Page 75 of Thicker than Water

She pulls her lips from my neck. A trickle of hot, thick blood drips down my shoulder and onto the bed. Her fangs are still extended, and dark crimson. Her eyes are pure red as well, but bright.

I feel hazy, and weakened from losing blood. But not as weak as I would have thought.

“You don’t need to stop…” I say, turning my face toward her’s.

Then I see her expression.

She’s frowning, confusion in her eyes.

My heart hammers. Blood pours from the open wound on my neck, with nowhere to go.

“What…what’s wrong?” I ask, terror creeping into my voice.

Her tongue flicks out to lick a drop of blood from her lips.

“Your blood.”

“What about my blood?”

“It’s…it’s filled with magic. Like a witch’s blood.”

She gazes at me, her bright red eyes suddenly cold and unblinking.

My heartbeat slows. I’m a terrible liar. I can’t lie to her, especially not in this moment, after we’ve shared so much with each other. I feel the gold pool in my own eyes, the yellow energy magic flicker to my fingers, after waiting so long below the surface.

Celine’s nostrils flare.

“I can explain…” I tell her quickly.

But she’s already darted out of the room.

With vampiric speed she returns, my purse in one hand.

The stake in another.

Her eyes flicker to the yellow light pooling around me.

“You’re a…aHecatewitch…”

Adrenaline courses through my veins, shocking me out of the hazy glow of the enchantment. I scramble off the bed.

“Celine, please! It’s not what it looks like…I mean, yes, I was sent here by Lavinia, but Ineverintended to hurt you!”

“Then what’sthis,” she hisses, holding up the pointed stake in her hand, her face twisted in anger.

I swallow thickly. “I would never use that, Celine, you have to believe me! I only came here to…”

“To what? Tospyon me?”

“Well, yes, but…but then it became so muchmore…Celine, I didn’t think I would get so close to you! I didn’t think…”

Blood drips down from my neck.

“I didn’t think that I would fall in love with you, Celine.”

Her grip tightens on the stake in her fist. Her eyes narrow. Those eyes, that only moment ago looked at me with such love, such trust…are now the eyes of a predator. Monstrous red eyes. I can’t bear to look at them.

“Get out.”