Page 18 of Fangs with Benefits

"What about whatIthink is important?" he snaps impatiently. His patience is wearing thin, and hedoesseem more reactionary than usual. He looks frazzled and there is a frenetic energy about him.

"What do you mean?"

For a second or two, he tries to explain it to me, but he gets tongue tied and decides that it no longer warrants an explanation. Regardless, I can see he's unhappy. He has only been the clan leader for a few days, and already he acts like his skin is crawling. The coven has a few leads on prospective vampire leaders, but they are all far away and we can't agree on which of them to ask first. The search is going to take a bit more time, and Treyton already looks close to burning out. I need to do something to help him stay the course. Things are running smoothly in the city for now, and no one wants to see the vampire clan thrown into chaos again.

"What about aparty?" I suggest.

"Excuse me?" Treyton looks at me like I've suddenly sprouted a second head from my shoulders.

Admittedly, the idea does come out of nowhere. But I've heard about vampires and their parties. They're a lavish breed and they enjoy a bit of self-indulgence. Even though Treyton isn't your typical, amoral vamp, I'm guessing he still might enjoy the chance to let loose and take his mind off his responsibilities.

"You know, like a vampire ball? You guys have those types of things, right?"

"It's been a long time since this clan held any kind of large-scale party," he answers, but I can see him considering the idea.

"All the more reason to have one, right? It could be a really fancy, really elaborate costume party," I continue. "Like a masquerade ball. Or even just a regular ball without the costumes. It would be fun! And you could have it in the great hall and invite all the other supernaturals factions as a gesture of goodwill. Even after you leave the position, which I know you're aching to do, this could be something good that you've done for your people. What do you think?"

In truth, the idea is as much for me as it is for him. I've missed being around him too, missed our casual, flirtatious conversations. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking for a way to be able to spend more time with Treyton without raising eyebrows. It might be a while longer before a new vampire leader is found, and we could both use the break.

"I like the idea," he says as he cracks the first smile I've seen on his face in days. "I'll make the arrangements with the clan. I'll contact the Fae to spread the word. Can you and the other witches handle the decorations? We can have it all ready to go in a few days' time."

"Of course!" I answer, a bit too enthusiastically. I am so excited about this because the ball falls on the same day as a very powerful and special celestial event: ablue moon. That means my magical energy will be at its strongest. Perfect timing for a magical gala.

10

TREYTON

Even though the glowing in my eyes has stopped, I nowfeeldifferent. I'm restless and angsty, and I don't know why. I can attribute part of it to being stuck here doing a job I never wanted to do. But what's the other reason I feel so out of control? The clan is managed, there are no threats affecting anyone at the moment, and the factions are all getting along. I shouldn't be this anxious.

Having a party is a great idea, and I'm glad Blair suggested it hosting not justanyparty, but a vampire ball—an elaborate event will take my mind off things, at least momentarily.

I focus on the party and enlist the help of a few of the other factions. It's going to be quite an impressive event. The witches will decorate the space for the party, the Fae are in charge of spreading the word and making the food. I question whether it's a good idea to let them handle the food, considering their penchant for mischief. Hopefully Caspian will ensure they behave and don't try to enchant any of other quests with their Fae magic.

The vampires are excited as well. It's been a long time since the den hosted any sort of lavish gathering. The last few clan leaders were far too focused on power and their own greedy ambitions to allow for any enjoyment.

The evening of the party, everyone is busy decking themselves out in their most elegant finery. I wander around for a bit, checking that all the preparations have been made. Blair has been busy getting ready all day, and yesterday I had small, logistical fires to put out among disagreeing clan members, so it's been two days since I've seen or heard from her. It shouldn't seem like a big deal—after all, it isn't like we belong to each other. But it's felt like an eternity.

I go down to the wine cellars to pull bottles of merlot for the party in an attempt to keep myself busy and my thoughts occupied, but on my way there I notice boxes of wine the Fae ordered; there are enough to get the whole city drunk. Fae wine is notoriously delicious, and the guests will definitely prefer that to the merlot in the clan's cellar.

Next, I go to see if I can lend a hand with any of the decorations. But Sybil and Elspeth have locked the doors of the hall to keep anyone from peeking at their work before the party begins. That leaves me with nothing left to do but get dressed. I want to see Blair again so badly.

I mentally scold myself for being ridiculous, but I liked it much better when we had a secret connection that no one was able to interfere with. I got to spend more time with her that way, even if it was under false pretenses. I miss that.

I decide to get out of the den and expend some of my restless energy before I get dressed. I take a walk to distract myself and kill some time. After a while, I end up in one of the many bookstores in Boston. Many of these bookstores are independently owned and have their own little niche sections, and this one just so happens to have a whole corner devoted to witchcraft. I wonder if the owner of this book shop is a witch.

I peruse the shelves, taking down one intriguing book after another. The more I read about witchcraft, the more I wonder why I'm so drawn to Blair. Before long, I'm lost in my thoughts again. It isn't until one of the bookstore employees comes over to ask if I need help finding anything in particular that I look up from the book I'm reading. But when I turn to look at her, the poor woman is instantly taken aback.

"Your eyes," she says. She's shaking with… Is that fear? "What's wrong with your eyes?"

I look at her with what I can only imagine is confusion, until she digs into her pocket and pulls out a small cosmetic mirror that she gives me with a shaking hand. I take one quick glance into the glass and see that my eyes are glowing even more fiercely than before.

"Is it a special effect?" she asks nervously. "Are they some sort of high-tech contacts? Oh my god, please tell me you aren't some sort of alien."

She glances down at the book in my other hand,The Moon's Effect on Everyday Curses, and begins to shake even harder. I attempt to assure her that I'm not any of the things she is rattling off like a paranoid lunatic on speed, but she's too wound up and scared to listen. Since it's beginning to draw attention from some of the other people in the store, I don't have much of a choice but to subdue her before she causes a scene.

I glamour her to silence quickly, and then pretend like I need her help once she's docile.

"There actually is a book I 'm looking for," I say with a charming smile. "Could you help me find it?"