Blood and Buttercups (A Vampire’s Guide to Gardening #1)

Chapter 22

22

“You mean that metaphorically , right?” I say. “Or should we refer to you as Your Highness?”

Cassian’s eyes crinkle in the corners. “I wouldn’t object, but it’s not necessary.”

Noah makes a low noise, a mix between a scoff and a growl.

I sit primly in my seat, taking all this in. “Explain how this works. You’re the high authority? That’s why people disappear around you? You decide they shouldn’t exist, so you make them…not…exist?”

“I see you’ve been talking about me,” Cassian says to Noah.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” Noah retorts.

I think it’s already a little late for that.

Cassian turns back to me. “The people you’re referring to are criminals, and I deal with them, yes. But if it makes you feel better, I don’t kill them unless they attack me first.”

“And…they do?”

“The rogue ones are almost never on meds,” Noah says. “They’re all a little unstable.”

“It’s a fun kingdom you rule, Your Royal Vampireship,” Max says. “I would just like to know one thing.”

“What’s that?” Cassian graciously allows.

“Do you sparkle?”

I nearly choke on my coffee. “ Max. ”

The backdoor slams, drawing our attention away from Cassian.

“Oh, my freaking heck,” Olivia cries. “There’s crime scene tape. Crime scene tape . On your porch. Your porch! ”

My best friend walks in like she owns the place, looking beyond frazzled. Her strawberry blonde hair is up in a messy bun, and she’s wearing hot pink jogging shorts, leopard flip-flops, and a shirt with paint stains on it.

It’s obviously laundry day tomorrow, and Max didn’t warn her this party included a wicked hot vampire prince.

Olivia comes to an abrupt stop when she spots Cassian, her mouth slowly falling open. She blinks at him, stunned, and then whips her attention to me and widens her eyes.

Who is that? she silently demands.

Cassian rises, crossing the room to greet her. “Hello. I’m Cassian Chevalier, a friend of Noah’s.”

Her lips part as she stares at him, and then she visibly shakes herself out of her stupor. “I’m Olivia, a friend of Piper’s.” She drops her voice. “Are you a conservator, too?”

“Not officially, but I am watching over Piper for now.”

Olivia shoots me a glance, a smirk toying at her lips. “Quick, bite me. I want to join the pre-vamp club.”

“Piper can’t pass the disease.” Cassian smoothly takes her hand and brings it to his lips. “But I can.”

She gasps, wide-eyed, as he brushes a kiss to her knuckles.

“If you bite her, I’ll stake you,” I warn him.

Cassian smiles, amused at the absurd idea.

“You’re a vampire?” Olivia breathes. “Like, a real one? Final stage? Destined to walk the night, can’t eat vegetables, turns-into-a-bat vampire? ”

I close my eyes. “Olivia.”

“I’m not a shifter, I’m afraid,” he answers. “Though wings would be convenient, I admit.”

If it’s possible, her eyes go even wider. “Are there shifters?”

“No,” he chuckles.

“So you”—she drops her voice—“have fangs ?”

Cassian is enjoying himself far too much. “When it suits me.”

She presses her lips together, looking like she’s trapping in a giggle. When she contains it, she whispers, “Can I see them?”

“Olivia!” I exclaim.

“Perhaps we’ll have a private viewing at a later date,” Cassian says with a raise of his brows, dropping her hand.

“Can we get back to Ethan?” I ask, frustrated. “So you want to go after him—fine. How do you plan to go about that?”

“How old are you?” Olivia asks.

“I was born in 1784 in France but spent much of my youth in Hungary. It was there I was infected, and there I stayed for many years. At fifty-four, I immigrated to England and eventually came to America, where I’ve lived for over a hundred years.”

That explains his strange accent.

“So, you’re not from Transylvania?” Olivia asks, enthralled with the vampire.

“Interestingly, that is the region of Hungary I was referring to. It now belongs to Romania.”

She brings her hand to her mouth. “Were you bitten by Dracula?”

This is getting ridiculous.

“Dracula from Bram Stoker’s novel is a fictional character and did not exist. The inspiration for him, however…” Cassian shrugs.

“Were you the inspiration?”

Cassian chuckles. “I was not.”

“Can we please focus?” I ask, growing desperate. “Either that, or all of you go home because it’s been a really long day.”

Cassian turns toward me, frowning. “Maybe we should call it a night.”

Max nods. “It is getting late. You can stay with me for a few days, Piper, until we take Ethan down.”

“We? You’re here for emotional support, not to wield a stake.”

“You need training before you can go after vampires,” Noah agrees. “We do need a few more conservators, though, so if you’re interested in coming to work for NIHA, let me know, and I’ll get you an application.”

“How’s the pay?” Max asks. “And are there any benefits?”

“We have great healthcare?—”

“He’s already a mechanic,” I say, cutting this off before it can go too far.

“Only because I didn’t know vampire hunter was an option,” Max argues. “Come on now. You guys really should put up a booth at the career fairs.”

Unfortunately, I can visualize Noah and Cassian in black suits, handing out NIHA recruitment pamphlets. A white vinyl sign hanging from the table would read, “Have you considered a career in vampire hunting?” Their booth would be packed, but ninety percent of the potential recruits would be women.

I laugh to myself as I visualize it, and I must sound a little unhinged because everyone in the room turns their eyes on me, and they all look slightly concerned.

“Please go home,” I plead, tears stinging my eyes again, my mood swinging like a teenager’s. “I’m exhausted.”

“You can’t stay here by yourself,” Max says. “Go pack some things, and then I’ll drive you back to my place.”

Olivia’s eyes cut to mine, and she raises her brows, asking me when I’m going to tell him.

“Noah’s renting a room from me,” I say blandly, deciding to just go for it. “So I’m not alone.”

Max stares at me for several seconds, and then his expression becomes suspicious. “Like, he’s staying in your room?”

“You’re one to talk,” I snap. “And no. He’s staying in the guest room on the second floor.”

Max shoots Noah a look, apparently not believing it’s an up-and-up agreement. “How much are you charging him?”

“A thousand a month.”

My brother’s face lights like a greedy raccoon’s, and he says to Noah, “I have a spare room. Do you want to rent it instead? My TV is bigger, and I won’t try to feed you rabbit food.”

“Stop trying to steal my boarder,” I snap.

“Mom and Dad are going to freak out.”

“Not if you don’t tell them. Besides, I’m twenty-eight years old.”

“Like they care how old you are.”

“If you tell them, I’ll bite you.”

He grins. “We already know you’re not contagious.”

I snap my teeth at him, making him laugh, and then he walks to the front door before he remembers he can’t go out that way. “Oh, right.”

“Bye, Max,” I say. “Be careful driving home.”

He walks toward the back, and then he turns around and points at Noah. “If anything happens to her, I’m blaming you.”

Noah nods solemnly.

“I should probably go, too,” Olivia says with a disappointed sigh. She hugs me tightly, her skin so warm it feels like she has a fever. When she pulls back, she frowns. “You’re freezing.”

“It’s normal.” I wrinkle my nose. “It’s probably how the dead myth started.”

She gives me a sympathetic squeeze. “I’m glad you’re all right. Keep me posted, okay?”

“I will.”

“Bye, Noah,” she says, and then she gives the vampire a flirty wave. “Bye, Cassian .”

He slides his hands into his pockets, offering her a smile I don’t trust. “Shall I follow you out?”

She puts on her best damsel-in-distress look. “It might be safer…”

“Be good,” I mouth at her, widening my eyes so she knows I mean it.

She laughs and heads down the hall.

“I’ll be back in the morning,” Cassian promises me, and then he hands me a business card. “Call if you need me.”

The door opens, Olivia giggles at something Cassian says, and then Noah and I are alone.

Finally.

“Long day, huh?” the hunter says, looking a little uncomfortable.

“Thank you for not trading me for a car.”

“I’m more of a Ferrari kind of guy.” He smiles a little. “Are we okay?”

The question flummoxes me. “Why wouldn’t we be?”

“I killed a man on your front porch.”

“In self-defense. After he shot you.”

Noah nods, watching me. “I know, but…”

“I have to admit, in the beginning, I was having trouble accepting how normal everyone made this vampire stuff out to be. But now I’m starting to question if it’s just an illness. Maybe the books and movies aren’t that far off. It’s almost like the police department doesn’t want to get involved.”

“When it comes to vampires, there are a lot of politics. That’s why NIHA was formed in the first place. To put it simply, we exist so the government doesn’t have to get involved.”

“What is Cassian, exactly? You joked about him being a prince, but is he actually vampire royalty?”

“He’s the head of his line, so yes, he really is. He has a place on the council and was nominated for the position of archduke. He turned it down, however, as he doesn’t want to move to Bucharest.”

“So like, in vampire pecking order, I’m on the bottom tier.”

“Just a baby vampire larva.”

“Okay, we need to retire that. It’s starting to freak me out now.”

Noah laughs.

“If Cassian is so high and mighty, why does he care about me?”

“I imagine he feels responsible since you were infected by a vampire from his line. And I think he’s hoping that if he follows the line back far enough, he might find someone he’s been tracking for a very long time.”

“Like a vampire?”

“Yes, but it’s not my story to tell. He smelled her on you, though, just as he smelled himself.”

“Yep, that’s freaky. So, in vampire terms, she’s like my distant grandma now?”

Noah chuckles, nodding.

I drop my voice a little. “Is he in love with her?”

“He’s never told me.” He exhales. “Though they certainly have different views on vampire production. I swear she’s created a small army.”

I shudder at the idea of it.

“What is it?” he asks.

“I know it’s hypocritical, but final-stage vampires are just so disturbing. I might be able to get past the prescription blood, but the fangs? The lines, strange politics, and madness? It’s unsettling.”

“I suppose I don’t have to worry about you falling for Cassian.” Though Noah says the words lightly, his tone is strange.

“Olivia is the only one to worry about.” I yawn. “I’m exhausted. I think it’s time I head to bed.”

“I’m going to check the door and window locks. I’ll be up after a while.”

“Thank you for protecting me today.” I want to hug him, but I wrap my arms around myself instead. “Truly.”

He pauses on his way to the front door, looking back. His eyes search my face, and his smile makes my heart skitter. “I’ll always protect you, Piper.”

Always is a long time. Hopefully they catch Ethan soon.