Now, as a temporary vampire, I felt both elated and terrified. I could operate with extreme ease. Feeling no pain was a definite game changer.
But it made me wonder just how Fluffikins and Connie intended for me to put these new powers to use. Whatever the particulars of this assignment, I assumed they must be quite dangerous.
Instead of returning us to the conference room, Fluffikins took me to a small office in the back corner of the complex.“Wait here,” he instructed, leaving me on my own.
I tiptoed inside and found what looked like an old-fashioned drawing room. The absence of windows and the presence of a busy floral-patterned wallpaper made the room feel much smaller than it otherwise should have. Hand-knitted doilies covered every surface, and a honey-wood curio cabinet proudly displayed a mismatched collection of dainty tea cups and saucers.
Unclear of how long my wait might be, I settled into a tall wingback chair, trying not to upset the doilies that rested over its thick arms.
The door swung open a moment later.
“Tawny? Hi.” Parker offered a shy smile from the doorway. “What are you doing in my office?”
“Your office?” I crossed my legs, settling deeper into the chair. Still I felt no comfort from the plush, overstuffed seat. I felt nothing at all. “I had no idea this was your style.”
Parker chuckled.“I haven’t had a chance to redecorate since taking over the Town Witch post for Lilah. And part of me doesn’t want to do it at all. It’s nice, remembering her.”
“You’ve been avoiding me,” I told him. I’d tried so hard to get his attention this past week, but he’d definitely been avoiding me since our impromptu kiss at the end of my last assignment. I should have been overjoyed to see him now, to get the chance to talk. More than anything, though,I was curious about his sudden change of heart.
He sighed and leaned back against the closed door.“Since our kiss, I know. I’m sorry.”
“Why?” I wanted to know. My foot twitched with impatience as if counting down the seconds to his answer.
Parker closed his eyes and tilted his head toward the ceiling.“I really like you, Tawny, but it’s a lot to ask of someone, to accept all this PTA stuff. Plus, as you’ve seen firsthand, it’s dangerous.”
“I already know all that,” I said, unwilling to let him off the hook.
“You know a little, but there’s so much more, things that you shouldn’t ever have to worry about. It’s all my fault for dragging you in even this deep. I was selfish to bring back your memories. To kiss you.” He winced as if the words caused him physical pain.
“Shouldn’t I have a say in this, too?” I wondered aloud. I also wondered why he was being so dramatic. We’d kissed. Sure, it had felt momentous and earth-shattering at the time, but now? I didn’t know how I felt. Mostly tired of having him run away from me, curious about why he had.
“We can’t have a future,” Parker revealed, concern reflecting in his gray eyes. “Magicks and normies, we don’t mix for a reason.”
There was only one logical conclusion here. We had to put this to the test.“Kiss me again,” I said. “If you feel nothing for me, I’ll let it go. But if there really is something special between us, shouldn’t we at least see it through?”
Parker nodded and licked his lips as I rose from my chair and sauntered over to him. I placed a hand on his arm and brought my face to his—something I’d been longing to do all week.
And now that our big moment had arrived, I felt…
Nothing.
In fact, I’d felt nothing more than an amused curiosity from the moment he stepped into the office. Yes, we’d talked back and forth, and I’d made my argument for why we should be together. But that’s all it was, a logical discussion. No pounding heart or shortness of breath as we drew close. No shivers of excitement from his kiss.
I’d crushed on him hard ever since we first met, but now he seemed little more than a stranger to me—one of billions on this planet. He could have been anyone.
Yes, I knew him, and I knew our history together. But that wasn’t enough.
Parker pulled back and smiled at me, but when he caught the expression on my face, his brow furrowed with worry.“Tawny? What’s wrong?”
I glanced down toward my new breast plate and shook my head.
“What’s that? What are you wearing?” He raised a hand and brought it to rest on my armor.
“Mr. Fluffikins just gave me a new job,” I whispered. “With Connie.”
Parker’s eyes lit with rage. He pushed me to the side and bolted out of the office without so much as a word of explanation.
I didn’t try to stop him, but I did follow—curious more than invested in the outcome.
“You gave her vampire magic?” he shouted after storming into the conference room and finding the sleek black cat sitting across from Connie at the long table.
“Yes. Connie had a job,” he answered with a shrug.
“But you know how dangerous it is! How sometimes the change isn’t temporary!”
“And what’s your point? We needed a temp, and she wanted another assignment. Remember, it’s you who returned her memory after the first one. We could have all moved on with our lives by now if you hadn’t interfered.”
Connie smirked as she studied her freshly painted nails. I could still smell the sick chemical tang in the air.
“Are you ready to give us the rundown on the job?” I asked, stepping deeper into the room and moving toward Connie and Fluffikins to take my seat with them.
“Tawny…” Parker’s voice cracked. I could see his anguish but felt none of it myself.
“Parker,” I addressed him coolly, ready to move this along. “I have a job to do now, but we can talk more later. Okay?”
8
Despite my request for him to leave and let us get down to business, Parker remained rooted to the spot. I had forty-eight hours, tops, to do this job, and here he was stubbornly delaying the start. If I failed this task, I’d remain a vampire forever—and he’d be at least partially to blame. How could he not see that?
“Have you told her about the curse?” he asked Mr. Fluffikins in a booming voice. I’d never seen him so riled up.
“I have temporary vampire magic,” I informed Parker, pulling out a chair beside Connie and taking a seat. “That means everything that comes with it. And, yes, I know there’s a curse.”
“But do you know what it is?” he pushed even harder. Why couldn’t he just come out and say what he meant rather than asking all these senseless questions?
When I curled my lip instead of responding, Parker burst forth with his answer.“Vampires can’t feel, Tawny.”
Well, I already knew that. It was the first thing I’d realized when the new magic settled over me. And that stark absence became even more noticeable the longer I held onto the magic.
Parker appeared to be trembling now. His voice also quaked.“They can’t love or keep any lasting relationships. Friends, family, romance. None of it. If you stay this way, you’ll have immortality, but at what cost? You’ll be a lonely monster forced to live by yourself in the shadows forever.”
“Stop being so melodramatic,” Connie spat. “I have the curse, and I get along just fine. Besides, she’s not staying a vampire. I intend to finish this job and be rid of her as fast as I possibly can.”
“So that’s why you hate everyone,” I quipped with a quick glance toward Connie.
She straightened in her seat and held her chin in the air.“No, the curse is why I don’t like anyone. Hating them is a choice.”
Fluffikins spoke next.“Barnes, your work here is done. Thank you for helping me make sure Tawny’s full magic is in effect before sending her out into the field.”
“I want to help. Surely, whatever this assignment is, it will be done more satisfactorily with three people rather than just two.”
“No, this is a vampire-only job. At least for now. See yourself out, witch,” Connie commanded.
Parker looked as if he desperately wanted to say something to me, but instead he stalked off, slamming the door behind him.