Page 77 of This Blood that Bonds Us

“Listen, kid, I’ve worked for these guys for years. Now that they’ve moved overseas, everything here is running slim. But if they sent someone to leave you these clues and you killed the guy I talked to, my guess is they’re testing your loyalty.”

“Test? What kind of test? I just want to find my brothers.”

“Chances are, they had their own loyalty tests. This is yours.”

“Well, thanks for that drink.” I slammed the rest of my drink back. “Love to stay, but I have people who will have a panic attack in about two minutes when they can’t find me.”

He nodded. “Good luck finding your brothers. May fate guide you.”

I stumbled through the snow back toward the museum. For the first time in my life, my head was empty. I stared at my feet crunching in the snow.

Kimberly and Aaron were still at the bar. I spotted them through the foggy window with large letters painted on the glass. They giggled and laughed like they had no other care in the world, and maybe they didn’t. It was hard not to be a little resentful, but I think I just wanted someone to share my pain with like they had. They were there for me, and I knew that, but it wasn’t the same. I wanted to be the one with the partner to lay my head on at night. I didn’t even have Mr. Bear to hold anymore, or someone to make me laugh and reassure me that even if the worst happened and they never came back, I wouldn’t be alone.

At the same time, maybe I didn’t.

My brothers didn’t need to know everything. I only told them stuff when it needed to be said. Like Kimberly being taken by a vampire and possibly being dead seemed like the right time to reveal that little secret I promised to keep.

They didn’t need to know I almost told Ellis, my date to the fraternity formal, I was a vampire.

I didn’t say it, but I wanted to and almost did.

It was that night after the formal. Ellis met me back at the frat house to make sure I was okay. He wanted me to go to the hospital, and I’d refused.

“Let me see.”He shut the door to my room.

“I’m okay. Really.”

“Fine. Then you won’t mind me checking.”

I hesitated as his hands grazed my waist as he lifted my shirt. There was nothing. No bruised ribs. No broken skin.

I watched his hands. His beautiful, strong hands with the veins that led to his forearms.

His thick brows knit together.“That’s strange. It doesn’t hurt?”

I winced.“Ah. Cold hands.”

“Sorry.”I genuinely missed that cute subtle smile on his face.

“You’re looking at me like I’m the one who beat the shit out of someone.”

“No. I . . . There’s no way you don’t have at least a bruise.”

“Well, I’m lucky, then.”

“No. Not lucky. Luck doesn’t exist.”

Ellis thought through everything. He liked to know the why of everything that had ever been invented.

“It does in my world.”

“This isn’t funny. I tried to come in and help you, and I couldn’t. They pushed me to the ground, and I have a scrapeon my elbow. They were hitting you so hard, and I don’t see a scratch on you.”

“What do you want from me here?”

“To tell me the truth.”

“And what if I told you something crazy, like I’m superhuman?”