be kicked off the ranch.
So, either way, he was screwed.
Victoria sat up, her gaze never leaving the newcomer.
“You will leave this empty room and shut the door behind you. You saw no one.” Power wafted from her voice, so much power Mary Ann had to rub her arms to remind herself that she was not on the receiving end of that command. “You will not return today.”
“Empty. Leave. Will not return.” The boy nodded, his eyes glazed. He turned and shut the door behind him.
With barely a pause, Victoria refocused on Aden, as did Mary Ann. He appeared more relaxed, his color higher, the bruises fading.
“He’s healing,” she said, her relief palpable.
“Yes,” the vampire replied without looking at her. Despite the progress, the worry must not have left her.
She needed a distraction. “I’m a power neutralizer,” Mary Ann said. “So how can you use your Voice Voo—uh, command while I’m here?”
“You do not stop Riley from shifting, do you?”
“No.”
“Because the ability is natural, part of who he is. The same is true with me. Most of my powers are natural, what I was born to do. Like teleporting. You didn’t stop me from doing that, either.”
Too bad about the teleporting. And most of her powers? As in many. How many weird things could she do? And also, what wasn’t natural? Not that Mary Ann would ask. She and Victoria were friendly, for the most part, but the boys were the glue that held them together. Not affection. Not yet. Perhaps that would come in time.
“What a terrible week this has turned out to be,” Victoria muttered. “My father killed, a witch death curse unleashed and Aden injured by the Fae.”
The witches. Ugh. How could she have forgotten, even for a second? “Have you ever been summoned to a witches meeting before?”
“No. Usually, the witches and the vampires avoid each other. They are…well, their blood is our greatest addiction.” Her eyes closed, and she licked her lips, as if she were imagining drinking from one. “The taste is…I can’t even describe it. There’s nothing like it, and one sip can enslave us.”
Great. Neither of them knew what to expect, then.
“We’ve always maintained distance from each other, and have an unspoken pact. We do not use them for sustenance, and they do not bespell us. Until lately.”
“So you’re uncomfortable around witches.”
“I suppose.”
“And you’re also at war with the Fae.”
“Yes.”
“And you hate goblins.” “Anyone with sense does.”
Were vampires allied with anyone? Well, besides werewolves, their trusted protectors.
Maybe you joined the wrong team.
The stray thought hit her, and she blinked. Wrong! She’d joined the right team. She’d joined Riley’s team. How dare her mind consider anything else.
Are you seriously angry with your own brain?
She hated that cynical inner voice. Besides, what other team would she have joined? The witches? Yeah, that would have been nice. Wasn’t like they could curse her every time she angered them.
Oh. Wait. They could.
But, God, if she could just talk to a witch. Ask a few questions, figure this thing out. How, though? It wasn’t like the witches were wearing signs around their necks announcing what they were, or popping up at school or this ranch and asking if there was anything they could do for her.
But Victoria and Riley could spot them at a glance. What if they went into town—where most of the creatures were congregating, trying to figure out how they’d been summoned to Crossroads and not yet realizing Aden was the source—and kidnapped a witch?
Her eyes widened. Of course. Kidnap a witch, ask questions, get answers and boom. Success. Death curse reversed.
She could have danced.
Of course, she’d never kidnapped anyone and had no idea how to go about it. But she’d figure something out.
Who are you?
The old Mary Ann never would have considered such a risky plan. This was a new world, however, and she had to adapt. Or die. She wasn’t ready to die.
“Let’s backtrack to the witches… “ After she outlined her plan to Victoria, the vampire glanced over at her for the first time since she’d entered the room and nodded thoughtfully.
“Excellent.”
She beamed.
“I had not thought you so mercenary, Mary Ann.”
Slowly her “beam” dimmed. “What do you mean? ”
“Only that I approve of your plan. Kidnap and torture for information. And after the meeting, we can even bargain for our captive’s release. If the witches vow never to curse us again, she lives.”
And if they refused to offer such a vow? Mary Ann’s stomach hollowed. No way would she commit murder. And torture? No! In her mind, she kind of expected the witch to offer answers in exchange for freedom. Easy, done. Just like that. Clearly, Victoria thought differently. And that she could resort to brutality so easily and without a hint of remorse…
First, you didn’t mind Riley acting all He-mannish. Second,
Victoria’s a vampire, remember? Raised by one of the most vicious men in history. So for eighty years, and by her own admission, Victoria had viewed humans as food, nothing more, nothing less. Life had no true value to her. Besides, witches weren’t human, Mary Ann didn’t think, but they were a source of irritation to the vampire. Irritations were probably to be snuffed out immediately. Painfully.
That’s what Vlad the Impaler had most likely done, and that’s what Victoria assumed she needed to do. Someone would have to teach her otherwise.
So. New task to add to Mary Ann’s ever-growing list. Teach Victoria to respect other species. Hopefully, Riley wouldn’t need the lesson, as well. If he did, however, she would give it to him. There would be no killing unless absolutely necessary.
Unless absolutely necessary? Who are you? she wondered again. And just how was she supposed to teach a vampire and werewolf anything when they were far older than she was and had a lifetime of experiences she couldn’t even imagine?
“When is he going to wake up?” Victoria suddenly asked.
Mary Ann pulled herself from her thoughts. “When his body is ready, I suppose. Rest is healing.”
“I
