Page 28 of Watch Me Burn

“Nice?” I echo. “He’s fucking with me, that’s what he’s doing.”

“He’s a supe, Bridge. That’s what most males do.”

I’m not so sure about that. I’ve met vampires and shifters, and none of them have acted like Conall has. As for his being a supe… I don’t know what kind he is. Unlike the others, it’s not obvious, and that only adds to my suspicions that he’s something completely different.

So long as he isn’t a witch hunter…

“I don’t care. Doesn’t he know what happened to the last guy who was skulking around me? Following me around?”

He doesn’t. Of course he doesn’t. We’ve gone to great trouble to hide that from my new neighbors, and no matter how much he annoys me, he hasn’t done anything to deserve being barbecued.

Not yet.

Elise sobers a little. “How’s the fire?”

“I’m good,” I promise. “No temper. No fire. I’ve been on my best behavior.”

“I hope you’re going to stay that way.”

I want to tell her that I’m not going to start any shit. I can’t. The truth is that I have been waiting until our arrival doesn’t feel so fresh to the others to start my search for the underground caves. The more I’ve noticed that I’m invisible here, the more I don’t see any reason to continue waiting.

Then Conall does something like today, reminding me that heiswatching, almost as though he expects me to leave the borders of Dyea as soon as I can.

It’s those stupid rules. Mayor Lou allows Conall to dictate what us villagers in the sanctuary can do, and leaving the protection of the hidden community is a no-no. I don’t see why it matters. So long as the magic lets me back in, I should be okay. It’s not like I plan on wandering around the woods. I need to find the caves, then explore underground for the fire opal.

I’m just gonna have to go. Maybe wait until Conall is busy doing something else for the mayor, then sneak out. It’s not like he goes house to house, checking on every resident. I have to hope I can sneak back in, but I’m not worried about that.

I can’t let one guy stop me from getting my hands on that crystal.

And as much as I love Elise, I can’t allow her to keep me from going, either.

I asked her if she wanted to join me. She vehemently shook her head, apologizing profusely while adamantly refusing to go in search of the caves. Her reaction was so unexpected, I decidedto drop the subject our first night in Dyea, and we’ve been tiptoeing around it ever since.

Elise agrees that I need the fire opal. She just can’t bring herself to go with me, though she did offer to make a distraction to allow me to sneak in and out if necessary.

I’ve been thinking a lot about it these last few days. And since I don’t want to think about Conall anymore, I ask her something that’s been bugging me for just as long.

“Is that how you died?”

I surprised her. I don’t think she expected me to ask that. To be fair, I didn’t intend to. But now that I have, I legitimately want to know.

“What?”

I’ve only known that Elise is a vampire for a little over a week now. I’ve been dying to delve into her past and ask her about it since she admitted she’sseventy-two, but I got the vibe that I was pushing the bounds of what was appropriate in the supe community by asking her age. Probing the topic of her death? What made her into a blood-drinking supe? That definitely seems like one of those things that you just don’t do.

But fuck it. I’m surrounded by supes now. Other vampires. Shifters. And unless my gut instinct is off, a witch hunter in disguise. Not only that, but I was ready to sign on to become Elise’s breakfast and dinner. Sure, unless she wants to scald her tongue, my blood is obviously out, but the offer should count for something, right?

“The cave,” I tell her. “You seemed pretty spooked when I mentioned exploring the caves together. Is that where… you know… it happened? Or was it just really dark before you came back like this?”

“Like this?” she echoes, sitting up against the couch, her book forgotten. Her brow furrows, but her features are as flawless asever, and the wrinkles are barely there even if expression gaze is clearly confused.

“Yeah. A vampire. One of the undead.”

“Oh, no, sweetie. I didn’t die to become a vampire.”

Really? “So you’ve always been like this?”

“Since birth. My parents were both turned vampires, but after they were bonded mates, they had me. But you’re right… it’s silly.”

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