DAVY
Davy realized she had cloaked their entire group the first time they ran into a Mori. It was unexpected, and none of them realized the other vampire was there until they stepped around a tree. The Mori was right there, in the middle of a path. Davy froze while the others drew their weapons. The humans were behind them so they didn’t know what was going on, but as soon as Davy thought about casting a spell, it didn’t matter.
The Mori never reacted.
Wearing a dark brown robe, the hood was pulled over its head. Davy couldn’t sense if it was female or male. Its back was to them, but they bent down and picked up a flower. It turned halfway to them, and they watched as she sniffed the yellow flower.
There was still no reaction.
“We’re cloaked.” Tracey put her sword away and turned to Davy. “Have we been cloaked the whole time?”
“Um . . .”
Gavin twisted to her, too. He raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know?”
“I remember wanting to protect all of us and I thought as we left the river that I wanted us to be invisible, but I didn’t know I actually cast a spell.”
Tracey moved closer. “There’s five of us. My sister had a hard time cloaking one individual and she could only keep it up for a few moments.” Fear, wonder, and another emotion, one that Davy didn’t like seeing and one she didn’t want to identify, flashed in the vampiress’s eyes. “We’ve been traveling for days.”
“Are you going to wear yourself out?”
Davy stepped back. The question was almost hurled at her from Gavin. She shook her head and held up her hands. “I didn’t even realize I was doing it. I . . .” She couldn’t keep them in the dark anymore. They had to know what danger they were walking into with her. “I’m not in control of my powers.”
“I thought they were coming back just fine.”
That was what she had told Gavin earlier when she relayed The Immortal’s wish to take over. Once that slipped out, Davy instantly regretted revealing that truth. They looked at her like she was an atomic bomb waiting go to go off, one she couldn’t diffuse herself. She lied after that. She made it sound like she was in control, that she could hold off The Immortal, that there was nothing to be worried about.
“Did you lie to us?”
Davy nodded, waiting for Gavin’s response.
What she got was instant anger. It slammed to his surface and she felt it, stepping back from reflex. But, balling her hands into fists, she stopped herself from taking another step. He had reason to be upset. They all did. She hung her head. “I’m sorry. I—”
“So what.”
The three looked over. Gregory had joined the conversation. His plump lips pressed together, and he was putting his own sword away, too. He added, swinging his head to look at both vampires, “There’s nothing you can do about it. The only choice you have is not to travel with her.”
“You’ve known?” Gavin’s tone was accusing.
Gregory didn’t answer, not at first. A beat of silence passed before he nodded. “I did.”
“When?”
“Since a day after she woke up in the cave.”
Tracey went rigid. She resembled a warrior statue, made in stone while Gavin’s nostrils flared. He hissed, “Are you kidding me?”
Gregory was unmoving. “She didn’t even have powers at that time.”
Davy gulped as the others looked at her. She turned away. She didn’t want to see the shock and outrage. She didn’t want to see the disappointment.
Gregory said further, “She’s got her powers back, but we can’t act surprised. We all heard her screaming. Who knows what Lucan’s witches did to her.”
Davy still couldn’t bring herself to turn to them. She cared, more than she should’ve—perhaps, but they would be the first affirmation that she was different. She couldn’t see that look in their eyes . . . like she was less than human . . . like she wasn’t human at all.
“Uh . . .” Cough. “Dudes . . .”
Hearing Spencer’s voice, a rush of relief went through her. These were the humans she had pulled to her, because she wished for them, because she needed a reminder of how to be a human. Spencer just fulfilled that desire for her and her lips twitched, forming a grin.
He went on to say, “So we don’t hear you guys, but there’s a monk smelling a flower dead ahead of us. Should we, be like, doing something about the dude?”
“I think that’s a girl.” Cal shuffled forward and craned his head, looking around them. “Yep. She’s a girl.”
“Yeah?” Spencer’s excitement was obvious. “Is she hot?”