Page 11 of How to Entice a Fiend

“I really regret answering this phone call. All I’ve done is be the best I can be and still you’re not happy. Let me take that back. We did speak. He asked me to take a cat, which I thought was awfully kind of him. Like… anyone who goes around handing out cats can’t actually be a monster, can they?”

Vivian’s sigh tells me that she’s jealous that no one has ever offeredhera cat. “You were literally the worst choice.”

“He also pinned me against a wall and said a few things like ‘I am mighty!’ but his hair was really silky, so I tucked it behind his ear. I got mixed signals about whether or not he enjoyed that.”

“You came highly praised and ever since I met you, I’ve been convinced they just wanted to get rid of you and pawn you off on me.”

“You crack me up, Vivian. Absolutely crack me up,” I decide.

“Joy. Please do your job.”

“Of course,” I say before ending the call and heading back to the building. I’m quiet when I walk up so I can hear what they’re discussing without disrupting them.

“I just don’t understand. If thisisn’tconnected to the council in any way, why would another group want Rylee? Has it gotten out what she is?” Finn asks.

“If it has, we need to be careful what else has gotten out,” Marcus says.

“And then… whatisit that’s killing them? If it’s some kind of chemical or something they’re inhaling, how was it gone so quickly that neither Mads nor Ender were affected by it? Or Rylee who was just one room over?” Alexei asks.

Finn sighs. “It does make you question what’s at play here and who wants who dead. We have those in the council who abducted Rylee, but also others who chose to kill council members? Did they both want Rylee?”

“How much do you trust this Mads guy?” Claude asks. “Do you know much about him, Marcus?”

“I don’t, but he’s right outside listening to us, so why don’t you ask him yourself?”

Well… that’s a bit embarrassing.

I walk inside and smile at them, positive that will make them forget I was eavesdropping. “The cat is in wonderful hands!”

“Did you hear anything you’d like to know more of?” Marcus asks, and with his attitude I can’t quite tell whether he genuinely wants to know or is irritated by me.

“Don’t mind me. I really didn’t mean anything by it.”

Marcus looks skeptical. “Whatdoesthe council want with you here?”

I lift both hands and smile. “The US council was hit extremely hard and sent out a request for other councils to reach out and help, which you know about. There truly aren’t many members left of the US council after… the incident, so a few members from multiple councils all over the world have shown up to assist where they can. We truly and honestly mean nothing by it. Not to be rude, but what we’ve seen so far of the council is… a bit concerning, to say the least. It’s apparent the former leader, Addison, was corrupt in many ways of which you are all now aware. It’s a shame it came to this before anyone was able to stop her. This idea of creating a world of true vampires to do what? Take over humans? Some vampires might desire such a thing, but so many wouldn’t that I can’t even fathom how she thought she could pursue this idea once it got out.”

“I get that, but why were youspecificallysent here?” Marcus asks.

I hesitate as I question why that was the most important part of what I’d just talked about. “I… just told you.”

“What else?”

“What else? Not much else, honestly. I was told to keep an eye on the VRC, and of course this Ender person, but that’s the extent of it.”

“Why keep an eye on us?” Finn asks. “We’re the police; we have absolutely nothing to do with the council. We have no control, no pull. Hell, Marcus and my father, Orin, have been trying to get the council to approve of me becoming a vampire for years and we’ve continually been turned down. Even when they thought I was going to die as a teenager, they turned Orin down. We… aren’t on the best of terms with the council. I’m sure you heard all about them harassing me and trying to end my life.”

“The things I heard from the US council were quite different from the things I heard from the UK council. I believe you were wrongly treated either way, and I hope I can help them get started in the right direction.” I throw out another smile as the prickly crew stare at me. I know Marcus and Alexei will be hard to gain the trust of, but this Finn fellow is already caving slightly. I just need to keep working on him and I’m convinced the rest will fall in behind him. Even though he’s a human, his opinion and thoughts obviously weigh a lot with this group.

“I’m sorry,” Finn says with a sigh. “I’m over here judging you and taking it out on you when you had nothing to do with any of it. I’ve just been frustrated over the shit the council put me through, so hearing that you’re a council member had me on edge. I really apologize for my prejudice. It’s honestly not you.”

“It’s totally fine. If a dog mauled me, I can’t imagine I’d be overly fond ofanydogs,” I assure him. “But I promise you that I’m on your side. Mind if I get a closer look at the bodies?”

“Sure, just don’t touch them or move them until we have everything documented.”

“Of course not.”

I head over to the one farthest from the group, the body that I’d been holding when Ender walked in. I kneel down next to the vampire and examine his lifeless stare.

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