“Yes. Don’t look in their eyes. Guard your thoughts.” Tessa frowned when she heard a growl. A quick glance showed that Bailey had shape-shifted. It was the first time Tessa had seen the girl in panther form. It was, she thought, an awesome—scary—sight.
It didn’t seem to intimidate the vampires, who prowled back and forth in front of the doorway.
And then Andrei was there. Like a cleansing whirlwind, he broke the necks of the vampires before they knew what hit them. A moment later, Luke came thundering up the stairs, stake in hand. Face set, he drove the stake into the heart of the nearest vampire.
Tessa swallowed the bile rising in her throat. “Is that really necessary?”
“Broken necks aren’t fatal,” Luke said, his voice grim as he quickly dispatched the other two. There was surprisingly little blood as he struck the final, mortal blows. “It just slows them down.”
A white-faced Jileen edged around the doorjamb into the living room. “I think I’m going to be sick,” she murmured, and ran toward the bathroom.
Ignoring everyone else, Andrei knelt beside Tessa. “Are you all right?”
Gingerly, she massaged her shoulder. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“What’s wrong with your arm?”
“The door hit me.”
If it had been her head . . . He clenched his hands. Damn Katerina! She was behind this. He had caught her scent on one of the vampires. “Tessa, did any of those fledglings bite you?”
“No.”
“Have any others?”
She shook her head.
Andrei grunted softly. It was possible she could have been bitten without knowing it. Katerina could have taken her unawares, hypnotized her, and wiped the memory from her mind. But if anything like that had happened, he would have detected Katerina’s scent on Tessa’s clothing or skin.
What if he’d been wrong in his thinking? Tessa’s blood had a certain zing to it. Madame Murga had said it would make new vampires stronger. But what if she had lied? What if the opposite was true? What if it destroyed them and the lie had cost the gypsy her life?
“Andrei?”
“I’d best have a look at your shoulder.” He lifted the sleeve of her shirt. The skin wasn’t broken, but her arm was badly bruised from her shoulder to her elbow. By tomorrow, it would be a lovely shade of black and blue. Lifting her in his arms, he held her close for a moment before carrying her to the sofa.
“I can walk, you know. It’s my shoulder that’s hurt, not my leg.”
“Be quiet, love. I like holding you. Bailey, get some ice for Tessa’s arm. Luke, get in here and guard the door while I dispose of the bodies.”
With a growl, Bailey grabbed her towel in her teeth and padded behind the sofa. She emerged a moment later with the towel wrapped around her.
Andrei picked up the door and set it in place. “I won’t be gone long. We’ll fix the door when I get back.”
* * *
It took a while for the three of them to settle down after everything that had happened.
Bailey decided she would sleep on the sofa so Jilly and Luke could have the bed. And some privacy.
Tessa and Jilly went into the kitchen. Luke remained in the living room, keeping an eye on the damaged front door.
“Remember when life was boring?” Jilly asked, pouring herself another cup of coffee. “Remember when we didn’t know vampires existed?”
“Seems like a long time ago,” Tessa murmured. “I wish Andrei would get back here.”
“I’m sure he’s fine. You really do love him, don’t you?” Jilly’s voice held a note of wonder. “Even though he’s, you know, not human?”
“Yeah, I really do.”
“Assuming there comes a day when the vampire problem is resolved, do you see the two of you getting married? Settling down? What about kids? He probably can’t have any, can he?”
“I don’t have answers to any of your questions, Jilly. All I know is that I can’t imagine my life without him.”
Jilly shook her head. “You’ve got it bad, girlfriend. You’re not going to do anything stupid, are you? I mean, you wouldn’t let him turn you? Tell me you wouldn’t.”
Tessa stared into her cup.
“Tessa?”
“He suggested it earlier tonight. He said if I was a vampire, the fledglings would probably stop coming after me.”
“Probably?”
“Well, there are no guarantees in life, you know,” Tessa said, repeating what Andrei had said earlier.
“So you are thinking about it?”
“Sort of,” Tessa said, choosing her words carefully. “I mean, it just seems like the easiest solution to everything.”