“Good. I hate when they scream. Unnecessarily loud.”

  Cassia shook her head and walked up the stairs and into her room.

  “Who are you? Why am I here? I’m calling the–”

  “Well, Arwen, you certainly are a talkative one and still loud, I see.”

  “Who are you?” Arwen repeated.

  “My name is Cassia. I am a friend of Iro’s.”

  “Iro? You’re friends with my girlfriend?”

  Cassia growled and said, “Something you should know first: Iro is not your girlfriend. She is my wife; my beloved.”

  She took a few steps toward Arwen.

  “What?”

  “Yes, she’s taken, and certainly not by you. She also sent me.”

  “Iro sent you for–”

  “Iro and I have… what you humans might call an open relationship at times. This is one of those times.”

  “I’m so confused.”

  “Of course, you are. You’re a human.”

  She yanked on Arwen’s hand.

  “Ouch!”

  “You’ll be fine… in a few hours. Now, Iro sent me. You heard me, yes?”

  “To do what?”

  “To make you like one of us. She was tired of dealing with the human you and asked me to make you like us so you might evolve and be more tolerable to her. I disagreed, of course, but because she’s allowed her little breaks – or open relationships, to make it simpler for you – I told her I’d do it. Now, remember, you’ll have to give her back to me when our break is up, but this is for Iro. This is how much I love her. She says turn you, to make you like us because she’s too busy to do it herself, or whatever other excuse she’s come up with, and I give my beloved what she wants, always and forever.” Cassia shrugged her shoulder, making sure to sell it well, but feeling like she probably didn’t need to work so hard since she was dealing with a human.

  “What are you–”

  Arwen didn’t get to finish that sentence because she was now too busy screaming into Cassia’s ear as Cassia bit down into her wrist. Mildly annoyed now, Cassia dropped the wrist and covered Arwen’s mouth with her hand to get her to shut up while she bit into her own wrist and mixed their blood. Then, she put her finger into Arwen’s mouth and laughed as she earned the woman’s gag reflex.

  “This is what she wanted, this girlfriend, as you call her. Now, I don’t have a lot of time because I think Zara might be on her way to Iro’s house. If I’m lucky, I’ll get there before her. So, here we go. Are you ready?” She removed her hand and finger. “Doesn’t matter,” she said and shook her head.

  “Help!” Arwen yelled out, having sputtered and coughed.

  “Well, fine; ruin my fun.” Cassia snapped Arwen’s neck. “Finally, some peace and quiet,” she stated and turned to go, leaving Arwen dead on the floor.

  CHAPTER 26

  Iro

  Iro had expected Arwen back over an hour ago, and the few texts she had sent had gone unanswered. She hadn’t paid attention to the location Arwen had mentioned for her meeting with Zara. It was a coffee shop that the two of them went to sometimes, but she couldn’t recall if Arwen had given her the name of it. She knew Arwen hadn’t given her an address, so as she paced in her living room, worried, she thought about calling the last person she wanted to talk to in Cassia because she didn’t have Zara’s number, and if something was wrong with Arwen, it was likely Cassia’s doing.

  She wasn’t sure when they’d gotten this way. When she had asked Cassia for another break years ago, Cassia hadn’t liked the idea, whereas in the past, she hadn’t had an issue. Iro knew Cassia sometimes preferred being able to do whatever she wanted without her moping about and asking her to stop feeding on humans, even the willing ones. The last time Iro had asked for a break, though, Cassia had agreed, but only for a year. Iro had mentioned ten, and Cassia had countered with two. They’d gone back and forth until Cassia had given in, which was a rare occasion, giving them ten years apart. Iro had no idea why this time had been different. They had been apart even for longer before, with Cassia having no problem staying at home in Florence or gallivanting around the world, having other women to satisfy her and humans to feed on, which seemed to be all Cassia ever wanted. Well, all she ever wanted besides Iro.

  When the doorbell rang, she pushed all thoughts of Cassia and their centuries-long relationship aside and practically lunged to open it.

  “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” she asked, seeing Arwen there, looking upset. “You’re late. I was worried. Didn’t you get my texts?”

  “Oh, I got them,” Arwen said, walking into the apartment quickly. She looked around the open space and added, “I didn’t feel like responding after what just happened.”

  “Arwen, what’s wrong? What happened?”

  Iro hurried to her side and took her hand.

  Arwen tossed it aside like it was scalding hot and said, “Someone named Cassia found me at the café after Zara left. She told me you know her.”

  “Cassia…”

  “So, you do? You know her?”

  “Arwen, whatever she said to you doesn’t matter.”

  “That she’s your wife. Your wife, Iro! You’re married?”

  “What?” Iro said, sounding confused.

  “She told me that she’s your wife; that you’re married.”

  “She’s not my wife.”

  “She’s not? Because she seemed pretty convinced that she was. She even had some kind of red stone on her ring that she showed me and said that you gave it to her.”

  “Arwen,” she said and took a breath. “Love, can we sit down, please?”

  “Love?” Arwen said, looking confused and hurt.

  “Yes.”

  “No, I’m not sitting down. You can talk to me here.”

  Arwen crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Cassia is not my wife. We aren’t married.”

  “You’re–” Arwen stopped. “What about the ring on her finger, Iro?”

  “I gave that to her, yes. I gave it to her a long time ago.”

  “Then, you are married?”

  “No, we–” She tried to take Arwen’s hand again but was rebuffed. “We never officially married.”

  “What exactly does officially mean to you, Iro?”

  “We never stood in front of friends and family and said, ‘I do,’ Arwen. We were together for a long time, though.”

  “That’s a really interesting way of avoiding the fact that you’re, apparently, a vampire.”

  Iro took a step back and swallowed. Being confronted about her relationship with Cassia was one thing, but Cassia had always wanted to keep their secret unless she could be assured that a human wanted to turn and wouldn’t tell anyone about the existence of vampires. Now, Cassia had shared that with Arwen, and Iro didn’t know what to do.

  “So, it’s true?”

  “Whatever she told you–”

  “Don’t tell me it’s a lie. She showed me her fangs, Iro. She told me that you’re hundreds of years old and that you two have been together the whole time.”

  “Arwen, please…” Her heart pounded. “I don’t know what to say. I didn’t want you to find out this way.”

  “You’re a vampire? You’ve killed people, Iro?”

  “Yes,” she admitted. “I am not proud of it, but I also don’t do that anymore. I don’t feed on human blood, Arwen. I haven’t in years.”

  “Cassia said you two killed people all the time.”

  “When I was first turned, we did. You have to understand, Arwen… We’re talking about the late 1600s and early 1700s. I don’t do that anymore.”

  “You don’t kill people?”

  “No. It’s one of the many reasons I don’t love Cassia anymore.”

  The look on Arwen’s face was one of devastation, for some reason, which didn’t really make sense to Iro, but things were happening so quickly; she didn’t have the time to think about it.

  “Arwen, I love you. I’m in love with you. I was going to tell you – not tomorrow, but not in ten years. I just wanted time with you first. I wanted us to be committed to one another and to know that this was what we wanted; nothing and no one else. We made love last night, Arwen, and this morning. I just wanted more of that; more of the lazy days in bed and nights by the fire where I read you poetry and we talk about–”

  “I don’t want that,” Arwen stated.

  “What? Arwen, we can talk about this. I know it’s a lot, and I’m sure you never thought vampires would be something you’d talk about like this, but, Arwen, I love you. I’d never hurt you. I’ll never hurt anyone. I just want to live a normal life with you.”

  “You’re right: I can’t believe I’m having this conversation. But here I am, Iro, and it’s because of you. You made me like you. You used some sort of supernatural abilities on me. How could you?”

  “I didn’t make you feel anything, Arwen. Whatever you feel for me, you feel. That’s not me, I assure you.”

  “I feel nothing for you now,” Arwen replied.

  Iro took another step back, the words and the tone with which they were delivered hitting her hard. Her home swirled around her, and Arwen was still standing there, but the look in her usual hazel eyes was cold and dark.

  “Arwen… I love you. We can handle this.”

  “You don’t age. I didn’t even need Cassia to tell me that. You live forever.”

  “Yes.”

  “I won’t. I’m human. What were you going to do, Iro? Make me one of you eventually? Would you have forced me to drink blood?”

  “No. Never,” she said quickly. “Arwen, if you want to grow old as a human and die one day, I want that for you. I know how that sounds, but it’s the truth. Everyone should have the choice of how they live their life. My choice was taken away from me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I loved someone once a long time ago. Her name was Mary. I was human, and so was she. We lived in a time when she and I couldn’t be together, so she married after years and years of trying to avoid it. She got pregnant shortly after, to produce an heir for her husband, which was all women were good for back then, according to men. I asked her to run away with me, Arwen. I wanted her and only her, but she chose to stay with him because she was scared, and she died in childbirth.” Iro waited for Arwen to say something like she was sorry for her pain, but she didn’t, so Iro added, “I met Cassia then, and she turned me. It wasn’t my choice, Arwen.”

  “She told me you asked for it. You wanted it.”

  “I didn’t. I mean, I might have. I had had a lot to drink that night, and I didn’t know what I was saying. I didn’t understand it, Arwen. I was in pain, and she offered to take it away, but I didn’t know what I was agreeing to.”

  “You said yes, though.”

  “I did, but–”

  “Then, you chose it. You chose to drink blood and kill people.”

  “No, I didn’t. Arwen, if you ever wanted to really talk about this in the future, what it means and how it all works, I will sit down and explain everything, the good and the bad and the terrible, too, but you have to know that Cassia is not a good person. It’s taken me way too long to know that, but she does kill people, and she drinks from humans. She’ll turn anyone she wants. I’ve tried to get her to stop, but–”

  “She said you do those things, and she’s tried to get you to stop. So, who am I supposed to believe, Iro?”

  “Me!” she yelled. “You’re supposed to believe me because I’m your girlfriend. I just told you that I love you, that I don’t love the woman I’ve been with for three hundred years anymore, and that’s why she’s telling you these things.”

  “You’re describing a very petty woman, Iro.”

  “She is petty. She only cares about what benefits her; nothing else. Arwen, don’t let her do this to us. If you need time, take it.” Iro walked toward her again. “I’ll be here. We can talk about anything you want, anytime you want.”

  “I don’t want this,” Arwen said and pointed back and forth between them. “I could never want this.”

  “Arwen, please… Just take some time.”

  “I don’t need time. I need to go,” Arwen replied. “Don’t follow me, Iro. Don’t call me. You and this Cassia woman deserve each other, and I hope you leave DC and never return. You leave me and the people I care about alone, or I’ll tell everyone about you.”

  “Arwen, don’t…”

  But Arwen didn’t listen. She walked past her and out the door, slamming it behind her, and Iro was left standing there, trying to remember how to breathe.

  CHAPTER 27

  Zara

  Zara rushed to Iro, knowing she couldn’t stop Cassia and all the people in that house on her own but hoping that Iro could talk some sense into her and keep Arwen safe. She took her chance at the café, when Cassia had asked for the check, but she hadn’t paid attention to much else other than Cassia and Arwen since being turned. As a result, when she looked down at her gas gauge, she noticed it was on empty, and her gas light was on.

  “Fuck,” she said.

  She thought she could still make it if she didn’t hit any traffic, but DC was full of traffic, and it didn’t take a break for the weekend. Tourists flocked to crosswalks, not always paying attention to streetlights, and she nearly hit a woman and her two kids as they walked slowly, looking around at the buildings they were heading toward instead of for the cars on the road. Zara yelled at them and got stuck at the next light. She had to make a decision. There was only a mile left to Iro’s house if she walked and cut through alleyways and streets. Her car appeared to be sputtering and running on fumes, so she found a parking garage, took a ticket, parked her old car in the first spot she saw, and ran. She ran as fast as she could in her ballet flats until she took them off and ran barefoot the rest of the way. When she arrived at Iro’s door, she knocked hard and yelled.

  “Iro! Iro!”

  Nothing. She had to be home, though. Arwen had told her that they were meeting here after Zara and she had coffee, so Iro had to be there. If she wasn’t, Zara didn’t know what to do. She’d spied on Iro and Arwen here, yes, but she didn’t know where Iro worked or where else she might be. She supposed she could try the corner store, but that would be a stretch, and she didn’t have time to go anywhere else.

  “Iro!” She pounded on the door. “Come on. Be here.”

  The door swung open then.

  “Oh, thank God,” Zara added.

  “Zara?”

  “I need to… come in.”

  Iro moved aside, and Zara hurried in through the door without further invitation.

  “What is going on? Are you okay?”

  “No, I’m not okay. I… have to… talk to you.”

  “Why? And how did you know where I live? Did Arwen tell you?”

  “No, I’ve been… spying on you both… for Cassia.”

  “What? How do you know that name?”

  Still catching her breath, Zara sat on the sofa, not waiting to be offered to do so, and said, “Iro, Cassia has Arwen.”

  “Arwen was just here.”

  “She was?” Zara asked.

  “Yes. She just ended things with me, actually, and I was drinking my sorrows away when you started beating down my door.”

  “Arwen ended things? Why would she do that?”

  “She… said she doesn’t want me.”

  “But she’s in love with you,” Zara said.

  “Apparently not.”

  Iro sat down next to her and picked up a glass of what Zara guessed was bourbon.

  “Arwen was just here? Like, when, exactly?”

  “Right before you. She left about five minutes ago, maybe. Zara, how do you know Cassia?”

  “Cassia found me one night, and we…”

  “Oh.” Iro sipped her bourbon. “Of course.”

  “Iro, I know.”

  “Know what?” Iro asked, and Zara watched her breathe in a moment later. “When did she turn you?”

  “The night you went on your first date with Arwen.”

  “She killed you? God, Zara, I am so sorry. This is all my fault.”

  “I asked for this,” Zara revealed.

  “We all ask her for it. But it’s never really our choice, is it?”

  “I have more to say, Iro.” She took a deep breath. “I’m in love with Arwen. I have been for years. That night you two met, I had just been diagnosed with cancer and was about to confess my feelings to her. I knew it was selfish of me, but I was going to do it anyway. Then, you showed up, and it was like all she could see was you.”

  “Cancer?”

  “It’s gone now, obviously. It’s the reason I chose this. I told Cassia that I would keep an eye on you two because she wants you back, and she said if you went with her, I’d have a chance with Arwen. But I never really did, did I? The moment she laid eyes on you, it was all over for me.”

  “Not anymore. She knows what I am.”

  “What?”

  “Arwen knows I’m a vampire. Cassia found her at the café after you left, I guess, and told her everything. Well, she told her lies, but Arwen didn’t believe me, so it’s over now.”

  “Arwen went to the bathroom, and Cassia took her, Iro. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. If she was here, it was because Cassia forced her to–” Zara stopped herself. “I can’t believe I didn’t think about this… God, I’m so stupid… Iro, Cassia can shape-shift.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I’ve seen her become a whole different person. She’s become me. I’ve watched her become Arwen, and it’s not just the body; the voice is real, too. If I hadn’t seen it for myself, I would’ve thought she were Arwen.”

  “Cassia can’t shape-shift. She would have told me. Very few vampires have abilities.”

  “I know. She told me that, too. But, Iro, I saw it. Hell, I… Well, I fucked her as…”

  “You pretended she was Arwen?”

  “Being a vampire is confusing. I was in pain and heartbroken, and she manipulated me, but, Iro, I never wanted to hurt Arwen. Cassia promised me she wouldn’t hurt her. She promised me that we could–”

  “Be together? She told you that she wanted me back and that you could have Arwen? Fuck! Cassia has Arwen.” Iro gripped the glass too tightly, and it broke in her hand. “She came here and pretended to be–” Iro stood. “How did I not see it? I told her I loved her for the first time, and her face… I told her I didn’t love Cassia anymore.” Iro moved around the coffee table. “Fuck! When I told her about Mary, she didn’t even say anything. God, I should have known… That wasn’t my Arwen.”