After failing as a vampire hunter, 17-year-old Cleo is sent to an academy full of vampires as a false peace treaty. Her true objective is supposed to be finding the hidden heir to the dark world while befriending the current one, but the current hei...
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"I tried to stop him," Adora said as we drove up the long, dirt driveway to the front of my house.
I let out a long breath, trying not to freak out. Where would Claude even have gone? What was he planning? He'd told me to trust him and then he went and disappeared like this without a word? How was I supposed to...?
No, I assured myself. Claude wouldn't do anything reckless. He knew what was at stake just as much as I did. I knew he wouldn't put our goals at risk. I had to trust him.
"It's fine. Let's continue with our own plan," I told Adora, unstrapping my seatbelt.
Together we walked up the stone steps to my porch, Adora eyeing the ornate sconces on either side of the iron double doors. "Your house is seriously gothic, Cleo. And vampires are the ones who get that stereotype."
"That's thanks to my great-great-grandfather. He built this house. He definitely had a flair for..." I took in the damask designs carved into the metal of the door. "Gloom?"
"That's a good way to put it. I feel like we're walking into a haunted house."
"Ghosts don't exist, silly," I responded, trying to pull open the door only to realize it was locked. "Dang, it's locked."
"Don't you have a key?"
"No?"
Adora frowned. "Why not?"
"I never left the house without someone so I didn't need one," I explained. "Where is Kieran? She knows I don't have one."
I knocked on the door, hoping to remind her we were waiting out here. A few more moments passed with nothing and I knocked a little louder, annoyed. What was taking her so long? I raised my fist again and the door finally opened, Kieran's head popping out.
"What took you so long?" I asked as she pulled the door the rest of the way open. I took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent of my home. Although it'd only been a few months since I left, the smell had become nostalgic
"I was in my room, sorry," she said, stepping back so Adora and I could enter. Her mouth fell open as Adora came into sight, her posture going rigid. "Adora?"
Adora waved and smiled. "Hey, Kieran. It's nice to see you again. I hope I'm not intruding."
Kieran grabbed my hand, face pale. "Can you give us a second alone, Adora?"
Adora gave her a thumb's up, pretending to be interested in the artwork hanging in the foyer. Kieran dragged me across the room, into the sitting room, shutting the door so Adora wouldn't be able to hear us. She threw my hand down, jaw taught. "What were you thinking, Cleo?"
"What?"
She pushed her chestnut bangs out of her face. "Why would you bring a vampire here?"
Her question offended me a little, even though I'd figured she might not be too happy about me bringing Adora here. But I'd hoped Kieran just maybe she wouldn't have cared. "It's just Adora. You know her."
