Free Bloodlines by Lindsay Anne Kendal

filled them in on the events while I sat staring at the church.
    “And you’re sure there was nothing there?” Jake said.
    “We’re sure,” I told them.
    “I don’t understand why the statue was bleeding,” Tyler said, sitting next to me.
    “No, neither do I,” Lucian and Jake said at the same time.
    “Maybe I’m evil,” I said. “Maybe that’s why my eyes go white and yours go black; maybe there’s more to me than just this power.”
    “Evil!” Lily shot. “Don’t be so stupid, Keira, you’ve never been an evil person. All you have ever done is help people, so get that thought out of your head now.”
    “I don’t want to be thrown out of a church or be shunned,” I said sadly. “I’ve not done anything to any church or religion and I never would. So why am I not allowed in there?”
    “It might not be all churches; maybe it’s just this one,” Jake added. “Are you a religious person?”
    “No, I’m not, but that doesn’t mean I want to be shunned.”
    “We’ll go to the other one soon and see what happens there, OK?” Lucian said to me.
    “OK,” I nodded.
    “Come on, I don’t know about you, but I’m getting hungry,” Tyler said, standing me up and putting his arm around my shoulders.
    Everyone was getting hungry and by the time we got back to the village center it would be about five o’clock. This time we all walked together and Tyler kept his arm around me all the way back. None of us really spoke; when anyone did it was to check that I was OK. To cut out half an hour’s extra walking we went back the way we came, which really didn’t please Lily, but I just wanted to get back to the motel, get something to eat and get in the shower. When we got back to the village we all swapped phone numbers. Later we would be driving to Lucian’s.
    When we got back to the motel I just flopped on the bed.
    “Are you OK?” Lily asked.
    “Yeah, I’m fine. I just think this place is getting to me.”
    “You’ve had a lot to take in.”
    “I wish I hadn’t been so ignorant growing up and actually asked questions. Maybe everything would be different; I might have known the guys for years.”
    “Things happen for a reason, Keira; it wasn’t time for you to meet them until now otherwise you would have.”
    “I don’t know what to make of anything and what happened in the church…”
    “Scared you?” she interrupted.
    “No, upset me.”
    “Does anything scare you?”
    “Not really…spiders, but they don’t scare me; I just don’t like ‘em,” I said, laughing and going shivery.
    “I’m being serious,” she said, though she couldn’t stop herself from smiling.
    “So am I. I mean, why the hell do they need eight legs? I’m bigger than them and manage perfectly fine on two, thank you. They are just greedy, horrible, hairy, eight-legged freaks,” I said matter-of-factly. “I swear they look at you out of their God-knows-how-many eyes and plot your demise.”
    “Sometimes you worry me,” she laughed.
    “Listen, I’m going to get in the shower. Do you feel like throwing something in the oven, then let me finish it off while you get showered?”
    “Yeah, sure.”
    I got in the shower while Lily started dinner. I closed my eyes and let the water run over my face while I tried to clear my head. Then I got dressed and swapped places with Lily. Once we had eaten I rang Lucian to check we were OK to go over. He told me everyone was there waiting for us, I grabbed the book and we set off.
     

Chapter 7
    Messages
     
    We got to Lucian’s just after seven. Danny was there now and Evelyn was sitting with them.
    “Hello, girls,” she smiled.
    “Hello. How is your husband?” I asked.
    “There’s no change I’m afraid,” she said sadly. “Thank you for asking.”
    “Do you know what it is?” Lily asked.
    “Not for certain. He started with signs of a cold but now it’s like a very bad case of flu.”
    “He’ll be OK,” I reassured her.
    “I’m sure he will; he