LOGIN“What?” My voice came out weaker than I expected.Mortyss did not turn around. He remained with his back to me, his fingers still touching the astronomy trophy.“That morning. In the pocket dimension. You asked me where the real Christopher was, and I dodged the question. I said it was a story for another day.” He took a deep breath. “Today is that day.”“Mortyss…”“I lied to you.” He finally turned. His eyes were violet, the human disguise had vanished. There was something I rarely saw in his expression. Vulnerability. “I said he was on a retreat in Switzerland. Then I said he was in a trance. But he isn’t. He’s dead.”I sat on the edge of the bed, my legs suddenly weak.“Tell me everything.”He leaned against the desk, arms crossed, as if he needed a barrier between us.“I found him years ago. Christopher was twenty-five, had just inherited his grandfather’s fortune, and was on the roof of a building in Brooklyn. He was trying to find a reason not to kill himself. He hated the life
The family dinner arrived before I was ready.Not ready in terms of clothing — the dimension had provided a dark green strapless dress that matched my eyes. Or ready in terms of shoes — the low-heeled sandals were already on my feet, and simple jewelry completed the look, but as expensive as the others.I meant ready emotionally. Jess was still adapting to her new condition, and every minute away from her felt like a betrayal.“You’re dwelling.” Mortyss observed, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt in front of the mirror. He wore a dark gray blazer, his hair combed back, his eyes in the brown disguise. Christopher Rockefeller in his most polished form.“I’m not dwelling.”“Yes, you are. The bond doesn’t lie.” He turned to me. “Is it Jess?”“Of course it is. She’s still getting used to… everything. The blood, the fangs, the hunger. And I’m going to spend the night at a family dinner as if nothing is happening.”“You’re not going to a dinner as if nothing is happening. You’re going to a di
The blood bank’s freezer was unprotected.Humans trusted alarms, security cameras, and electronic locks. Things I could disable with a thought.I crossed the refrigerated storage like a shadow, my violet eyes adjusting to the darkness. The blood bags were organized by type — A positive, B negative, O universal. I took a variety. I didn’t know which would be compatible with Jess’s new palate.While stuffing the bags into a thermal bag that the dimension had provided, I felt Evelyn through the bond.She was quiet.Not the quiet of someone who is calm, but the quiet of someone who is sinking. The guilt was a dark and heavy wave pulsing from her side of the bond, so strong that I could taste it: bitter, metallic, familiar. I knew that taste. I had felt it for centuries after killing the real Christopher.I closed the bag and opened a portal back to Jess’s apartment.Evelyn was leaning against the hallway wall, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the floor. Nox, in his cat form, was curled at her
The Monopoly board sat between us like a battlefield.I had three properties. Mortyss had double that. My money was shrinking with every round, and that damn hotel on Park Place was sucking me dry to the last dollar.Nox watched from the sofa, his black eyes following every move as if it were a tennis match.“You’re going to have to sell Atlantic Avenue.” Mortyss announced, his voice dangerously satisfied. He was leaning back against the cushions, shirtless, the gray sweatpants hanging low on his hips. His tail snaked lazily behind him. “It’s the only way out.”“I’m not selling anything.”“It’s math, Little Star. You don’t have the money to pay the rent.” He pointed out, using the nickname he had given me days ago because of the golden sparkles in my eyes.“Who said I’m going to land on Park Place?”“You’re six spaces away.” He pointed at the board. “The die is right there. The odds are against you.”“To hell with the odds.”I rolled the die. Six.My pawn advanced and stopped exactly
My cell phone vibrated on the dressing room counter while I finished adjusting my lipstick.“Eve!” I answered, putting it on speaker. “Finally! I thought you had been abducted for good by the hot guy in the overcoat.”Evelyn’s laugh sounded on the other end of the line, and I smiled. It had been a few days since we had talked properly. She had been busy being protected from who-knows-what, and I had been busy trying to process the fact that the supernatural existed.“I wasn’t abducted.” She replied. “I’ve just been busy. Training. Surviving. Going to dinners with billionaires.”“Dinners with billionaires? That’s new.”“It was a disaster. I’ll tell you later.” A pause. “But first: the costume.”“THE COSTUME!” I dropped the blush brush and threw myself into the chair. “Tell me everything. All the sordid details. Did he lose it?”“He lost control.”“What?”“Like, eyes glowing, skin changing color. He tried to take the costume off, but I decided I wanted him restrained.”“RESTRAINED? YOU
The café Celeste had chosen was a charming confectionery on the Upper East Side, with small iron tables on the sidewalk and an interior decorated with floral wallpaper and crystal lamps. We arrived at three o’clock sharp, Nox in his cat form nestled in my arms.Celeste was already there, seated at a table near the window. She wore a light blue suit, her silver hair pinned in an elegant bun. When she saw us, she smiled and waved.“Darlings!” She stood up and hugged me. “Evelyn, you look radiant. And Christopher, you look handsome, dear.”“Thank you, Mom.” Mortyss murmured, but there was a reluctant smile on his lips.“And this is the cat!” Celeste stroked Nox, who accepted the affection with a loud purr. “How cute! What’s his name?”“Nox.” I replied.“Nox. What a mysterious name. It suits you both.”We sat down. The waiter appeared immediately, and Celeste ordered the full afternoon tea: sandwiches, scones, apple pie, and a selection of teas that included Darjeeling, Earl Grey and cham
When I returned to the bedroom, there were clothes on the bed.A black lace panties — exactly my size. A matching bra. A black cotton t-shirt, apparently new. A pair of sweatpants that seemed chosen with care. And on the pillow, my cell phone.I picked up the cell phone first.Thirty missed calls.
I woke up with the feeling of having been run over by a truck.No, that was too little. Run over by a truck, then dragged for several blocks, then thrown off a cliff.My entire body ached in a way I had never experienced — a deep pain, rooted in my muscles, in my bones, in places I didn’t even know
She slept.Deeply. Completely. Her swollen lips slightly parted, her breathing slow and steady, her dark lashes resting on cheeks stained with mascara. Her body was limp, surrendered, exhausted in a way that went beyond the physical. I had destroyed her, in the best sense of the word. And seeing her
My body was still shaking from the previous orgasms when Mortyss lifted me off the floor as if I weighed nothing. His hands were firm on my hips, his violet eyes still burning, his chest rising and falling with a breath as heavy as mine. His tail unwrapped from my wrists slowly, as if it regretted h







