Page 65 of Club Blood

Cecelia needed to die for Mercy to go unhinged. I knew deep in my heart that it was the reason she would make any mistakes. Mercy told me that the biggest weakness a vampire could offer their enemies was their heart. For a long time I thought she meant it literally, and I laughed every time she said it. What I didn’t realize was that it wasn’t meant to be taken literally at all.

Cecelia was her heart. And Mercy, whether she was aware or not, was caught red handed. If Carlisle refused to accept her weakness, then I would rectify that mistake. I knew Mercy, her moves, and her coven more than anyone. In fact, if my discreet intrusion onto her property to deliver her gift didn’t prove that, I didn’t know what will.

I would kill Cece. It was the only way to restore things back to their natural order. Once the human was dead, I could give Mercy to Carlisle on a silver platter. It was the ultimate sort of revenge, romantic, really. Mercy will regret the day she let me go.

“As you wish, Carlisle.” I whispered, turning to leave. I could hear him whistle in satisfaction from the bed, my eyes crushing together in deep seeded rage and my hands fighting to stay by my side.

One day, it will be my turn to rule.

34

CECELIA

My body wastired after my extracurricular activities with Mercy, but Warren wasn’t accepting that as an excuse for missing training.

“I don’t care what fuckery y’all got up to, you still need to practice.”

I grumbled my disagreement, but I got the hint when he banged loudly on the door and threatened to carry me outside himself. Mercy only chuckled at her Second’s demanding attitude, telling me it was better to get it over with. She had business to attend to anyway, which meant I was going to have a day filled with kicking Warren’s ass in retribution for disturbing my sleep.

My stake felt different as I carried it out with me, the weapon fitting almost perfectly in my hand. In only a few hours, my relationship to it had changed – as had my relationship with Mercy. I felt a familiar flutter in my gut at the thought of her, the way her lips captured mine when she surrendered to me. Mercy had shown she could be vulnerable, and I had shown her I could be strong. It was fucked up, but we really did make a great pairing.

“Helloooooo? Queenie, are you listening?”

Warren waved his hand in front of my face and I admired the midnight blue polish on his fingertips. “Yup, of course I am.”

Scoffing, he dropped his hand and lifted my stake-weilding arm up to the throwing stance. “Stop daydreaming about Mercy’s cunt and pay attention please.”

I balked and threw my stake at him half-heartedly. He chuckled as he caught it between his fingers before it reached his abdomen. “Your aim really is pretty good. Is that all the action you’re getting?”

Warren waggled his eyebrows and I groaned, covering my face with my hands. I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks, I hated how easily humans showed our emotions.

It’s not that I was ashamed. I was an adult and the blushing virgin persona didn’t exactly fit me. But truthfully, I had only ever had one person tease me about sex.

The thought of Laura sent a ripple of heartache through me and before I knew it, I was crying into my hands. Warren rushed over and enveloped me in his muscled arms, rubbing circles into my back calmingly.

“What’s wrong, Cece? I’m sorry if my teasing made you uncomfortable,” he said into my hair with so much sincerity and apprehension that it broke my heart apart.

Burying my face in his chest, I let the comfort of Warren’s friendship wash over me. “It’s not something you did,” I sniffled, hoping his shirt wasn’t too expensive because there would definitely now be snot on it.

It took a few minutes before I was able to slow the tears, plopping down onto the grass with athump. Warren sat down beside me, his long legs stretched out in front of him. I lay on my back, closing my eyes as the sun peeked at us through a formation of clouds.

“You didn’t upset me, Warren. But you reminded me of someone I really miss.”

Whilst I couldn’t see him, I could feel his head turn to me, his gaze burning into me like the sun would to him. “An ex?”

I laughed, though it caught in the back of my throat and I had to stop myself from crying. “Most definitely not an ex.”

The silence between us was one of curiosity and confusion, though Warren didn’t push for me to speak. It was hard to find words to describe missing someone when nobody else knew them.

“I’ve never really been close to my family. My mom wasn’t around and my dad thought drinking himself to an early death while I cleaned up after him was the way to raise a child. I didn’t really have anyone until high school. That’s where I met Laura.”

“And that’s who I reminded you of?” I nodded and Warren smirked, flicking a strand of his silken hair over his shoulder. “I always said I would have made for a beautiful woman.”

The snort I emitted was the most unladylike sound I had ever made, but I couldn’t help it. Warren smiled, pleased to have made me laugh, and motioned for me to continue on.

I sighed. “It’s a long story but Laura has been my family since we were thirteen. She’s been a sister and a best friend and mom and whatever else I needed her to be. And when you teased me about my sexscapades, it just reminded me of how much she would be making jokes. I really fucking miss her, Warren.”

“She’s not…” He looked to the ground, picking a blade of grass while trying to find the words, displaying awkwardness he would usually never dare to show. “She’s alive, right?”

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