Page 21 (1/2)

"Vampires have a very sensitive metabolism," Caldenia said

"He just drank an equivalent of an entire bottle of whiskey," I told him

Arland’s jeans followed his T-shirt He wasn’t wearing anything under the? Full ed my hand over my face Arland tossed the jeans in the air and sprinted through the orchard

"I’ve never understood why sorinned

"It’s not funny I’ve got a naked drunk vaed back and forth aether, his expression strained

"It’s not funny!"

Sean leaned against the door and laughed

"It’s your fault You gave hiet hirowled

"Yes, ma’am I’m on it"

He sprinted into the sunshine and lad you decided to throw the rulebook out the ," Caldenia said "Living here is gettingby the minute"

Chapter Eleven

"Naked?" Arland raised the wet kitchen towel off his face long enough to give Sean a lance

"Don’t sweat it," Sean said "Could’ve happened to anyone"

His tone sounded casual, but Sean atching Arland the way one would watch a slithering snake: calm, but ready to storoaned and put the towel back on his face Soet him back into the kitchen and into his clothes, and eance Now the vaainst the wall, an ice-cold towel on his face Tylenol and Ibuprofen were out of the question I had no idea how vampire metabolism would react to it, and his personalhis uncle alive

A vampire had once described a caffeine headache as the worst pain she had endured, even counting childbirth So far Arland was doing his best to be heroically stoic about it

The coffeeI took the cup, added a teaspoon of sugar, crouched by Arland, and lifted the corner of the towel He looked at me "What is this?"

"Peppermint tea It will help with the headache No side effects, I promise"

He took the cup from my hands "Thank you While I was drunk, did I happen to roaned "My apologies"

"It’s not a big deal," I told hi else?"

"What, about a blood debt, killing the dahaka, and how your House honor was involved?" Sean asked "Nope, didn’t ed his hand across his face

"You don’t have to be an ass about it," I said

Sean shrugged "How ahborhood I’ you" His voice slid into a caluy’s uncle shows up, threatens you, ignores your warning, goes out to hunt dahaka, gets his people killed, and nearly dies I rescue him, you keep him alive, and then Prince Rapunzel appears in a flash of red lightning, forces you to protect hihborhood at risk, and explains nothing"

Those were the facts, yes

Sean kept going "The dahaka is here because of the va to capture it or kill it, and so far they’ve screwed this up royally in every way possible The least your guest can do is to explain why For all we know, the vaered this entire situation Maybe they boe or killed his sensei or whatever, and now he’s looking for justified revenge while you’re wiping sweat off Arland’s brow and fetching him tea"

Arland stood up It was an instanton the floor, and the next he was on his feet, shoulders squared, fangs bared "So you gave et ave you coffee because I thought you were a grown-up who could handle a grown-up drink"