Page 59 of Midnight Kiss

“You’ll have to make time,” she replied. “Because if you don’t, you’ll regret it.”

“Empty threats don’t hold my interest.” I walked past her.

“Alexander, I’ve done something inadvisable.”

The shaky quality of her voice was the only thing that stopped me in my tracks. “What?” I spun toward her. “What have you done, apart from taking pictures and circulating them, going behind my back and trying to orchestrate my downfall?”

Cassia sighed. “Everything I’ve done has been for the good of the coven. Surely, you understand that.”

“Cut to the chase, Cassia.”

“I have ordered an eradication hit on your beloved.”

I grabbed her by the throat and squeezed, and she let me. “She is not my beloved.” She couldn’t be. The more this day wore on, the more plain it became that my very existence threatened Emily’s. We were never meant to be.

My only option now was to get the book back to her and find a way to cure her of its disease before it claimed her completely.

“If she doesn’t mean anything to you, then why are you so upset about a simple eradication hit?” Cassia asked.

“That is illegal, and I’ll report you to the elders for this.”

“Go ahead,” she said. “They’ll never believe you, and I’ll deny it. Honestly, how stupid do you think I am, Alexander? Do you think I don’t know how to cover my tracks? The only reason you know I was anywhere near her was because I let you know.”

I squeezed tighter, and her face pinked.

This was a regular occurrence in the U.C., vampires who couldn’t get along and wanted to hash things out, and the guard didn’t stop us.

“Let me down before you hurt something,” Cassia said, her voice squeaky.

“The only thing I’m going to hurt is you,” I replied, but I let her drop. “Why are you telling me any of this, you treacherous witch?”

“Because I thought you should know that there’s something wrong with her,” she said. “Apart from the fact that she’s a weak mortal who you should never have fraternized with in the first place.”

“Get on with it, Cassia.”

“She’s glowing.”

“What? What are you talking about?” I growled.

“She’s giving off the glow, Alexander. You know what I mean. She’s attracting vampires to her in their droves, but the only trouble is, none of them can seem to bring themselves to confront her. That I know of, yet.”

I held back my response. Attracting vampires was something that rarely happened, and the U.C. was unsure of what caused the reaction. It was a consistent pulse that drew vampires from everywhere.

“I don’t feel anything,” I said.

“That’s because you’re too far away.” Cassia laughed. “And because you’re probably already ensnared by her. Whatever’s going on, it’s going to be her death, and there’s not much you can do to stop it.”

“Why stop me to tell me this?” I grunted.

“Oh, because it makes my life better. Happier. I love to see that look on your face. You’re distraught because your darling human is about to die.”

I pushed past her and exited onto the sidewalk, burning to go back and kill her with my bare hands. But that would delay getting the book back to Emily and saving her. If Cassia wasn’t taunting me needlessly, Emily was in real danger.

I got into my car and started it, then checked that the book was safely tucked away.

Before I could drive off, an alert pinged on my phone.

A direct message from Haldren.