Page 56 of Blood Secret

She trembled against my chest.

“She would’ve died. She was only moments away,” I explained, looking at all of them.

Pleading for them to understand. Witches, especially the High Council, weren’t renowned for open mindedness.

“That was why we went to the club tonight,” Janna whispered. “The head vampire almost killed me. It’s a long story, and I know it was my fault for living so dangerously. You have to believe me. I didn’t know they were real vampires until Vale explained everything. By then, it was too late.”

“I had already killed one of them when she tried to attack Janna,” I added.

I couldn’t believe how desperate I was for them to believe me. For the first time in five centuries, I wanted to live.

“He saved me then, and he saved me when the lead vampire nearly killed me.” Janna chose Isobel to focus attention on.

When the older witch averted her eyes, my heart sank for the both of them.

“And you went back tonight? You took such a chance?” Esme sneered at me. “You allowed her to do this?”

“She needed to even the score for herself. I couldn’t stop her. She would’ve gone without me. You know how strong young vampires are. I couldn’t restrain her. It was better for me to back her up. Would you rather I have let her walk in alone?”

“I don’t know what I would rather,” Isobel admitted. She looked at the other witches. “What he says is true. It was his feels which first alerted me to there being a problem. That was what brought me to you.”

“I see,” I muttered. “You sensed what happened to her because of how it affected me.”

“Correct. Though I hadn’t guessed it was anything this... severe.” She looked at Janna again. “You’re just as lovely as you were in your pictures.”

“The pictures taken without my consent or knowledge,” Janna murmured. Typical of her, not letting her mother play the injured party.

Isobel blanched. “I was looking for you. I looked for you for such a long time.”

“Maybe if you hadn’t given me up, none of this would’ve happened,” Janna suggested with a shrug. “I would’ve known there were real vampires in the world, and real witches. I wouldn’t have spent my life feeling like a freak compared to everybody around me.”

“You would still have stood apart from the rest of us,” Serena murmured, not unkindly.

“Right. Because I wasn’t good enough to be a proper witch, either. No powers.” She shook her head. “At any rate, I’m glad you found me when you did.”

“Are you sure about that?” I looked down at her. “Look where it got you.”

She looked up at me with a sigh. “I’m looking. I meant what I said. I would be dead twice over by now. This isn’t ideal, but…”

“You mean you’re glad to be a vampire?” Esme asked, one eyebrow quirking up.

I bristled but held my tongue. The disdain witches held for vampires wasn’t a surprise.

“I’m glad to be alive,” Janna replied in a cool tone. “No, I can’t pretend it’s ideal. I wouldn’t choose this life for myself if presented with a range of choices. But I didn’t have a range of choices. It was either suffocate on my own blood or stay alive.”

Isobel let out a strangled whimper, but Janna didn’t react.

I admired her matter-of-factness.

Evidently, so did Serena. She was always a straight shooter, as much as any witch could be. “You realize your new lease on life is only a temporary state, I’m sure. Because according to our laws, we can’t allow Vale to live after committing such a serious crime.”

The announcement ricocheted around my skull.

It wasn’t a surprise—I had expected it—but hearing it from Serena’s lips was another thing entirely.

The other two didn’t even flinch, so clearly, they agreed.

Isobel, on the other hand, let out a cry of surprise. “No! You can’t do that!”

---