Vampires, Eh?

Chapter 42

"Where's Huxley?" Calvin asked.

Anna glanced over at Rhys. The responsibility of Huxley's death laid heavy on her mind. It was her who wanted to go out sightseeing today. It was her who knew how fast the Nightingales moved. It was her brother who had staked him.

Rhys cleared his throat and straightened his posture.

"He's gone," he said. "Jonathan got him."

"What?" Calvin said in disbelief. "They are here already?"

"They are," he said. "We also have a bigger issue now. Don't we, Anna?"

They had shut the movie off long ago. It was now Rhys and Etienne standing at the front of the altar. Anna sat in the front pew next to Calvin and Nelly. Alice was lounged across the pew across the aisle. The rest of the church was packed with vampires. They had recruited everyone who was resting in the basement.

Anna stood and took a step toward the altar on shaky knees. Drew gave her a soft smile, knowing that she was about to confess her secret.

"I have been lying to you all," she said. "My last name is not Hollingsworth. It is Nightingale."

A chorus of gasps and swears came from the church. Anna sucked in her bottom lip. Rhys had his arms crossed over his chest and had not stopped scowling since they left the taxi. Etienne rubbed his hand along his jaw as he nodded.

"Traitor!" one vampire called out.

"Kill her!" another one shouted.

"Let us stake her!" someone else added.

Etienne held his hands out in front of him. It quieted the crowd.

"Now, now," he said. "Miss Anna here may be useful here. Who better to know the enemy than themselves?"

Anna let out a sigh of relief. Etienne smirked.

"I think that this will serve us well," he said. "I'm assuming you know all of their tactics."

"I do," Anna said. "I have been trained to kill vampires since I could walk."

"Perfect."

"In fact." The corner of Anna's lip lifted into a smile. "I have my grandmother's notebook. It is all the Nightingales know about vampires. There are so many falsehoods in there."

"Where is it?"

"In my bag."

"Go get it."

Anna nodded before dashing off and down to the basement.

—

Rhys watched Anna as she left. He stayed rigid as he made eye contact with Drew. Rage boiled his blood when he thought about Anna confiding in him. Even when she was compelled to him, she chose to divulge information to Drew instead.

"I don't think that this is going to work," Rhys said. "They must have changed their strategies since that book was written."

"You never know," Etienne said. "They have not faced a major war before. They have always preferred to pick us off one at a time."

"I think we should not let Anna fight. She is going to go soft on us."

In reality, Rhys was much more comfortable with the thought of Anna staying safe in the church rather than fighting in battle.

"She is clearly a smart girl," Etienne said. "She deceived us all. I say let her fight."

—

Anna came back to the altar with the notebook clutched to her chest. She took one look down at it before passing it to Rhys. He narrowed his eyes and held the book closer to his face to make out the loopy handwriting.