Page 49 of The Cursed Fae

“I've heard,” I said. “Is this where you tell me to stay away from your brother to prevent inbreeding?”

Tina laughed humorlessly. “My family is probably your most distant relation, maybe fourteenth cousins, if that. You should stay away from my twin because it's for the best.”

“We're just friends.” I stood and gathered my books, suddenly desperate to be anywhere Tina was not.

“Is that why he was half naked and panting?” She raised her eyebrows at me in the mirror. “Were you two having a friendly chat when I walked in a few minutes ago?”

“It's really none of your business,” I said.

“He's my brother. Everything dealing with Laz is my business.” Tina spun on the vanity stool. “If you know what's good for you, you will stay away from him.”

“How very cliché of you,” I muttered as I stomped toward the door.

“You're not special,” Tina called after me. “Laz likes shiny and new things. Once you're neither, he'll be over you. And not in a good way.”

Just when I'd thought maybe Tina wasn't the worst person in the world, she proved me wrong. So very wrong. Tina was an elitist asshole.

My phone vibrated in my back pocket as I slammed the door closed with a satisfying bang. I expected to find either Mom or Nana on the display screen, but it was Lena's name flashing up at me.

“Oh, thank Gaia. I miss you so much,” I said as I accepted the call.

The voice that answered was deep, cold, and male. The hauntingly familiar sound couldn't have sounded less like my best friend. It was the soundtrack to the worst of my nightmares since the attack at the cove.

“Hello, Winter. I've missed you, too.”

Chapter sixteen

Don’t Trust Bloodsucking Creatures of Evil

“Where is Lena?” My voice was as cold and hard as the vampire’s tone when he answered my best friend’s phone.

“Your little human friend is fine. For now.” His cackle echoed inside my head. “And she’ll stay that way…” In the background, a horn blared during the vampire’s dramatic pause. “If you do something for me.”

I pressed my ear harder against the phone and fought back the rolling waves of nausea. “What do you want?”

“Learn to use your magic, Winter. That’s all. Simply learn to use your magic.”

“I know how to use my magic,” I said through gritted teeth.

The vampire tsked on the other end of the line. “No, Winter. You know how to use basic magic. I want you to learn to use your real magic. Next time I call, I want to hear you’ve made progress.”

“I want to talk to Lena. I need to know she’s okay.”

“Call her back after her shift ends at work. You can hear all about the man who left her a generous tip but didn’t eat his meal. I keep my promises, Winter. Lena will remain safe as long as you do what I say. Are we clear?”

My throat was too tight to swallow. I couldn’t think straight. The vampire had Lena’s cellphone. Did he have her too? Bloodsucking creatures of evil weren’t exactly trustworthy.

“Are we clear, Winter?” he asked a second time.I clutched the phone so hard my knuckles turned white. “Yeah. We’re clear.”

“Good. I’ll be in touch soon. Have a good night, my little fae.” He paused before adding, “Oh, and Winter? Let’s keep this between us. “

The line went dead. I stared down at the phone, too shocked and confused to know what to do next. Should I call Nana? Or maybe my mother? What about going to see the chancellor?

Except, the vampire wanted to keep this between us—him and me. And I wanted to keep Lena safe. That meant handling the situation on my own.

There was no way I could go back and face Tina after that conversation. I couldn’t face anyone. Not until I spoke to Lena and knew she was truly okay. Until then, I would be a bundle of anxiety, incapable of doing anything beyond worrying. My poker face wasn’t exactly strong, and there was only one place I could think of to be alone with my thoughts.

The hammocks were all empty when I arrived. Despite my concerns regarding Lena, I found myself a little disappointed that Archer wasn’t in residence. There was something about him that relaxed me. One look at my trembling hands, and it was clear I needed to chill.

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