Page 18 of Watch Me Burn

“As good as can be expected when my whole world’s been flipped upside down. But, hey.” I wiggle my fingers at Elise, and no matter how longIlive, I’ll love her forever because she doesn’t flinch even a little. “At least they didn’t put the handcuffs back on me.”

She frowns. “You’re not a prisoner, Bridge.”

Seriously? “I’m literally behind bars right now,” I remind her.

“It’s a safety precaution,” she assures me.

“My safety or everyone else’s?”

“Yours,” Elise says firmly. “You heard Madame Montvale. Witch hunters work in pairs. We have one sedated. But the other…”

I blink. “Wait. Are you telling me that there’s at least one more witch hunter who’s out there, looking to get me? To kill me?”

“It’s another reason why Thorn thinks it’s best if you leave Clarity. The vampires and humans who live in the Fang City will be safe, but if we move you somewhere that the witch hunters can’t find you, you’ll be safe, too.”

Put like that, how can I be pissed that I’m getting the boot?

Well, to be fair, very easily. But I’m not going to argue about that. Elise has lived in Clarity for more thanseventyyears. She’sknown she was a vampire all that time, I’m guessing. Things that seem super freaking weird to me as a newcomer to the supe world won’t have the same impact on Elise.

Including—

“Forget that for now.” And, boy, do I wishIcould. “Do vampires actually eat other vampires?”

Sue me. I want to know. I’m curious about a lot of things right now, but I haven’t forgotten how Thorn had the points of his fangs inches away from Elise’s throat. The Cadre leader said humans were a vampire’s preferred meal, but I could tell he wasn’t bluffing. If I didn’t figure out a way to trigger my magic, he would’ve bit her. To prove a point, he would’vedrainedher.

Jasper was right. Vampiresareruthless.

Elise doesn’t even seem to notice how her boss used her as a pawn like that. She just frowns, then says, “Are you asking how different mating is for my kind and yours?”

Mating? Wait a second… does she mean sex? Oh, jeez. She thinks I’m being dirty-minded, and while I’m definitely one to crack a joke just like that…

“What? No. I mean, like, actual food, Elise. Thorn looked like he was going to eat you for lunch before I became a human sparkler.”

“Oh. You mean drinking.”

This is soweird. “Um. Yeah. If that’s what you wanna call it.”

“In that case, yes. When there isn’t a human donor available we make do with each other, but Thorn wouldn’t have bitten me. I know it seemed like he would have, but he’s too powerful to risk a mate bond by accidentally beginning a blood exchange with someone he doesn’t recognize as his beloved.”

And… she’s lost me again. To be fair, I’m not sure she’s found me, but if she came back down here to check on me and is willing to explain all this insanity to me, I’m going to distract myself by asking as many questions as possible.

“See, now, you have to remember that all of this supernatural stuff… it’s new to me. What the hell do you mean by mate bond? Andbloodexchange? Really? Like, instead of swapping spit, vampires swap blood?”

Elise bends her knees, sinking gracefully down so that we’re on the same level. Her hand settles on my knee again, her tone turning apologetic. “I wanted to tell you, Bridge, but Thorn prefers we keep Clarity a secret. When a human is as blissfully unaware of the vampires living around them as you were, he’d rather them stay that way. I mean it. If I had any idea you were one of us?—”

“I’m not a vampire,” I tell her. Ofthat, I’m fucking sure.

“No, but you are a supe. Vampires… shifters… witches… we’re all supernaturals.”

“Wait.” My head feels like it’s going to explode with all of this information. “Shifters?” I thought I heard Jasper say something about wolves before… “Like werewolves? Are you telling me they’re real, too?

She nods. “Us vampires stay away from the beastly supes. So yes, they exist, though I’ve never met one before… and they’re not the only other creatures out there.”

Somewhere over my head, a witch and a vampire ruler are debating what to do with me. As a kid, I loved all things paranormal and fantastical. Twelve-year-old Bridget would be geeking out to know that humans aren’t the only species living on Earth. Twenty-nine-year-old Bridget? She’s just hoping that there’s some way to make this all disappear?—

“What about ghosts?” I ask. Don’t think about fire, Bridge. Don’t think aboutburning. “Mummies? The freaking chupacabra? How about unicorns? Ooh… mermaids. Those could be cool.”

“They’re called sirens,” Elise says gently, “and they would drown you and eat you for supper if given half the chance, sweetie.”

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