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“Oh, congratulations, guys,” I said, hoping she couldn’t hear the hesitancy in my tone. I was happy for them, I really was, but fuck, we barely knew him, and what did that mean for our secret? Joel had never intended to tell Derek about being a witch, but one day, he had walked in on Joel performing a spell when Joel wasn’t expecting him home. They had already been married for a few years but had dated since they were in high school. We loved Derek. We trusted him; to this day, he’s told no one, and he accepted that part of our lives.

But Bradley? I wasn’t sure.

Maybe Bradley was like that, too, but I’d been so busy with this newfound discovery of who I was that I hadn’t been able to get to know him as I should have by now.

“Thank you,” Lily said, but her beaming smile turned into a frown.

Okay, she noticed the tone in my voice.

Bradley squeezed her hand when he noticed her behavior change. “We aren’t getting married right away, Mercy,” he added. “We’re setting the wedding date for next spring. It will give us all more time to get to know each other and plan the wedding the way Lily had dreamed about since she was a kid.”

What the hell? Since when?

Lily never dreamed about getting married. She hated the idea of marriage being a contract with a piece of paper. Lily didn’t want or need those items to prove how committed she was to the person she was with.

Then again, a lot had changed in the last four years. Maybe Lily had too.

We all became quiet during the meal, eating in silence except to ask for the syrup or bowls of toppings. Afterward, we cleaned the dishes, and Bradley and Joel stepped into the family room to watch a game on the TV. Lily had brewed fresh coffee, and after pouring a cup, I leaned against the counter, eyeing her.

“Does he know about us?” I asked. “Or do you plan to tell him?”

Lily placed the last plate in the dishwasher and turned to face me. She leaned her back against the counter and wrapped her arms around her waist. “I want to tell him, Mercy. I brought it up to Caleb the other day. It won’t be easy to keep quiet about the fact that you and Joel aren’t witches, and yet I am. We’re from the same bloodline. Not that people who don’t know about us would put something like that together, but he would. Bradley’s sharp.”

I nodded. “I get it. You can tell Bradley I’m a witch, but I don’t speak for Joel. I think telling him about the whole vampire thing may be a bit overwhelming, though.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, Bradley may not take that so well.”

I smiled. “Tell him but know that it could put his life in danger the more he knows.”

“I thought about that,” she said. “The whole ‘keeping a secret from your loved ones to keep them safe.’” She looked down and bit her lower lip. “But it didn’t keep Cami safe.”

Jesus, Lily. That stung.

Not that Lily blamed me, though I sure blamed myself. The difference was Cami didn’t know about us, and yet she had been taken over by the darkest of evil. I failed to protect her by being so ignorant.

I started thinking about Cami being locked away inside the Asylum, all alone and terrified about what was happening to her. There was no way for her to escape her nightmare.

“I should go visit her today,” I sighed, feeling guilt stab at my heart.

“If you’d like, I’ll go with you,” Lily suggested.

I shook my head. “No, it’s fine.” I leaned into the family room. “Congrats again, Bradley.” His eyes stayed glued to the TV. “Joel, I’m heading to Salem to see Cami. I’ll catch up with you later.”

They both waved a hand to send me off, which was good enough.

_______________

MR. KRISER HANDEDme my badge and escorted me to the same area where my mom had died in my arms. A rush of emotions hit me as I neared that door that led into the room that changed my entire life.

My mom didn’t just die in there; I killed her. I don’t know how long after someone died that their spirit lingered in or above them, but I felt my mom watching me cry. I would never get that feeling out of my mind.

I probably should have gone through therapy after what happened, but I went from losing my mom, to my Awakening, to bringing down Maurice’s lair, to having to train daily to be this vampire hunter that I was destined to be. I couldn’t mourn like ordinary people. There was nothing I could even do to heal my mind. I had to live in a fucking nightmare, no matter how hard it was for me.

Mercy doesn’t get a choice.

“This might be harder than I thought,” I admitted as he gestured for me to enter the room.

He looked at the cracked-open door and back at me. “I can see if the break room is available.”

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