Page 70 of Halfblood Deceived

“Oi! I am plenty smart!” Gabby protested.

Mari arched a brow at her. “You are, but you suffer from the same stab-first-think-later condition these idiotic males have. So Luce has the advantage here.”

Luce lifted her chin, smiling smugly.

“We still need to have a conversation,” Kamilla said to Zeydan.

Zeydan dipped his chin. “We do indeed.”

“Who wants strawberry-sheep blood ice cream?” Sebastian asked.

“Me!” Luce cried, brown eyes bright with delight.

“I would love some as well, please,” Gabby said.

Sebastian smiled at her. “As much as you like.”

“Sebastian is truly a culinary genius,” Kamilla commented with mock innocence.

Kerian rolled his eyes at his sister. “He’s a show-off.”

“I have plenty of admirable attributes to show off,” Sebastian said as he extracted a container from the fridge.

Evan nodded his agreement.

Kerian faked a gag.

Aylana rolled her eyes, but she was grinning.

The previous tension melted away.

Aylana leaned closer to Kamilla to ask her something. Andreas and Mari were holding a scowling duel. Lex wrapped his arm around Gabby’s shoulders and kissed the corner of her mouth until she giggled. Evan tickled Luce’s ear with the end of her braid.

And Aella couldn’t take the sight anymore. The evidence of what the gargoyles destroyed in the name of God. Innocent children and pregnant females. Fathers and brothers. Friends who liked to pretend they disliked each other but were willing to die for the other—like Aella was sure Mari and Andreas did. Families.

Acidic guilt churned in her stomach. Maybe she should tell them where to find the church. What if she didn’t, and they killed yet another family? It would be her fault, no? But knowing the way the gargoyles operated, since Isaiah and Aella were considered traitors, they must have moved already, so there was no point, was there?

Aella was going to end up vomiting if she stayed much longer.

She bit her lip to keep the burning sensation in her eyes at bay and stood on thankfully firmer legs. “I, um, is it alright if I go back to my room?” She asked Kamilla. The vampiress’ brow rose. “I mean, the room I was in.”

Kamilla blinked, clearly confused. “You don’t need to ask for my permission or anyone else’s, Aella. And that is your room for as long as you want it.”

Aella nodded, even as she felt another stab of guilt cut through her chest. She didn’t deserve their hospitality, no matter what they said.

She made her way out of the kitchen, feeling a familiar intent look on the back of her neck, but not turning to face it.

A young woman—not much older than Aella—trimmed flowers and filled a vase that rested on a table near the entrance of a massive sitting room with plush sofas and several bookcases. She was wearing white clothes and listening to a loud rock song with her purple earbuds. Feeling Aella’s nosy gaze, she offered a kind smile.

Aella tried to return it but knew she’d failed.

There were no bite marks on the woman’s neck, no fear in her eyes. She was just an employee, not a blood slave, which was yet another contradiction to what Aella had believed was true about all vampires.

Hands shaking and nausea rising, Aella went up the stairs as fast as her still rubbery legs could take her. Her knees gave out halfway, and she dropped on her butt on the hard marble, her lungs tight, and her breathing jagged. Vision blurry, she struggled to breathe, but it was a futile attempt.

A large palm settled between her shoulder blades. She couldn’t see him with her eyes so full of tears, but her body knew his essence. Something that should be impossible because they didn’t really know each other, but she didn’t have space in her cottony head to give it much thought.

“Place your head between your legs,” Zeydan instructed, voice gentle but distant through the ringing in Aella’s ears.

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