Come on! I’m aging here! Max exclaimed.
“Stop being so dramatic,” I grumbled. “I know werebeasts don’t age.”
His claws clicked against the hardwood floor as he rounded the bed. Stopping directly in front of me, he leaned down to prod me with a wet nose. I’m sure Caden’s waiting for you downstairs.
“Ugh … You and your evil dog tricks,” I muttered. But his ploy worked. The thought of seeing Caden ignited my will power. All I had to do was get my broken body up. Shaking my covers off, I threw my arm around Max’s strong neck to pull myself out of bed. Weak-kneed and bleary-eyed, I grabbed a fluffy gray sweater and skinny jeans on my way to the washroom, a brief flicker of satisfaction warming me. I secretly loved having my stylish vampiress dressing me again. As long as it didn’t involve poodles, that is.
Walking the hall toward the foyer, I could see that someone had transformed the place from an exquisite chateau to one decked out for a holiday magazine photo shoot while I slept. Miles of garland trailed the railings, festive wreaths hung artistically from every sconce, topiaries with frosted sugarplums adorned side tables alongside simple yet elegant pillar candles. Steroid-fed white poinsettias rested in bunches of three around the entrance and at the two main hall entrances off of the left and right. Warm scents of apples and cinnamon wafted through the air. It was magical. It was excessive. It was like Christmas threw up on the chateau.
“How in the world …” I began but my words trailed off, in awe. Had I seen any of this last night? No! “How could she have done this in a matter of hours? It’s … she’d need an army! It’s just … impossible!”
Max snorted. Really? You’re still using the word impossible when it involves Sofie?
Unable to wrap my mind around the transformation, I shook my head, wondering if Sofie did in fact have an army—an army of Oompa-Loompas packed away in cupboards, waiting to serve her every whim. It wouldn’t surprise me.
I followed Max through a maze of unexplored decorated hallways until we pushed through a door into a toasty kitchen filled with the delicious scent of gingerbread. Two mature, plump ladies fiddled over a large stove, prattling away in French. They turned to offer me toothy grins, echoing simultaneously, “Bonjour!”
“Uh … bonjour,” I repeated. They nodded and smiled politely at me, and then turned back to their simmering pots. Clearly, a conversation with me wasn’t going to happen.
“Where’s Caden?” I whispered to Max, trying not to make it too obvious that I was talking to a dog.
Before he could answer, Sofie entered from the side door. “You’re awake! Finally!” she sang out with a broad grin. Her mirth was short-lived, though. Her eyes narrowed and her nose wrinkled as if she had spotted a cockroach scurry past.
My face scrunched in alarm. “What?”
She said nothing, her minty irises zeroing in on my face. The hairs on the back of my neck stood as a strange tingling sensation took over my body, like a thousand tiny little fingers pricking my skin, unable to break through.
“What are you doing to me?” I asked, a touch of hysteria in my voice.
The tingling vanished. Sofie smoothed over her face and her typical calm, unreadable expression took over. “You could feel that?”
I nodded.
A tiny twitch of her upper lip was the only reaction. “How are you feeling?” she asked coolly.
“Okay, I guess. My neck is starting to heal,” I gestured to the uncovered bite marks. Sofie strolled over with quick, even strides to inspect them closely. Her mouth curved down in a satisfied expression. “Good. Aside from that, how are you feeling?”
I shrugged. “Tired, I guess. And hungry. Otherwise, I’m okay.”
She peered deep into my eyes. “Are you sure?”
Warning bells went off in my head, another bubble of hysteria rising. “Why shouldn’t I be? What did you do earlier? What’s going on?”
Sofie frowned, shaking her head. “No reason … Just a test,” she answered curtly.
“Were you testing the Tribe’s magic? Is it still there?” A second of excitement churned through me. No more toxic Evie! No more lethal danger to Caden should he slip! No more fragile humanity! The excitement was followed by the plummet of dread. Without the Tribe’s magic, they’d be able to read my emotions. They’d discover my secrets … I was a fish out of water, flopping around, desperately searching for safety.
Another long pause. “Yes, it’s still there, but …” This was so unlike Sofie. Normally her answers were quick and decisive, whether true or not. I waited for the rest of the answer but when none came, I couldn’t help but feel exasperated. “But what? Sofie?”