Page 90 of Thicker than Water

“Really.”

“But what about the hotel? The business?”

“I…I don’t know. I need to make sure my sisters are safe…and Xia and the others. But after that, I have no idea what’s going to happen. Tudor is attacking Elmwood Academy with Oana and the Arundel wolf shifters tonight.”

If Amara wasn’t so skilled on her broomstick, I’m sure she would have fallen off in surprise.

“He’swhat?” she gasps. “But that’s…”

“Ludicrous, I know. But the conflict with Tudor and the Hecate witches was bound to come to a head at some point.”

She sighs. “It was. I just hope that everyone is ok.”

I pause. “If you…want to go to help them…I would understand.”

She shakes her head firmly, snowflakes falling from her long braids. “Absolutely not. I’m going with you to the hotel. I won’t let Cedric hurt your sisters, or anyone else.”

Her eyes shine brightly in the light of the city. My unbeating heart swells in my chest.

She grins at me. “If you told me eight months ago that I would be flying through the air with a vampire, I would never have believed you.”

I laugh. “That makes two of us.”

We’re certainly a strange pair…but at the same time, there’s something so natural about this moment. And something about the two of us that just makes sense.

I’m going to do everything I can to protect her.

For now until I’m turned to dust.

But this sweet moment can’t last forever.

We come upon the hotel much faster than I had anticipated. Amara must be a powerful witch to be able to keep up with me on her broom.

We enter the hotel and hurry through the lobby toward the service elevator. It’s suspiciously quiet. When the elevator arrives, Amara enters, but I stay outside.

“Aren’t you coming?” she asks, putting her arm out to hold the door.

“I’m going to distract Cedric,” I reply. “He’ll be waiting in the club. My sisters and the night guard will be on the holding floor. You’ll have the element of surprise, but be careful. Lazarus’s progeny are fairly young, and I don’t think they’ll give you much trouble. But if anyone suspects you, just play dumb. Pretend to be a bartender, and I’ll come break you out after I deal with Cedric.”

Her lip quivers faintly. There’s an expression of tender worry in her hazel eyes. For just a moment, I have a strong desire to run away, to take Amara and leave all of this behind.

But I know I would never be able to exist with myself if I did that.

And she would never make that choice, either.

That’s why we’re perfect for each other.

And why I need to succeed.

I expect her to say something, but instead, she grabs me by the collar and pulls me toward her, her lips meeting mine in a deep, passionate kiss.

I wish it could never end, but of course, the elevator door chimes.

We pull away from each other, and I press my thumbprint to the red button, pushing it three times for the holding floor.

As the doors close, I hope with my whole, unbeating heart that this isn’t the last time I’m ever going to see her.

I take the emergency exit to the club. It’s what he suspects I’ll do. Because the obvious thing would be for me to go to the holding floor, to break out my sister and the guard. So of course what I’ll actually do is go to the emergency exit and through the club.