Page 13 of Claiming the Dhampir

“I didn’t think it was possible,” Nathan said. “When I accepted you all into our clan decades ago, you told me you could never return. I believe your exact words were, ‘Once a fae is exiled, they can never go back.’ You said the realm’s magic wouldn’t allow you to return.”

Alyssa shifted her weight from one foot to the other and clamped her hands together. She was trying to find the right words to deceive us. I scowled and rounded the desk to stand next to Nathan. Damon stepped closer to her as well, trapping her in the corner.

“I can’t tell you,” she squeaked. “Brance didn’t reveal all the details to me. I know he’s confident that he found a way, just like he’s confident that your girl is the last dhampir.”

Damon growled and flexed his wings. The room darkened with the swell of his magic.

Alyssa pressed her back into the wall, covering her face with both hands. “I just want to go home,” she whispered, then broke into stuttered sobs. “I hate this realm. I didn’t deserve this fate.”

I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her; most of the exiled felt the same way. Earth was nothing more than a pale shadow in comparison to the fae realm. It lacked everything we needed as a magical species, but we were stuck here.

Or were we?

“I understand your desire to go home,” Nathan said, his voice only a little less harsh. “But I won’t allow anyone to jeopardize the safety of my clan. If you can’t follow the rules, you need to leave with Brance. Feel free to spread the word to any other fae within the Exiled community.”

Alyssa rubbed her eyes and pulled her shoulders back. Tears stained her face, but she lifted her chin and nodded. “I understand as well.”

Damon stepped back, giving her a path to the door. She looked directly at me and stood a little taller.

“I’m disappointed in you,” she said, a little bit of arrogance bleeding into her voice. “You should’ve been the one to find a way home for us.”

She brushed a stray hair from her face, then rushed out the door. Damon followed her, pausing in the hallway. The cloud of dark magic surrounding him slowly dissipated, and the air became a little easier to breathe.

“I’ll be surprised if they leave willingly,” Nathan said, moving past me.

“Me too.”

“I know the three of you have been vigilant about staying with Lorna, but until we know for certain that Brance is gone, it might be best to keep her in the tower.”

I spun around and looked at Nathan. He’d gone back to the mini fridge. This time, he poured the dark red contents in a glass. I tried not to overanalyze his need for blood. He rarely drank it in front of me, but Lorna’s presence had clearly shaken him.

“Lorna might not agree with you,” I said.

“No, she won’t.” Damon came back into the office and closed the door. “If I need to encourage the fae to get out, I’m happy to do so.”

I didn’t want to think about the type of encouragement he would use.

“Let’s give them twenty-four hours,” Nathan said, putting his glass in the microwave. “Then we’ll decide.”

Damon nodded, but I could see the fire still flickering in his eyes. His demon was never on edge like this, but none of us had met our soulmate before. Protective instincts did weird things to everyone, no matter who they were.

A soft knock on the door interrupted any further conversation.

“Come in,” Nathan called, just as the microwave dinged.

The door slowly opened to reveal two vampires from the clan – one tall with dark hair and eyes. The other was stout with a long beard and bald head. I couldn’t remember either of their names, but I didn’t normally interact with the vampires.

“Can we have a few minutes, boss?” the tall one with dark hair and a slender face asked.

“Of course, Ted,” Nathan replied, grabbing his beverage and moving to the desk. “Take a seat.”

The vampires gave Damon a wide berth, then sat down in the chairs facing Nathan’s desk.

“I was kind of hoping we could chat in private.” Ted cut his eyes at me for a second.

Nathan shook his head. “I’ve forgotten how many times Kenrid has proven his loyalty to me. He stays along with Damon.”

Nathan’s declaration of faith in me had me standing just a little straighter. The vampires exchanged looks but didn’t argue.

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