Free Blood Forever by Mari Mancusi Page A

straws here, but I can’t help it. “Wouldn’t he prefer to hear it from his own progeny, vampire to vampire and all that?”
    “You’re going to be a full member of the Blood Coven and my blood mate in one month,” Magnus points out. “I see no reason why he shouldn’t respect you and hear you out.”
    Sigh. I’m not going to get out of this, am I? I just have to pray Lucifent’s in an indulgent mood and not into killing messengers and such. “Fine,” I say reluctantly. “Lead the way.”
    As I rise from my seat, I expect Magnus to lead me outside into his BMW and drive me over to Blood Coven HQ in St. Patrick’s Cemetery. But it turns out Lucifent evidently enjoys a little night life himself because instead I’m brought back through the dance floor of Club Fang, through a locked door at the other end of the hall, and behind a red velvet curtain, into a small, stark room I’ve never seen before. There, two vampires stand guard before a plain wooden door.
    “We’re here to see Lucifent,” Magnus informs the guards.
    The two vampires look at one another, then turn back to Magnus. “The Master is at dinner. He asks not to be disturbed.”
    Phew. “Oh well, we’ll have to tell him some other time, I guess,” I say quickly, relieved to have an out. “Or, you know, you can tell him when you see him, Magnus. At some point when I’m probably not hanging around…”
    Magnus ignores me. “This girl has vital information regarding the Master’s safety,” he insists, giving the guards a steely look. “I expect he will want to be interrupted to hear her tale.”
    “Fine.” The guard on the left turns and opens the door behind him just a crack, slipping through and yanking it shutbefore I can get a good peek inside. We wait in awkward silence, the second guard giving us a squirrelly look. A moment later the door opens again. But it’s not the guard—or Lucifent—who steps into the room.
    “Jareth!” I cry out in surprise before I can remember I’m not supposed to know the vampire in question. “Um,” I say quickly. “That’s your name, right?”
    He stops short as he sees me and a flush of anger crosses his face. “You again!” he growls. “I thought I told you to leave me alone!”
    Uh-oh. I glance at Magnus, who’s now looking from me to Jareth and back again, confusion in his eyes. What did Rayne go and do now? I thought it would be safe to leave her alone for a minute or two, but evidently not so much.
    And unfortunately Jareth’s not finished. “I told you. I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to take a midnight walk on the beach. And I certainly don’t want to partake in a quick juicing of your jugular.” He bares his fangs at me, as if to try to scare me off. “I’m a very busy vampire, I’ll have you know, and I don’t have time for any of your shenanigans.”
    “Jareth, I think you have this girl mistaken for someone else,” Magnus cuts in. “This is Rayne McDonald. My future blood mate.”
    “Well, your future blood mate has just spent the last fifteen minutes trying to make me fall in love with her,” Jareth says with a scowl. “Telling me we’re soul mates from another life and that I should dump my girlfriend and hook up with her instead.”
    Oh, Rayne…So not in the plan!
    “That’s impossible,” Magnus protests. “She has been with me this entire time.”
    “Are you calling me a liar?” Jareth demands, his face turning purple.
    “Well, if the cape fits…”
    Jeez Louise. “Um, hello?” I interject. “I can explain?”
    The two vampires turn to look at me. I draw in a breath and address Jareth first. “You have me mistaken for my twin sister. She’s the one who wants to hook up with you.” Then I turn to Magnus. “And I’m your blood mate.” Well, sort of anyway. It’s going to be very confusing if he keeps thinking of me as Rayne. But how can I explain our little switcheroo? It’ll only make things even more bewildering—if that’s possible