Page 190 of Vampire so Virtuous

“Oh! Right. Sorry, missed that.”

Outside, it was dark, the evening traffic heavy. The stop-and-go rhythm of the cars felt like it was mocking her, each slow inch forward matching the desperation inside her. It began to rain, the windscreen wipers repetitive dull thudding monotonous in the quiet.

But Cally was focused. Somewhere deep within herself was the power of a witch. A power she’d only ever tapped into once, and then only byaccident. Yet it was still there, in her blood, inside her.

Could she call on it now?

Minh fidgeted in his seat, like he was barely in control of himself. His hands clasped and unclasped, then gripped his thighs. He rocked from side to side, and almost turned around before stopping himself part way.

Cally wanted to point out he should’ve gone before they left, but he seemed so unstable such a comment might get her killed.

Which would kill Antoine, too.

Maybe she would die tonight anyway, just as Minh had said. But not yet.

And not if she could somehow use her power.

But how? She didn’t even know any spells, and wishing hard while muttering ‘so mote it be’ didn’t seem like it would work.

“What is goingon?” Minh snapped, striking the dashboard hard enough to crack it.

Cally figured the passenger-side airbag must’ve been disabled, or it would’ve definitely gone off. That would’ve been hilarious.

“The fighting is on the rooftop, my lord,” the thrall answered quickly. “We don’t have eyes up there.”

“Then get some.” Minh bit off each word.

“All the thralls you sent are dead, my lord.”

Cally felt a brief surge of satisfaction, but it was quickly crushed by Minh’s response.

“I knowthat, you fool, I had the spawns kill them for strength.”

Spawns?Belle had called Antoine that—and she was his sire. So Minh had created an army in his own image and sent them against Gabe.

And now Antoine had shown up to help. Did he know what he was walking into?

She tried again to focus inward. What would her power feel like? A pool of icy blue mana? A sense of something inside her? Light? Dark?

“We’re almost at the club, my lord.”

“Finally,” Minh huffed, sounding petulant for a vampire who’d lived lifetimes.

The SUV turned into an underground parking garage, deep beneath the city’s skyline in the middle of Boston’s Theater District. It was the back entrance to the same building she’d been to with Priya and Eve, and later with Antoine. It made sense that Minh wouldn’t share an entrance with the ‘chattel,’ or expose himself to the loud music every time he came or went.

The thrall with the phone clicked the screen off as the car descended the ramp, the device useless without a signal.

They passed rows of parked cars, reaching a black shutter gate that rolled up automatically as they approached, revealing another ramp leading deeper that took them well beneath the level of the club. There was another parking garage, this one far smaller and mostly filled with uniform gray SUVs, like Minh had enjoyed a wholesale discount.

The car came to a stop, and Cally’s pulse quickened.

It was now or never.She closed her eyes,feelingwith her sense of… whatever witches felt with,reachingfor the birthright that was hers to claim.

“Bring her,” Minh ordered, opening his door and stepping out.

The thralls grabbed her arms, disrupting her focus, hauling her out of the car and pinning her between them. One alone, she might’ve been able to handle; two, when they already held her, was another matter. Then there was Minh, so much faster and stronger than she could ever hope to be.

He led them to a set of double doors, one thrall entering a code in a keypad while he waited, as if he never did anything for himself.