Vampires, Eh?

Chapter 39

 Anna pulled Huxley to the side when they got to the church. Rhys and Drew went down to the basement without saying a word to each other or even looking in each other's direction. Anna was furious at both of them and contemplated sleeping on one of the wooden pews so that she did not need to be near them.

Anna and Huxley sat at the pew at the back of the church. The moonlight was pouring through the colourful stained glass windows.

"You need to stay away from Lucia," Anna said.

"I know," Huxley said. "But I have no control over it. You know how it is."

"I learned how to reverse it."

Huxley pushed himself up so that he was sitting straighter. His blue eyes were wide and Anna smiled.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

Anna moved her hair off the side of her neck to expose the bite mark Rhys had given her. Huxley's eyebrows furrowed with worry.

"What happened to you?" he asked. "Did you get bit by accident?"

"No," she said. "Rhys bit me. That's how you reverse this. Rhys drank my blood and I got my mind back. I feel like my normal self again."

"That's great," he said.

"Except that Rhys did not tell me this earlier. He knew all along and he watched me slowly lose my mind. I am still pissed at him."

"Are you going to leave with Drew then?"

Anna tapped her feet. A few vampires walked into the church, down the aisle, and into the basement. They stayed silent until the vampires were out of sight. When Anna spoke, she lowered her voice.

"Drew knew too," she said. "He is just as bad as Rhys. He was manipulating me to run away with him."

"What are you going to do?" Huxley asked.

"Do you remember any of your time with Lucia tonight?"

Huxley shook his head. Anna pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.

"You told Lucia that I was a Nightingale," she said. "She is going to tell Rhys if I don't leave with her."

"Me and my blabber-mouth," Huxley said. "Anna, I am so sorry."

"It's not your fault," she said. "You had no control."

"Maybe you should just tell Rhys that you are a Nightingale?"

Anna rolled her eyes.

"Yeah and he will murder me," she said.

"You cannot go off with Lucia though," he said. "She's going to destroy your life."

"More than Rhys has?" Anna's voice wavered and she struggled not to raise her voice. "I was happy before the night I met you guys. I almost had my masters. I was working hard toward publishing. I had a bright future, but Rhys took that all away when he turned me."

"If Rhys had not turned you, you would have bled out on the ground because of Drew."

"Yet, again another reason I am mad at Drew."

The church doors opened and Anna looked over her shoulder. Etienne walked in. The collar of his white shirt had crimson splatters. He appeared regal as he strolled down the aisle. His trench coat billowed out behind him. He stopped beside Anna and Huxley.

"That will surely catch the Nightingale's attention," Etienne said with his French-Canadian accent.

"How long do you think it will take for them to come?" Anna asked