing the pieces of glass on her tray.

“Thank you,” says the bartender, a genuine note in her voice. She gives the young vampire a warm look.

I regard her with curiosity. Living humans almost always look upon vampires with some mixture of fear and desire. But there’s only kindness in her eyes as she watches Hallie retrieve the glass. It’s strange.

She jumps a little as she looks back to me.

Her expression changes as her eyes meet mine. There it is. Fear…and perhaps desire?

Then something else. An emotion I can barely recognize. Her gaze flicks away again.

Her voice lowers as she addresses me. “I didn’t say it before…but thank you for convincing your Creator to turn Hallie. You didn’t need to do it.”

I don’t answer her, paused by her strange familiarity.

Whatisit about her? I can hear her heart thrumming, like the beat of a hummingbird’s wings. I understand how Tudor would desire her. There’s a sweet, almost ethereal scent coming off of her skin that’s intoxicating.

She’s intriguing. And intriguing is dangerous in this world.

But I’m not sure if it’s dangerous for her…or for me.

Another knock on the door interrupts us. It’s our executive assistant.