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147 Ava: A Vampire’s Goodwill (1)

147 Ava: A Vampire’s Goodwill (1)

The familiar voice comes from behind us. Spinning around, I find Sister Miriam standing in the doorway, exactly as I remember her. Pale skin. Dark hair that seems to swallow light instead of reflecting it. Eerie red eyes that seem to glow in the soft light of the

room.

It occurs to me that the curtains are all wide open, letting natural light into this space. And she visited during the day when we first met.

I really need to learn more about vampires. My lack of knowledge might get me killed.

“How did we get here?” I ask, hating the slight tremor in my words.

It isn’t every day that you open your eyes and realize you’ve been magicked to another place.

Sister Miriam smiles, but there’s something unsettling about the expression. It doesn’t quite reach her eyes. I remember, now, how her face doesn’t really move with her smiles. “You called for me, did you not?”

147 Ava A Vampire’s Goodwill (1)

Each graceful step brings her closer, and I step back, bumping against the warmth of Selene’s body. At least I’m not alone.

It’s almost as if she’s gliding rather than walking.

“I must say, I’m impressed. Not many have the ability to reach me in such a way.”

My brows come together in confusion. “I don’t understand. I just lit the candle and thought of you, like you said.”

“It takes more than just a candle and a thought, child. There must be power behind it. Power that you clearly possess.”

She moves closer to me, and I fight the urge to take another step back. There’s something about her presence that both terrifies and intrigues me. “What do you want from me?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

Sister Miriam tilts her head to the side, studying me with those unnerving eyes. “The question is, what do you want from me? You called for me, after all. There must be a reason.”

Itaka a doan broath truingt

la Ave & Vamps Goodwi

sent a letter to the Westwood pack, warning me about danger.”

“That danger is now passed.” She looks me over, the gesture more dismissive than anything else. “You seem to have made it out in one piece. There’s no need to

call me.”

try to save me?”

grace. At other times, it’s like she’s a robot with

look unnatural.

reason to do a good deed,

not sure how to respond. Of course there doesn’t need to be a reason, and yet it feels like

our current situation. Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh

Shit.

Yeah, he is.

the candle still

fire

Vampire’s Goodwill (1)

general direction. “Come. It

clocks in the room, all showing different times. I reach

Nope.

No phone.

alive if I had kept my phone on me like a normal person. Instead, I can clearly picture it… on my kitchen table, where it

going to microchip you at

dinner, even if it should only be lunch

you know I was coming today?”

she had the unusual ability to

says, leading us

a long oak table

filled only

count shows twenty chairs along the sides of

A Vampire’s

the table.

sneezing hard. Old blood, she murmurs. It always

Miriam pulls a chair out at the fair end of the table, motioning toward it.

sitting seems rude. Even so, sitting just seems…

I didn’t come

“Don’t worry. No one will harm you

it, looking incongruous as a dog at a fancy

even

for me to park my butt into the

selected.

it as requested, tracking the strange woman as she crosses to the other

moment she settles into her seat, the double doors at the far end of the room swing

18:12

5/8

Ava: A Vampire’s Goodwill (1)

covered platter, the scent of food wafting through

air.

were woefully unprepared for such esteemed guests,” Sister Miriam announces,

setting an ornate dish before me. “Bon appétit,” they murmur, their

appear, they vanish back through the doors,