vampires. “Listen, everyone. The demons are behind all of this. They wanted you to try to get rid of the witches. That’s why they created the flames. So you’d either banish the witches or scare them into leaving.”
“We can’t have flames shooting out of the heating ducts,” Doc Boomer said. “I don’t mean to be a downer. I’m just stating the obvious.”
“I know that,” Damon said.
“So what do you plan on doing about it?” Doc Boomer said.
“The demons are right below us. I am not going to say anything to warn them of their destruction.”
“I say we take a vote now about these witches,” Tanya said. “Remember, Damon, you do not have a vote. All in favor of getting rid of the witches say ‘Aye’. Let me be the first. Aye.”
“Aye,” Doc Boomer said regretfully.
Neville cast a nervous look in Damon’s direction. “Aye.”
“Nay,” Nick said.
“Nay,” Pat said.
“Nay,” Bruce said.
Zoe cast a nervous look at the two vamps that Tanya had used to bring them to the bar.
“They can’t vote,” Damon said. “They haven’t been in Vamptown long enough. So it appears we have a tie.”
“And no motion can be carried without a majority,” Nick said. “Which means Irma and Zoe stay. And they continue to work with Damon on locating the missing Book of Darkness. This meeting is formally adjourned.”
“I’m so sorry about that,” Pat said. “I feel responsible. I should have spoken up about my connection to Silas.”
“No,” Damon said. “Keep that to yourself for the time being.”
“Bruce knows. And I told Nick already,” Pat admitted.
“Told me what?” Nick said as he joined them.
“Let’s continue this in your office,” Damon said.
The five of them barely fit in the small office at the back of the bar. “It’s soundproof,” Nick said.
“I don’t think we should tell anyone else about Pat’s connection to Silas at this point,” Damon said. “You saw how paranoid everyone got.”
“Not everyone,” Bruce said. “We voted nay.”
“Let’s explore this equinox connection further,” Damon said. “Pat, can you check your personal library of ancient books?”
This was the first Zoe had heard about the older vampire having a specialized library.
“I received a few illuminated manuscripts dating back to the Dark Ages from my sire. He had a strong connection to mystical powers in ancient times,” Pat said. “I’ve never had cause to consult the volumes before, but this is definitely a time for it. I’d already started when I heard this meeting called.”
“After the flames nearly burned the Moroccan rug I had near the floor vent,” Bruce said.
“Keep those manuscripts safe,” Damon said.
“I will. And you keep the witches safe,” Pat said.
“I don’t need to tell you that time is running out,” Nick said. “Vamptown could have gone up in flames today.”
“And Damon and Zoe didn’t even have sex,” Gram said.
“What?” Nick’s voice was curt.
“Daniella said she had a premonition that if Damon and Zoe had sex, Vamptown would go up in flames,” Gram said. “Was I not supposed to say that?”
“I know about the premonition,” Nick said.
“You can’t blame the flames on Zoe,” Gram said. “Or Damon.”
“I wasn’t going to,” Nick said.
“I was surprised how modern your spell was,” Bruce told Gram. “I was expecting something more along the lines of Shakespeare’s witches from
“‘Eye of newt, and toe of frog,’” Gram quoted.
Bruce nodded. “That’s right.”
“Not my thing,” Gram said. “Although I have used the ‘hell-broth boil and bubble’ line on occasion.”
“Where did you go when you disappeared?” Bruce asked.
“Listen, they’ve had a rough time,” Damon said. “Let’s get the details later. For now, I think we should head back to the house.”
“Good idea,” Nick said.
The moment they were in their house, Gram headed for her room, citing the need for a nap.
“Where
“To the tunnels.”
“Your grandmother sent you both to the tunnels? Why?”
Zoe put her hand to Damon’s mouth. “Keep your voice down.” She quickly pulled her hand away. Her fingers tingled, but she couldn’t think about that now. She had to stay focused, as in focused on demon demolition and not sex with Damon. “It wasn’t deliberate on her part. She panicked and didn’t specify a destination.”
“How do you know you were in the tunnels?”
“Because Silas was there to welcome us. I saw two shadowy figures behind Silas that I’m assuming were the two Guys. We didn’t stick around long enough to find out.”
“Did Silas say anything?”
“He said welcome and something about how kind it was of us to grace them with our presence.”
“What else did you see? Any weapons? Anything else?”
Zoe shook her head. “We were only there a few seconds. I’m sorry. My only thought was to get us out of there.”
“You did good.”
Zoe couldn’t believe her ears. Had Damon just given her a compliment? That had to be a first.
She’d experienced more firsts since coming to Vamptown than she could count. She couldn’t even focus, she was feeling so burned out. “I need a few minutes alone.”
“I understand.”
Zoe didn’t see how Damon could understand when she didn’t. What was happening to her? Why had she had that flashback about Salem? Why had Gram’s spell resulted in them landing in the tunnels? What did the impending equinox have to do with anything? Where the hell was that damn demon book?
So many questions, so few answers.
And then there was the intensely personal question. Why, despite everything, did she want to hurl herself into Damon’s arms and kiss him? Why did she long for him, lust for him? Were those thoughts enough to have sent flames shooting through the floor vents throughout Vamptown?
But the biggest question of all was this—was she falling in love with Damon? Because that would be the most dangerous thing of all, at least as far as her heart was concerned. Dealing with demons was bad enough. Dealing with a broken heart should pale in comparison. It didn’t.
Dammit, dammit, dammit.
“I’m so glad you are back,” Bella greeted Zoe at the top of the stairs and followed her into Zoe’s bedroom. “I was looking for something or some way to help you and I think I’ve come up with it.”
“What is it?” Zoe said.
Bella stretched her paw under the bed and pulled out Zoe’s mother’s amethyst necklace. Picking it up in her mouth, she jumped onto the bed and dropped it beside Zoe with the pride a normal cat might show at capturing a mouse.
Zoe frowned in confusion. “How is my mother’s necklace supposed to help me?”
