Page 9 of Watch Me Burn

“Gilda?” I furrow my brow, trying to remember. “Blonde curls, super blue eyes, dent in her chin? That Gilda? Your co-worker?”

“She got promoted to soldier status, but yes. She recognized you as mine.” Elise clears her throat. “My roommate, that is. My friend. After reporting to Thorn, he gave permission for her to contact me. I came right over to HQ. I’ve been sitting with you ever since.”

Soldier status? The way the Cadre rules over Clarity, it seems like Thorn is the general of his own contained army. Maybe I wasn’t too far off when I thought that.

So that explains why Elise is here. She has an in with the Cadre, and even if she’s my bestie and not a lawyer, I much prefer having her here for moral support right now.

“I didn’t kill him, but I’m still in jail.”

“That’s because Thorn ordered you detained until his soldiers could piece together what happened and decide what happens next.” Her voice gentles. “You conjured in a Fang City, Bridget. I had no idea you were a witch, but this isn’t a coven. Thorn won’t allow it on his territory.” She pauses. “There are cameras down here, too, Bridge. Just so you know. Thorn’s gotta know you’re awake now.”

That’s the least of my worries at the moment. Elise was just talking in code. Who the fuck knows? Maybe she’s a soldier, too, because none of what she’s saying is making sense. Territory? Coven? Fang City?

Witch?

She’s serious, though. As serious as a freaking heart attack, and if anything, she just looks disappointed that I kept my being a witch a secret from her.

No. It’s impossible.

“Witch? I’m not a witch. Witches aren’t real.”

“But your magic?—”

“Magic isn’t real, either,” I say, cutting her off. “I don’t know what happened with that fireball. That guy scared the shit out of me, and it already smelled like something was burning before he was. It had to have been a freak accident. It wasn’t me. It couldn’t be me.”

It had to be me.

She tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, peering at me closely. “You didn’t know.”

“Know what? That I’m a witch? I’m not. I told you, Elise. They’re notreal.”

“They are.Youare.”

“Elise—”

“Supes are real, Bridge.” Giving my thigh a squeeze, Elise lets go of me before getting back to her feet. She moves until she’s standing directly in front of me, her pale green eyes as hypnotizing as ever. “Witches. Shifters.” Her eyes flash. “Vampires.”

I snort. “Did I bang my head when I collapsed? There’s no way you expect me to believe thatvampiresare real.”

They say seeing is believing. That always made sense to me. If you can’t trust your eyes, what can you trust? But I saw my body covered in smoke before fire exploded out of me, and I can’t believe that.

And when Elise parts her lips, opening her mouth just big enough that I can see her top teeth in particular… I can hardly believe it when her canines begin to grow and grow until they’re at least an inch long.

She uses her thumb to prick the sharp point of one of the fangs. A bead of blood as deep a red as her hair color wells up on the tip. She laps it with her tongue all while I gape wide-eyed up at her.

“Vampire,” I strangle out when I find my voice. “You’re really a vampire.”

“I am. And I would’ve told you sooner, but I didn’t know you were one of us.”

I’mnot.

“I’ve seen you out in the sun.” I narrow my gaze on Elise. “Aren’t vampires supposed to incinerate during the daytime?”

“SPF-5000,” is her prim response. “I told you that I never go anywhere without sunscreen on.”

She did. When I asked her how she got such a youthful glow to her skin, Elise gave all the credit to her daily routine, plus a fondness for anti-sun protection. Being one of the immortal undead probably helps?—

“So I guess you’re not thirty-four like you said. How old are you really? And don’t give me that BS about it being rude to ask a lady her age,” I cut in when her nose wrinkles in distaste. “I want to know. You dropped the bomb on me that you’re a vampire. Least you can do is help me make sense of all this.”

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