Page 13 of Watch Me Burn

In front of his desk, he has two dark metal egg-shaped seats. Each one has a blood-red cushion and back to it. With a wave of his hand, he gestures for me and Elise to sit down.

I do, and I get my first look at Thorn Wilkins in the flesh.

The cameras don’t do him justice. Up close, he’s even more attractive than he is on television or the billboards around Clarity. He’s almosttoohandsome, if that’s a thing, and I find myself getting uncomfortable under his stare.

He lays his hand flat on the glass top to his desk, shifting slightly in his seat so that all of his attention is on me.

“I’m glad to see that the fire didn’t scorch you, Ms. Hayes.”

I glance down. It didn’t dawn on me until his observation that there should be some sign that I was covered in flames myself if it was a freak accident out on the street. Like, if I wasn’t responsible for the fire, shouldn’t my hand be burned? My sleeve turned to ash?

But if Iwasresponsible… if I somehow was a witch who could make fire appear out of nowhere… well, it wouldn’t burn me, right?

I smile nervously at him. “I guess I was lucky.”

“Mm.” He leans back in his chair. “Do you know who I am?”

“Um. Yes. You’re Thorn Wilkins. Head of the Cadre.” I hesitate for a second before I add in a slightly questioning tone, “Head of the vampires.”

In response, he flashes a quick smile that nearly has me swooning in my seat until I notice his fangs are as impressive as Jasper’s.

Yup.

Head of the vampires, all right.

“That’s correct. Now, I pride myself in keeping the citizens of Clarity safe and sound. There are enough humans who know the truth about the Cadre and our people to keep us fed, and in return, my soldiers do everything they can to keep trouble out of our territory. You, Ms. Hayes, are trouble.”

A lump lodges in my throat. I swallow it nervously.

“I’ve spoken to Elise. She was unaware that you’re a witch?—”

“Ihad no idea that I’m supposed to be some kind of witch,” I blurt out.

“Yes. I believe that to be so. But that doesn’t change the facts as they stand now. We are a Fang City. Vampires rule Clarity. We keep shifters out, and until now, we’ve never had a witch living inside of our borders. I’ve led the Cadre here for one hundred and thirteen years. This is a first for me.”

My jaw drops. One hundred and thirteen years. One hundred and thirteenyears. And that’s how long he’s been in charge. If Elise is only seventy-two, how old is Thorn?

I know better than to ask him. Doesn’t mean I’m not looking at him, seeing a gorgeous man in his late thirties, and wondering if eternal youth might be a perk to whatever the hell I’m supposed to be…

A witch. He thinks I’m a witch, too.

“How do you even know that I am?” I ask. So I’m in denial. “I’m pretty sure I’m just an ordinary human, no magic required.”

Thorn glances at Elise. “You didn’t tell her?”

Oh, I don’t like the way he said that.

“I didn’t have a chance before Jasper came down to get us,” Elise replies. “I would’ve, but I needed to admit to Bridge that vampires exist before I mentioned witch hunters.”

Hang on?—

“Witch hunters? What do you mean, witch hunters?”

If it’s bad enough that I don’t want to be a witch, that’s nothing compared to how much I don’t want anything to do with something called a witchhunter.

Thorn pulls open one of his desk drawers. Using a piece of fabric to protect him against the object he has tucked inside, he pulls out a silver-looking knife with a matching tang and hilt. It looks like a mini-sword, about eight inches long, and he holds it so that I can’t miss it.

“Do you know what this is?” he asks me.

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