Love Your Entity(41)
“But you and Damon are a couple. He said he’s a vampire. You said you’re a witch.”
“I’m a good witch. I don’t worship the devil or anything.”
“Maybe a vampire bond doesn’t apply to you because you’re a witch. I can’t believe I’m even talking to you like this,” Sierra muttered.
“Is it really so strange? You already have paranormal abilities. You see ghosts.”
“I don’t just see them, I communicate with them.”
“How?”
“They talk to me. Whether I want them to or not.”
“Given that, are you surprised that witches and vampires exist?” Zoe said.
“Hell, yes!” Sierra answered emphatically.
“Okay then. Just breathe. There’s no need to panic.”
“Of course there’s a need to panic. I just bonded with Ronan and now I can’t leave him.”
“You two had sex?”
“No. Having sex would break the bond between us.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Zoe said. “Maybe you should ask Damon about this.”
“No way. I am not going to talk about sex with him.”
“Okay, then I will.”
“No.”
“Maybe there’s nothing to it.”
“Oh, there’s something to it all right. One of the ghosts went all poltergeist and made the large mirror in the foyer fall off the wall and fly toward me. Well, it would have if Ronan hadn’t stepped in front of me. The glass shattered and cut his arm. I didn’t realize I was cut as well, although not as badly as Ronan, until a drop of my blood blended with his. That’s what did it. Now I am totally hot for Ronan. He kisses me and I want to strip him bare and … well, you know.”
“You want to do what your heroine Nicki did to the hero in your last book?”
“Yeah, that and more.”
Zoe shared a knowing look with her before reaching into her back pocket for her phone.
“Who are you calling?” Sierra demanded.
“Pat. If anyone would have info on vampire bonds, it would be him.”
“Because he has an interest in history?”
“Because he’s a vampire who has an interest in history.”
Pat showed up a second later with another man, more heavyset, by his side.
“I’m Bruce,” the man said. “It’s so exciting to meet you. I’ve been saying we need more artists and writers here in Vamptown.”
“Vamptown?”
Bruce looked at Zoe. “I thought you said she knew about vampires.”
“Why are we all talking outside? It’s freezing,” Pat said.
“Sierra doesn’t want the ghosts eavesdropping on our conversation,” Zoe said.
“So the house is haunted.” Bruce just about jumped for joy. “I told you so,” he said to Pat.
“Have you heard of something called a vampire bond?” Zoe asked Pat.
“You see ghosts?” Pat asked Sierra.
She nodded. “And hear them and talk to them too.”
“Then you are a powerful entity empath,” Pat said. “If so much as a drop of your blood merges with a vampire’s—”
“With Ronan’s in this case,” Sierra said.
“Then you are bonded with him. You must stay near him. It’s like you are compelled to do so.”
“What else am I compelled to do?” Sierra demanded. “Whatever he wants?”
“No. You won’t want to leave him and you will feel a powerful attraction to him.”
Sierra had already been attracted to him before this blood stuff had come up. She knew from the two kisses they’d exchanged since then that things were now basically on fire.
She couldn’t believe she was standing here talking to vampires and a witch about all this, but she had to get answers.
“What about lies? Can I tell when Ronan is lying to me?” Sierra asked.
Pat nodded. “While you are bonded with him, yes.”
“How can the bond be broken?” she asked Pat.
“Once you have sex with Ronan, the bond is broken,” Pat said.
“There’s no other way?”
Pat shook his head.
“How can you be sure?”
“I’ve been a vampire for over four hundred years,” Pat said dryly. “I’ve learned a few things along the way.”
“Wait a second. When I met you and we talked at the cupcake shop, you talked about Chicago history. Were you here for that? The Chicago Fire? The Roaring Twenties? Prohibition?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know Hal Bergerstock when he ran this place?”
“I knew of him.”
“He’s haunting the place now.”