Professor Brown has been teaching for years and was “going to retire in the upcoming years” back when I was a student at the Academy. He’s earned those beers.
“I’m leaving here in just a minute or two,” I tell her. “You can get a ride with me. I’m going to my house to change and then will walk to the…place from my house.” Two baby vamps are standing within earshot. We can’t say anything about the coven or magic in front of them. “Want to come with me?”
“Sure, as long as you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. Just give me a minute to put the table inside.”
Ruby smiles. “I’ll text Professor Brown, though I think there’s a good chance his wife will pick him up from the bar in a few hours.”
I laugh and Lucas kisses me goodbye once more. Ruby and I walk down the block to get to my Jeep.
“He’s going out with those vampires?” she asks, knowing socializing isn’t really Lucas’s thing.
“Yeah, I kind of forced his hand. Those are the only two vamps in Thorne Hill, and I thought it could do them some good to hear from another, older vampire who can kind of lay down the law.”
“That’s a good idea, actually. Those two have been subject to many talks at the Academy.”
“They have no idea they live in a town of witches, right?” I chuckle.
“We don’t think so, but they’ve lived peacefully so we don’t want to raise any issues.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
I pull my phone from my purse, texting Kristy to let her know I’ll be at the Covenstead soon. If she’s already there, she won’t get my text, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she stepped out to check for messages.
“Lucas didn’t seem too happy about going out with those vampires,” Ruby states as we cross the street. “So…vampires don’t always like other vampires?”
“Not at all,” I tell her. “Just like people don’t necessarily like other people. And Lucas has always kept to himself. Before he turned Eliza into a vampire, I think he was on his own.”
“He doesn’t talk about his past much?”
“He will if I ask him, though he’s lived so long it would take quite a while to go over everything.”
“Hah, good point.”
We get into my Jeep and I toss my purse in the back. It’s heavier than normal because I might have shoved several handfuls of candy in there before we left.
“He was captured as a prisoner of war when he was a human and forced to fight in the Colosseum,” I tell her as I start the engine. “And then was turned into a vampire against his will and forced to fight again until he was able to escape.”
“Shit.” She slowly shakes her head. “I never really think about vampires before they were vampires.”
“I didn’t either until I met Lucas.” I pull out of the parking spot and slowly go down the road. Now that most of the kids are done with trick-or-treating, the twenty-one and older crowd is coming out and it’s apparent they’ve already been drinking. “I didn’t want to fall in love with him, you know. I tried really hard not to.”
“I couldn’t understand how you could even look at him without dry-heaving before,” she admits apologetically. “But now that I’ve gotten to know him, I know I’ve looked at all vampires with a jaded point of view.”
“Overall, I don’t trust vampires,” I reaffirm. “But I see Lucas as so much more than just a vampire. And I won’t try to convince you he’s some innocent, only-drinks-animal-blood type of vampire. He’s done things in the past I don’t even want to think about, but then again, so have I.” I tighten my grip on the steering wheel and clench my jaw. I don’t have time for the guilt and anxiety to wind up inside of me.
I did what I had to do, and now it’s over. It’s fine. Abby healed and I haven’t seen Lucifer since. It’s going to be fine. Totally fine. It fucking has to be.
“I’m sure if I was over a thousand years old, I’d have made a mistake or two as well,” Ruby goes on, and it’s really saying something for her. “I don’t ever expect anyone to be perfect, ya know? Just…just don’t be a dick.”
“That’s pretty much my life’s philosophy. Leave me alone and don’t be a dick and we won’t have any issues.”
Ruby laughs and I press on the gas, actually going the speed limit now that we’re out of town and away from the drunk people stumbling about.
“I’m going to run in and change really quick. Feel free to come inside with me,” I tell her when we pull onto my road. We’re still several miles from my house but being out in the country brings me peace right away. I love downtown Thorne Hill, full of quaint, Hallmark-movie vibes, as Abby pointed out just hours ago. But I need my space. My peace and quiet. My—