Free Dangerous Lovers by Jamie Magee, A. M. Hargrove, Becca Vincenza Page B

waiting for me. I was hoping that she would have fallen asleep already. It was part of the reason I’d taken so long with my shower.
    I pulled the towel off my head, grabbed a hairbrush from my overnight bag and began running it through my hair, pretending not to notice Nelly staring at me.
    “Can… Can we talk?” she asked after a few moments.
    I blew out my breath and went to sit by her on the bed. “Yes. I mean, I’m still mad at you, but I think we should talk.”
    “I’m sorry, Lex.” I raised an eyebrow at this. “Really, I’m really, really sorry,” said Nelly.
    Looking into her beautiful hazel eyes, I could tell she meant it. I wasn’t sure if I could completely forgive her yet, but I could recognize the fact that she needed me right now. She had been right about one thing: we were all we had left, and we needed to stick together. Honestly, I probably needed her just as much as she needed me. Besides, holding a grudge against people I love has never been something I was good at.
    I should’ve known she wouldn’t go to sleep if she thought I was mad at her. I pulled her into a hug and felt her relax against me. “Just don’t lie to me again, okay? I guess I kind of understand why you did, but I have to know you’ll be truthful with me from here on out,” I told her.
    She sat back and looked me straight in the eyes. “I promise. I promise I will never lie to you again.”
    I gave her a skeptical look and smiled when she looked alarmed. “Okay, I believe you. Now, I have a few questions I need you to answer, and remember, you promised you’d be honest with me.” I had learned the big stuff from Olivia, but after a couple more attempts to learn it all, she’d insisted that we needed our rest. I hadn’t argued because, truth be told, I felt like I could keel over at any second.
    Nelly looked like she didn’t really want to agree, but I knew she would keep to her word. She gave a small nod and I took that as my go-ahead.
    “What are you, Nell?” I seemed to be asking that a lot lately.
    She hesitated, then said, “I’m what’s called a Searcher. Similar to what Olivia and Akira are. I can see into people’s heads. I can touch them and know what they truly are, what they feel in their heart. That’s why we are called Searchers. We search souls.” She paused before adding, “And I can make people do things. I can force my will upon them.”
    I gave a low whistle. “Oookay, well, that’s… good to know. What did you mean when you said similar to Olivia and Akira? What’s different about you?”
    She looked away and I waited for an answer. When it didn’t come, I took her hand and gave it a small squeeze. “Look, Nelly, look at me. I don’t care what you are. As far as I’m concerned, you’re my little sister and there is nothing, nothing that will ever change that. Nothing you or anyone else can tell me will ever take away my love for you. Search me… or whatever, if you have to. You know I mean it.”
    She drew a deep breath, and then her words seemed to tumble out of her mouth. “I don’t have to Search you. I know you’re telling the truth. Just don’t judge me, okay?” I nodded and she continued. “There are three different types of vampires, and each race has its own set of abilities. The Searchers you already know about. Then there are the Brocken Vampires. They are the soldiers of our kind, strong and fast and excellent fighters. The last kind you also already know about: the Lamias. What makes the Lamias different from the others is that they are part demon—condemned souls that chose to stay on Earth to do as much damage as they can until they meet their second and final death.” I picked my jaw up off the floor and raised my eyebrows so she would continue.
    This time, she closed her eyes when she spoke. “What makes me different is that I’m half and half. Half Searcher… and half Lamia.”
    This had to be some kind of joke, but as I stared at her, waiting for