Page 105 of Destined to Fight

“I haven’t, but I’ll call him in.”

Reaching out to Kade through their link, she relayed the message. He nodded out of habit and let her know he’d be in shortly.

“He’ll be in soon.”

“I will never get used to that. You know, vampires can hear just about everything, but the fact that the two of you can communicate without any sound whatsoever is astonishing to me.”

“I’m still getting used to it. The worst part is when we accidentally talk out loud and it creates a sort of echo.”

“You know, I love my husband to this day, but I never would have wanted to be inside his mind. Men can be ruthless and brash. There is no doubt his thoughts would have sparked numerous arguments.”

Kelly smiled, suddenly nostalgic. “I can understand that. Working in journalism, I’ve seen so many people lose control of their thoughts. They speak without any sort of filter because they’re so eager for someone to hear them. I’ve learned to take it at face value. Kade has already had a moment where his thoughts were harsh, but we talked around it.”

“Don’t let that one moment fool you. There will come a time when my son will make you want to kill him.”

Kelly raised her shoulders in a shrug. “I’m sure there will. Would you like a glass of blood while we wait for him?”

It had taken Kelly four weeks to become comfortable with the fact that vampires drank blood. She was now okay with offering and serving it at meals, and she could even rinse out the glasses without gagging. She guessed it had to do with the fact that she and Kade exchanged it on a regular basis.

“Oh, no. Thank you, though. I had some earlier today.” Silence followed for some time, then Siri added, “I envy you and Kade. The last time I drank from a person was almost a century ago.”

A thought struck Kelly. “There have to be willing humans out there. Why don’t vampires take advantage of them?”

“Fear. Arcane live through fear. The Council is convinced we will be found out if vampires drink from humans on a regular basis. The invention of needles took away any excuse we had to drink directly from the source, then technology continued to improve. If they allowed it now, someone would post a video of a vampire feeding within hours. Imagine what would happen to this world if humans all believed in vampires.”

“Oh, I agree. The general population cannot comprehend the existence of Arcane. But it might be feasible to set up exclusive clubs for trusted humans who can keep a secret.” She dove deep into her mind for a minute. “You know, that’s actually an idea. Clubs where Arcane and humans could coexist in a safe space.”

“You, my dear, are a dreamer.” Siri said with a smile.

Kade came in then. “Good morning, Mother. How are ye?”

“I’m well, Son, thank you. I have some news for you and Kelly. Shall we sit?”

Kade nodded.

Kelly grabbed her butter-slathered English muffin and the honey and went to the table with them.

“I called a friend in Romania to ask her what she thought about this thing between the two of you.”

Kade’s guard went up. “Mum, I ken ye want to help, but we cannae tell people about this.”

She waved him off. “She’s completely trustworthy, I can promise you that. Anyway, she mentioned some old stories about a mage and a vampire, like the ones you all told me about, only she said it wasn’t just a story. She said her great-great-grandfather was paired with a mage and shared powers with her. She made me swear not to tell anyone, said it was a family secret and to tell someone could mean death.”

“Mum, are ye sure she wasnae just bending the truth a bit?”

“Keegan, after all these years, I’d hope you trust me a bit more than that.”

Kade looked down at the table, and Kelly saw the child he’d once been hundreds of years ago.

“I ken ye would confirm yer sources. I just dinnae trust anyone at this point.”

“Your father would be proud, Keegan. You’re smart not to trust anyone, but I do trust her. She’s one of our oldest, and she sees no benefit from lies or drama. I haven’t told you the best part yet, though.” She paused for effect. “She mentioned the blood exchanges before I told her about them. I didn’t even have to bring it up, and she said her grandfather exchanged blood with the mage regularly.”

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Kade came alive with a spark of hope. “Yer sure ye didnae mention any of that to her?”

“Keegan, you disappoint me, questioning me like that.”

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