Lib Novel Page 5
“Okay, Alex,” I laugh, leaning back on the bar and pretending to flirt with him. “What brings you to the party today?”
“Oh, I am much more interested in learning about you,” he says, his eyes sharp, and I feel a bead of sweat form on my brow. Is he staring at my hairline?
Percy, I send. Do I have pink showing?
No, you’re all clear.
I let out a little breath and take a sip of my drink, desperately trying to hide my nervousness.
When Aris first announced that he planned to start his own paranormal agency, I knew it was my chance to get out of Rosecreek, to break out of the tech role I’d driven myself into. All that was doing was forcing me to be around Byron nonstop. At least out in the field, I can spend as much time outside of Rosecreek as possible.
“What do you want to learn?” I ask, raising my eyebrows suggestively. Getting back into this guy’s room would be the ideal situation, as it may allow me to find some intel.
“Well,” he says, under his breath, “for one, is that your natural hair color?”
“Mr. Juarez!”
“Please, call me Alex.”
“Alex, you must know that is a question you never ask a lady,” I say, eyes flicking to the top of his head and what is clearly a toupee. “In fact, maybe a question you never ask anyone.”
He touches a hand self-consciously to his head, then clears his throat, nodding.
“My apologies,” he says, his face blushing red. “I’ve just always had a special interest in redheads.”
Gross.
“I’ve always had a special interest in men named Alexander,” I murmur, sidling closer to him. His blush grows in intensity. If this is our man, he’s doing an excellent job in hiding his true nature. Surely, the man who’s intimately involved with the recent spike in vampire activity wouldn’t be so shy and unsure of himself.
Abort, comes a panicked message from Veronica. I have to get out of here.
What is it? Percy’s panicked message comes through immediately, and I lock eyes with him.
Do not go to her, I warn, extricating myself from Mr. Juarez and sidling over to Veronica’s side of the room. You’ll blow our cover.
I’m having pains, Veronica sends, her mental link strained, coming through weakly, almost like it would if she was speaking through her teeth. There’s a deep, terrible sense of anticipatory grief and horror in her voice. In my stomach.
Wait outside, I send to Percy without looking at him. I know how badly he wants to come to her side, but we can’t reveal ourselves. Not only will it blow our cover now, the careful work we’ve been doing to blend in at all these parties, but it will also ruin future missions—the ones in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Kansas City.
When I get to Veronica, she’s standing tall, smiling with white teeth at an older gentleman. I reach her side and tug her arm.
“Hey,” I say, hand to my stomach. I mimic her panicked message. “I’m having some pain,” I say, “I think there might be a problem…with the baby.”
The man she was talking to opens his mouth in shock, taking a step back from me, as though he believes a pregnant woman might explode into labor at any moment.
“Oh, no,” she says, and I marvel at how her voice doesn’t betray a single ounce of the pain and worry she’s experiencing. “We’ll have to cut our night early and get you to the doctor. Come on.”
With that, Veronica takes my arm and leads me out of the room, and it’s only when we’re in the car that she collapses into Percy’s arms, tears running down her face.
“It’s okay, it will be okay, love,” he says, whispering into her hair. “We’ll head back right away and have a doctor take a look.”
“There’s no bleeding,” she whispers. “But that could mean nothing.”
I avert my eyes from them, looking out the window and trying to give them some privacy. At the same time, my chest twists for her; I wonder if anyone will ever look at me the way Percy looks at her.
Chapter 3 – Byron
“I just don’t get it, man,” Percy says, laughing and shaking the water from his hands. I grab the mirror from the counter and hold it up, watching as my hair slowly fades back to black. “If we put any more bleach on there, I think your head might melt off.”