Hunting the Dark (35 page)

His expression was pained. ‘Does just saying the word “sister” sound as weird to you as it does to me?’

I laughed with relief. ‘Always. How’s it going?’

‘It’s  . . . different.’

I poked him in the chest. ‘
Different?
That’s all you have to say about your fairy-tale family reunion?’

‘Honestly? It’s probably about as much of a fairy tale as yours is, living back here.’ He gave me a wicked grin. ‘But we can make it work. I want to help her, and she has nobody else.’

‘You
will
make it work,’ I said, thinking about Sinéad. I still hadn’t figured out how I was going to tell her the truth. About me, I mean. ‘We both will.’

All in good time
.

He offered me his hand and led me to the door. A hand I was more than happy to accept. A new future was slowly taking shape in my heart. I guess you just can’t take the optimism out of the girl, even after everything that had happened to me. I smiled to myself as I thought about
silver
linings. And second chances.

‘You look pretty,’ he said.

‘So do you,’ I replied, sounding like a total moron.

His lips quirked. ‘Pretty? Well, shucks. Thanks. I think.’

I rolled my eyes and the spell was broken. ‘I mean, you look good.’ His smile widened into something over-confident. Time for some revenge: ‘Good enough to
eat
.’

His grin faltered, but there was still a twinkle in his eyes. ‘Really? Maybe we’ll see about that later.’

My mouth watered. Jesus, I was pathetic. But something had changed since I’d fed from him. I felt the shift between us, and I wondered if he did too. I mean, he definitely felt it while we were escaping from the Facility, but maybe the effects had worn off by now. I hoped not. I liked feeling closer to him.

And talking of feeling closer  . . . ‘Wait a minute,’ I said. ‘I have something for you.’

‘Gifts already?’ His tone said he was joking, but I could tell by his eyes that he was pleased. ‘Hey, sorry. I didn’t bring you anything.’

Yes, you did, I thought. You brought yourself. ‘It’s cool,’ I said. ‘Don’t worry, I didn’t buy it or anything.’

‘You
stole
it?’ He grinned. ‘This date is starting out great. I’m not sure we’ll be able to keep the level up, you know?’

‘Oh, I’m sure we’ll manage.’

I was flirting with him! Actually flirting, and it felt good. And I felt so truly happy I thought I might explode. Now I had to go and ruin it all with the so-called gift, but I figured it was long past time I gave it to him.

‘Here,’ I said, placing the framed photograph in his hands. ‘Don’t drop it.’ I felt sick with anxiety, because of course it was the picture I’d taken from Quinn’s files. The Murdoch family all together, including Hope as a rather large baby bump.

Jace tensed, staring at the image for what seemed an eternity.

‘Is it OK?’ I asked. He’d gone so pale I was genuinely starting to panic. ‘I’m sorry if I did the wrong thing. I should have told you about it before now, but you know how crazy things were and I was just afraid that you’d be angry. I thought you might like it too, but then I got scared and  . . .’

My voice trailed off as he turned away from me, gently placing the frame on the bed. His shoulders were tight, and for a horrible moment I thought he was crying. But then he looked at me again, and although his eyes were undeniably shiny, he was smiling.
Oh, thank God
.

He put his arms around me, holding me so tight it almost hurt. Not that I cared. ‘Foolish woman,’ he said, with a slight catch in his voice. ‘How could you think I wouldn’t like
that
?’

‘I don’t know.’ I snuggled against him.

‘Thank you.’

‘You’re welcome. I’m just relieved that I didn’t mess everything up.’

Jace pulled back, still holding my shoulders. ‘That is honestly the best gift anyone has ever given me. I can’t wait to show Hope.’

‘What’s she doing tonight?’ I didn’t really want to talk about her anymore, but I figured I’d better ask.

‘Right now, she’s working her way through the entire
Buffy
box set you let her borrow.’ He grinned. ‘I’d say she’s doing well enough.’

I rolled my eyes. Why had I done a stupid thing like that? I didn’t want to give her any fancy vampire-slaying ideas.

Jace followed me downstairs. I touched the framed photo of Mom and Dad on my way to the front door and tried to remember that my father had, once upon a time, been a better man. His dedicated service to the people of Boston: almost thirty years on the job with the BPD, wasn’t an easy thing to ignore. From everything I’d heard at last week’s funeral, he’d been a good cop – at least until the drink began to take over. He had adored our mother. ‘Love’ was too small a word for how he’d felt about her, the way he’d treated her like a princess every day they were together. He had taken care of us
all
for many years, and even after Mom’s death he had continued to shower my oh-so-wise baby sister with love.

That had to count for something. Maybe even a lot.

We hovered in the hallway as Oscar danced at our feet, making me laugh.

‘I think you’re wanted over there,’ Jace said, nodding in the direction of the kitchen, where I could clearly see Caitlín making a horrifically indiscreet double-thumbs up in our direction. She was also winking and grinning like a maniac. Oh, and mouthing,
Holy-crap-he’s-smoking-hot
, but by then I’d lost the will to live.

I buried my face in my hands and hoped that I’d imagined the whole thing. I could only be grateful that Sinéad was out on a date of her own – she’d had a boyfriend for several months, and I hadn’t even known.

Jace chuckled as we left the house. He was enjoying this way too much. Well, let him have his fun; I’d get him back later.

He opened the passenger door for me. ‘My lady,’ he said, sweeping me a low bow.

I grinned. ‘Shut up.’

‘You love it,’ he said. ‘Don’t even pretend that you don’t.’

‘I could probably rip the whole door off its hinges without breaking a sweat. It sort of ruins the whole illusion of being a “lady”,’ I muttered, not meeting his eyes.

‘I dunno,’ Jace said, as we pulled away from my new/old home. ‘I think it’s sexy.’

‘That I’m stronger than you?’ I raised my eyebrows, challenging him.

‘Sure,’ he said easily. ‘I love strong women.’

I chewed that over for a moment. ‘You think I’m strong?’

He glanced over at me, before putting his eyes back on the road. ‘Marie,’ he said, ‘you’re the strongest person I know.’

I allowed myself a small smile, reveling in the sound of my true name on his lips. Somehow it was OK that he should call me that now.

‘Yeah,’ I said, ‘I guess I am.’

‘In all ways,’ he continued. ‘In every way that counts.’

‘I know,’ I said. And I really
did
know. For the first time in a very long time, I believed in my own strength. Not just in the physical strength that my vampirism gave me, but in my inner strength. The determination to do what was right, no matter how hard it often was. The strength to endure. An image of Theo jumped into my mind and my throat tightened, but I didn’t let that spoil my happiness. He’d be OK. We both would.

And anyway, this moment was
mine
. I was on a date! A real, actual date. I wanted to enjoy it.

Jace flashed me a quick smile. ‘Now quit digging for compliments and let’s get this show on the road.’

‘Where are we going?’ I asked, not really expecting him to tell me. It was supposed to be a surprise; he’d been very definite about that. ‘Any clues?’

But once again Jace surprised me. ‘Wherever you want to go,’ he said, a quiet sort of satisfaction in his voice.

‘I thought you were deciding for us.’

‘It’s a man’s prerogative to change his mind,’ he replied. ‘Now, go on. Choose. Where do you want to go?’

‘Anywhere?’

‘Anywhere at all.’ He paused. ‘Well, so long as it’s in Boston.’

I laughed and rested my head back against the seat, suddenly filled with a wild sort of excitement that made me remember what it was to be human. Who needed a cure?

Anywhere I wanted to go
, Jace had said. I thought about that, allowing the idea to sink into my bones. Being able to choose my own destiny would be  . . . nice. Maybe I could get used to it. I may not be able to change what I am, but I can certainly change what I become. Moths are experts when it comes to transformation, after all.

And life is for living, even when you’re not exactly alive.

Karen Mahoney
has been a professional Tarot reader, a college counsellor, a dating agency consultant, and bookseller and a webmistress. She is now a full-time writer and her first novel,
The Iron Witch
, was published in 2011. She has a highly trafficked blog where she talks about everything from writing books to her lifelong love of Wonder Woman.

Visit Karen online at
www.kazmahoney.com

The Iron Witch
The Wood Queen

The Stone Demon

Moth
Falling to Ash

HUNTING THE DARK
AN RHCP DIGITAL EBOOK 978 1 446 48020 5

Published in Great Britain by RHCP Digital,
an imprint of Random House Children’s Publishers UK
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This ebook edition published 2015

Copyright © Karen Mahoney, 2015

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