Free Amy's Advantage by Eve Jameson

why’d you end up in jail?” Cirryc asked.
    “Which time? No, never mind. Time to change the subject,”
she said glancing at Chloe, who was starting to stir in her car seat again,
mumbling about her bunny. Amy found the stuffed animal tucked against the other
side of the car seat and slid it under Chloe’s arm. “Here’s Mr. Pink,” she
whispered, patting her daughter’s hand as it instinctively clamped around a
fuzzy ear.
    “Mr. Pink?” Cirryc asked.
    “Chloe named him.” When Cirryc frowned, Amy said, “He came
in a pink box.”
    “Ah.” He didn’t look convinced.
    Amy shrugged. “So tell me about the Sleht and why it’s so
important to them to find me and my sisters.”
    “It’s your blood,” Cirryc
started, but came up short when Amy blanched. “No, not like that. Do you
believe all that vampire shit?”
    Chloe’s thumb popped out of her
mouth and she rubbed her eyes with her tiny fist. Cirryc glanced at Jordyn and
quickly apologized to Amy for cursing. Amy didn’t know which was more amusing,
watching Jordyn keep Cirryc in line or watching a big, strong, super gorgeous
man try to tiptoe around a child’s innocence. His immaturity might irritate her
at times but he did have his really freakin’ sweet moments. “You’re okay with
alien Predators and homicidal, overgrown house pets, yet you doubt vampires ?”
    It was his turn to shrug.
“Predators and Slayers are real.”
    “Try explaining that to the
Houston police.”
    “You told the police about the
Predators?” Jordyn asked.
    “Yes, the first time. Don’t
worry. Your alternate universe was not exposed. They didn’t believe a word I
said. I had to make them believe I was just the hysterical victim of a mugging
so they wouldn’t lock me in a padded room and take Chloe away. I didn’t say
anything to anyone after that, except for Aurora and Ellyna.”
    “We need to talk about those
attacks.” He looked over his shoulder at Chloe, whose eyes were fluttering open
and closed as she teetered on the edge of waking up. “Later.”
    Amy raised her eyebrows at
Cirryc. “Back to the blood.”
    “I’m starting to feel like the
official historian of the rescue team between you and your sisters. I should
write out a welcome pamphlet for the incoming Mystic daughters that would
explain how the ancient ruling houses of Ilyria royally fu—messed up.” He
twisted in his seat to see Amy. “The original war started with five brothers
who decided to use the powers the gods had given them to take over each other’s
land instead of using them the keep the peace in their own kingdoms.” He tilted
his head toward Chloe and gave her a pointed look. “Most of that part of the
story is pretty gruesome.”
    “We can skip it.”
    He nodded. “Well, your ancestors
were the only clan not to take sides, so the gods took the powers from the
Royals and put them in your family line of Mystics. This, of course, made my ancestors angry and they hunted down the Mystics in retaliation.”
    “Mystics? Like witch doctors or
mediums?”
    Cirryc’s eyes squinted as he
searched for the right words. “Not exactly. Originally, I think your ancestors
held a lot of powers similar to the Prophets in Ilyria now, but a lot of our
history from before the wars has become lost. But the Mystics definitely were
opposed to the fighting and their resistance caused many other families to
doubt the rightness of the Royal Wars. So my ancestors decided Ilyria would be
better off without the Mystics altogether.”
    “This just gets better and
better.”
    “Don’t worry. That was a long
time ago.”
    “Thank god for small favors.”
    “Anyway, it took several
generations for my ancestors to realize the gods were serious and that there
wasn’t any way to go against the gods and keep their powers. Not only did the
gods set it up so we had to protect the Mystics, the heirs have to mate a
Mystic to increase the powers in their children. That’s where your blood comes
in. The