Page 28 of Blood that Burns

The line is quiet for several seconds before Julian questions, “Pizza?”

“Yeah. That’s what she said.”

“I’m at least two hours out. Anything else you need before I get back? It’s going to be a long night.”

“No. That should be it. You’ve heard the rumors about hangry human girls.”

He chuckles. “God knows we don’t need any of that. Bellamy Mansion has been turned on its head enough for one evening.”

“Roger that.”

He sighs. “I’ll be there soon. Prepare for a long night. We have much to discuss.”

I end the call and make a mental list of all the things that Julian and I need to talk about. It’s overwhelming. There’s still so much to learn about the bond between the Drake girls and us and how it fits into the legends. Now we have to worry about the Fae, creatures I know nothing about. More pressing, how do we handle Marcellus and the Council? Then there’s Maggie and Marina and how their reunion is playing out.

With every new item I add to that list, I feel like I’m being pulled under, my head just breaching the surface.

I’m practically sitting on my hands, reciting all the reasons I need to give the girls time, but my nerves are shot. I have to know what’s happening. I need todosomething. Once I can gauge the temperature of the room where the girls are concerned, I’ll feel slightly more at ease. At least until Julian arrives and all the tough conversations begin. Until then, I’ll sit here driving myself crazy.

Blaming myself for everything that’s transpired. Because it is my fault. I led the Council right to Maggie and Marina. And when she jumped and her body was never recovered, I didn’t question things. I didn’t go searching.

Because a part of me was relieved.

Now that Maggie’s back, I have to come clean about what my past year has been. The memory of that one epic fuckup. The night I lost my mind and forgot who Maggie was to me.

I gave in to temptation and let her believe we could be something more.

And that thought makes me sickest of all.