Page 58 of Eternal Craving

“It doesn’t work like that.” She waved the floppy, well-loved rabbit before Jacob.

“Don’t.”

“But he likes it.”

“I’m not asking you. Now step back.”

She looked up at me. “I saved you.”

“Is that what you call this?”

“You’re still here because of me.”

“But my family isn’t.”

“I was watching over you, not them.” She stood and turned away.

“Why didn’t you show yourself?”

She sighed. “I can’t interfere with your first steps.”

“You’re not making any sense.”

She sat down on the sofa, her movement so swift that it verged on supernatural.

“I don’t want this,” I murmured.

“You’d be dead otherwise.”

“Turn me back.”

She stared at me for a long time with a painful brightness in her eyes. “I can’t.” She leaned back against a cushion. “Once a vampire?—”

“Don’t call me that.” I glanced at my stained shirt. “What if I can’t learn to control it?” And then I stared at Jacob, fearing he’d one day recall seeing his father covered in blood, or worse, what if I ended up hurting him.

She waved a hand in the air. “I’ll teach you.”

It was as though she’d reached out and touched me, even though she still sat a few feet away.

“You have a lot of confidence, don’t you?” I fought my desire.

Come to me willingly, she seemed to say and then broke the silence with that purr in her voice. “I’ll show you the way.” She rose so effortlessly that even Jacob stopped what he was doing and looked up.

“Dear God.” I leaned against the back of a chair.

“He can’t help you.”

“Maybe he can.”

“Already you have an aversion to holy artifacts.” Sunaria pointed to the Bible resting on a side table.

I approached the book and placed my hand on the time-worn cover. Anxiousness twinned with guilt, but nothing else.

Sunaria gazed at me intently. “Perhaps you’re one of the few.”

“How convenient.”

“Myth tells of those of us who are drawn to the Church, even serve it.”