Page 39 of Exes, Hexes, and Strategy
She nodded, though her expression was skeptical. “Next time,” she repeated and headed out the door.
Rafe moved to sit down in the chair by the bed that Mel had vacated and tucked Nina’s hand safely within his own. As he sat there, Mel’s words from earlier came back to him.A water-wielding vampire. Would Nina keep her magic now that she’d been Turned? Since it had always been forbidden to Turn a witch, it wasn’t like he had any ready information he could reference at his disposal.
He glanced over at Cam who was sitting in the opposite corner, playing some sort of game on his phone. Angels were some of the first beings – older than vampires, older than humans – if anyone would know, it would surely be them. Cam might even know why such a Turning was forbidden to begin with.
“Will she still have access to her gifts now?”
The angel’s eyes flicked up from his phone and then went right back down. “She’ll be as she was and more.”
Rafe nodded slowly, considering that. He thought the conversation was over, but Cam suddenly put his phone down and leaned forward in his chair, bracing his elbows on his knees. “Morgan may not have broken any rules in Turning your Nina, but you canneverlet the Elders know of her. Do you understand?”
“I don’t exactly have an open line of communication with the Elders,” Rafe pointed out. His mother resided at the Court, true, but he didn’t exactly consider her a confidante. Honestly, she was only a tiny bit better than his father. A typical Born in her lack of softer emotions, their infrequent conversations on the phone were never anything of consequence. He certainly wouldn’t care to share anything about Nina with the woman who’d borne him.
The angel stood, his face fierce as he pointed at Nina. “She is what they fear.”
Rafe looked from Nina’s prone body to the looming angel and shook his head. “Why?”
“A witch is tolerated,” Cam returned. “They are powerful, yes, but they are mortal, and like any mortal, easily breakable, no match for the Born. Your Nina will now, not only be powerful with her gifts – powers that will grow, thanks to a vampiric supercharge – but she will also now possess a vampire’s speed, a vampire’s strength, and a vampire’s immortality. She is a threat to the Born’s supremacy. Should the Elders get wind of her existence, they will not stop until they have eradicated that threat.”
Rafe swallowed. “But Morgan –”
“Her position in the Hunters’ Society is such that she does not need to report any Hunters she Turns. It’s one of the benefits, so there is no reason this should reach anyone outside our little circle.”
“I’ll keep her safe.”
“We both will keep her safe,” Cam solemnly swore. Approaching the bed, he took Nina’s other hand in his. His face, so determined only a moment before, morphed into that lopsided grin and his eyes twinkled with mirth. “In case you’re wondering, I take my vows seriously. I’m afraid the two of you will be stuck with me from now on.”
Rafe’s eyebrow cocked. “An angelic bodyguard?”
Cam smirked. “When only the best will do.”
∞∞∞
When Nina awoke, she was staring at a ceiling. The first thought from her sleep-befuddled mind was how odd that was. She never slept on her back. Her side, maybe, but more often than not, she slept sprawled on her belly in a fair imitation of a starfish.
Mel’s wide-eyed and grinning face was suddenly looming over hers and, startled, Nina shrank back into the pillows.
“Oh, my God! You’re awake! This is so exciting. How do you feel? Can I see your teeth?”
Holy hell, her friend was loud and why on earth would she want to see Nina’s teeth?
Rafe’s gorgeous face was next to appear, his expression chastising as he told Mel to give Nina some room.
It seemed as if it was Grand Central Station in her room, and before she’d even had coffee. Raising a hand to rub over her face, she attempted to sit up and two sets of hands were quickly there to assist her. What the hell? It wasn’t like she was hurt.
A cascade of memories suddenly flooded her brain. The flowers, the mansion, the trap set by Vincent DeMarco that she’d so eagerly walked into. Rafe on his knees ready to beg for her life. His father’s rage – his father’s teeth tearing at her throat.
Now wide awake, Nina sat bolt-upright with a gasp as she searched her neck with her hand to feel the damage. Nothing. She could have sworn… There’d been so much pain. Searing agony before she’d gone numb, and then everything had turned to black.
It would have been so easy to sink into that blackness, let it take her, but Rafe’s voice had come to her like a dream, telling her to fight, to not let Vincent DeMarco win. As it turned out, spite was one hell of a motivator. It had given her the strength to cling to the sound of Rafe’s voice as he pleaded for her to stay with him.
“It’s okay, Nina,” Rafe said, cupping her face with his hand. “You’re going to be just fine.”
“What? How?” she shook her head, and for the first time, noticed that she wasn’t in her room. “Where am I?”
“You’re in the infirmary at the facility.”
She nodded slowly. “I was injured.” Her eyes shot to Rafe’s, “Your father?”
