Page 101 of Vampire so Virtuous

How could this be? How had she seen this place so clearly, a place she’d never visited?

There was only one answer to that question.

In a few weeks, Cally’s life had gone from normal—save for Eve—to one entwined with vampires and magic.

What was even scarier was how calm she felt. Accepting vampires had been the precursor. Discovering her vision was real? It barely registered as a surprise.

She stayed close behind Mike and Priya, careful not to lose them in the press of bodies. An arm brushed against her, a hand skimmed her hip, a shoulder knocked into her hard enough to turn her. Eve clung to her hand, nearly stepping on her heels. Cally saw more of what she’d seen in her vision: the same layout, the bathrooms off to the sides, even the color of the floor. The air was thick and hazy, laced with the synthetic sharpness of a fog machine. It was more than eerily familiar; it was exactly the same.

Eve pressed against her shoulder, her lips brushing her skin. “So what do you want to do?”

Shit. They should’ve planned this better.

“Whatever we do, I’m not leaving Priya in here,” Cally said into Eve’s ear. “This place gives me the creeps, and Mike knows the bouncers here. He’s part of it.”

“Priya’s going to be devastated. And pissed. Will she come with us?”

Cally made a face. That would take some persuasion. “Maybe we can get Mike to reveal his true colors?”

“We’ll need to be able to talk for that.” Eve pulled back enough to show Cally her eye roll.

Mike and Priya had stopped in the middle of the floor to dance. Priya had her arms loosely around her head as she swayed to the thumping music, and his hands were on her waist. Cally and Eve pressed as close as they could, staying near Mike and Priya to avoid being separated by the crowd.

Eve leaned in again, her breath warm on Cally’s cheek. “Dance for a bit, then try the bathroom? Maybe we can talk there?”

Cally saved her voice and just nodded.

The club pulsed with energy, the air damp with exhaled breath and body heat, humid and stifling. An empty bottle glanced off her boot and spun away. A sharp whiff of cheap deodorant came and went.

As they danced, the music built in tension, pitch rising toward a signature drop, the beat slamming in with an explosive bassline. It would’ve been easy to lose herself in the driving rhythm—if she weren’t so on edge about what waited beneath. How did Mike fit into this? What was really going on here?

Eve danced with her, their bodies pressed close as the crowd encroached. Eve had wanted to enjoy their time together, but instead her eyes were full of concern. She kept glancing at Priya, carefree and happy as she moved with the rhythm.

Cally felt vulnerable. Eve had called her the ‘big bad bodyguard,’ but hemmed in so tight, there were limits to what she could do. Taekwondo wasn’t ideal for tight spaces, and Mike was a big guy. So were the bouncers they’d seen. If it came to fighting their way out, they were in trouble. Best to separate Priya from Mike, convince her to leave, and slip away.

Maybe she should tell Priya the truth?

Cally slipped her hands around Eve’s waist, pulling her close. Eve looked up at her in surprise. Leaning in, Cally spoke against her ear. “What if I told Priya what I’d really seen? How much does she believe in the magic we do?”

Eve shook her head slightly. Her voice rose enough to be heard over the pounding music. “No one believes it, babe. Not really. Just us. Priya’s more likely to think we’re crazy and stay with Mike.”

A tap on the shoulder made Cally turn. Priya made the hand gesture for a drink and pointed toward the bar. Mike was watching them, grinning at what he clearly thought was two hot girls dancing together.

Cally gave Priya a nod; this was their chance to get her alone.

They followed as Mike parted the crowd with ease, his large frame pushing people aside. Reaching the bar, Mike shoved his way through the revelers, leaning his elbow on the counter. The press of bodies was less here, the floor stickier, the smell of stale beer more pungent.

“What do you want?” he called, his words barely audible over the music.

Nothing you can lace.

Cally mimed cracking a can of beer, and Eve pointed at her and mouthed, ‘Me too.’ Priya leaned in to Mike, whatever she said to him lost in the music.

One of the barmen recognized Mike and came straight over. Mike held up three fingers and pointed to the beers, then one for a white wine. The barman looked past him at Cally and Eve, and winked at Priya. He said something to Mike before turning away to get the drinks.

Beside Cally, Eve stiffened. She leaned in to see what was amiss, but Eve was already reaching for her shoulder, going up on her toes. “He said ‘fresh meat.’”

A chill ran down Cally’s spine. Pre-Antoine days, that term would’ve been bad enough, but now… it explained everything.