Free Sweet Last Drop by Melody Johnson Page A

around me. I leaned fractionally over its edge, peeking into the abyss. Even as my eyes adjusted, they couldn’t penetrate through to the cave’s bottom. Assuming the cave had a bottom.
    Rene pulled me back. “We’re waiting here. Many of our newest coven members still haven’t fed.”
    “Is this the entrance to your coven?” I asked, surprised.
    Rene nodded. “I don’t want the first human they lay eyes on after waking from their day rest to be a night blood. They wouldn’t be able to resist drinking from you, and once they started, they might not stop. Your blood is like—”
    “Like cinnamon and spice and everything nice,” I said, drolly. “Or so I’m told.”
    He smirked. “Yes, it is.”
    “I appreciate your concern, but if you didn’t want me in harm’s way, why bring me to a coven full of unfed vampires?”
    “It’s not you I’m worried about. You would survive, but they wouldn’t.”
    I frowned. “ I would survive, and they wouldn’t?”
    “Bex would never tolerate another vampire in her coven draining a night blood.”
    I stared at Rene, incredulous. “Bex would kill a vampire for attacking me?”
    “Of course. Night bloods are potential vampires, and the only vampire who can transform a night blood is Bex. An attack against a night blood is considered an attack against Bex herself.”
    I nodded. His logic made a strange sort of sense, more sense than how Dominic ruled his coven, and I wondered at the difference. Maybe Bex was more powerful and therefore better able to control her vampires. Maybe Dominic only seemed less powerful because his Leveling was approaching in two weeks. Or maybe Dominic was not as effective a Master—all possibilities worth considering, but I knew better than to utter them aloud, especially the last. Even 300 miles away, I wouldn’t be surprised if Dominic overheard me. I’d regret it, but I wouldn’t be surprised.
    “What have you brought home, Rene? I thought I taught you better than to play with your food?”
    Bex materialized in front of us. It must have been a trick of the darkness and her own speed and stealth because actually materializing from nothing was impossible, even for a vampire. Then again, so much lately that should be impossible was real; I couldn’t really question what may or may not be possible. I only questioned what occurred: I was alone with Rene one moment, and the next, Bex was in front of us, her reflective, yellow-green irises refracting the moonlight.
    I tried to breathe normally, knowing their senses could detect every minute internal change in my body, but I couldn’t help it. My body started to tremble.
    “Master.” Rene bowed his head. “I present a new night blood in our territory. She calls herself DiRocco.”
    I took a calming breath, but the tremble in my chest worsened. The vial of Dominic’s blood was a hot weight around my neck. I caught myself reaching to touch it and forced my hand to remain at my side.
    “DiRocco, I present—”
    I waved my hand at Rene dismissively, annoyed at his formality while Bex was frying a laser through my chest with her unwavering, alien eyes. “Yes, I know, you present Bex, the Master Vampire of Erin, New York, from Chemung to Wayne County and everywhere in between.”
    Bex grinned. “Walker taught you well.”
    “Walker doesn’t speak of you in that way.”
    Rene looked between the two of us, weary regret heavy in his expression. “You’ve already met?”
    Bex lost the grin. “Why would Lysander concern himself with my expanding territory?”
    “Dominic makes everything his concern.”
    “That I most certainly believe. What I’m not quite certain I believe is why you were brought here.” Bex shifted her gaze from me to Rene with a flick of her golden-green eyes, and I almost felt bad for Rene. Almost.
    Rene cocked his head, not looking particularly worried about being on the business end of that look. “She’s a new night blood in our territory. I wasn’t aware of