I was pretty sure that the door to the bedroom I’d been given, wasn’t locked. It didn’t need to be, I had nowhere to go and still so many questions needing answers.

After one look at Patrik’s dazed expression, Marie had announced that the evening's hunt would be postponed until the next night and that we would all benefit from some rest. She’d left the other two in the cellar and shown me to a room on the top floor of the house.

Left to my own devices, I’d tried to sleep but my mind wouldn’t stop racing which is why I found myself, sometime past midnight, alone in the dark as I tried to sort out my whirling emotions.

I’d picked Patrik up and thrown him around as though he weighed nothing. Not only that, I’d felt incredibly powerful for a short time and it was only after I’d released my hold on those powers, that I’d considered that he might be hurt. That scared me almost as much as having the powers did.

My crappy phone vibrated on the nightstand and I looked at the glowing display. Another attempted call from Evie. She was worried and I was being an ass not responding and letting her know I was ok. But was I really? What the hell could I tell her if I did call her back?

The worst thing was that I’d wanted this. I’d wanted to know that what I’d seen all those years ago had been real and that something truly monstrous had killed my parents. I’d wanted to have the strength, the power to fight back against the horrors of the world. Now I had and I was terrified.

I wished Abe was with me. He’d at least offered me some answers and I desperately wanted to know why the name ‘Sephtis’ had caused such fear.

A burst of laughter sounded from somewhere in the house, high pitched and sharp as glass. Delilah I guessed, having fun with Jo in their room. It’d been a long time since anyone had laughed like that with me. A long time since anyone had shared my bed.

Patrik, seemed to show some interest at least until I’d thrown him against the wall. Even if he was still interested, I couldn’t get the image of him striking me out of my head. It had been for a purpose, but still, it wouldn’t go away anytime soon.

I ached for a drink too. Something to keep away the nightmares and help me to sleep. I’d become so used to having that drink, that became two or more, before bed, that without it I just couldn’t sleep.

My head hit the pillow and I closed my eyes once again. I will sleep, I will sleep, running through my head on endless repeat. It didn’t help. After five minutes, I threw back the thick duvet and climbed out of bed.

Making as little noise as possible, I opened the bedroom door and stepped into the hall. Delilah had wine earlier and I figured, there must be something in the house to take the edge off and help me fall asleep.

Down two flights of stairs and into the kitchen. The night time air was chill on my bare arms and legs, the simple nightgown I’d been given was virginal white and far too short. Barely covering my ass and revealing more of my limited cleavage than I preferred.

“Can’t sleep?” Patrik asked as I stepped into the kitchen and I let out a startled yelp as I spun round to face him.

“What the hell are you doing lurking by the door in the dark?” I snapped. He was naked aside from a too tight pair of shorts and his sculpted body was far too perfect for my liking. He didn’t have an ounce of fat on him and a clearly defined set of abs that I suspected would be rock solid.

“I have headache,” he replied. “The lights, they hurt my eyes.”

“Oh,” damn. “Sorry.”

“Not your fault,” he said slowly and I realised he was trying to avoid slurring his words. A half empty bottle of bourbon sat on the counter beside him and he lifted an empty glass from the shelf above him and placed it down. “Join me?”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“Sure,” I said and he poured a generous measure and shoved it across the counter top towards me.

I lifted the glass to my lips and took a tentative sip. It warmed my throat nicely as it went down and I could imagine a glow forming in my belly from the heat. “Not bad,” I said and he smiled and raised his glass to me. It was then that I realised something.

“How is it I can see you?” I asked. His head tilted to one side as he looked at me and I realised that it was pitch black in the house but I could see the stupid grin that crossed his face quite clearly.

“Another gift from our fathers,” he said. “Once you start accessing your power, you’ll find a few other little benefits. Excellent night vision is just one of them.”

“What are the others?”

“Different for everyone, you’ll figure them out on your own.”

“Great,” I said and his grin widened. I realised that he was staring at me appreciatively and his words hit me. “Crap! You can see me too!”

“Sure,” he said as I crossed one arm over my all too low cut nightgown and pulled on the hem with the other hand.

“Dammit! You could have said.”

“Don’t sweat it.” His laughter was genuine though kept low so as not to disturb the others in the house. “Figured you’d not mentioned you could see me, so weren’t bothered.”

The heat that surged up to my cheeks wasn’t from the bourbon and I hoped he couldn’t see well enough to notice that. God! I was such a freak at times. My habit of blushing at every little thing had been just another thing for the kids at school to torment me about. I’d hoped by the time I’d left my teens that it would have stopped. No such luck.

Another peal of laughter sounded from above us and Patrik shook his head. “What’s wrong?” I asked and he chuckled.

“Delilah,” he replied. “She set’s my teeth on edge.”

“She and Jo have been together a while?” I asked as I gave up on trying to yank the hem of my gown lower. Every time I pulled it down, more of my cleavage was revealed. I was just glad I was wearing underwear.

“Ja, a couple of years on and off.”

“You keep saying that.”

“What?”

“That word, ‘Ja.’ It means ‘yes’ right?”

“Ja,” he said and laughed. “I’ve been here for many years but still, sometimes, old habits you know?”

“Where’re you from originally? I can’t place the accent.”

“Norway,” he said and his voice was flat as his face changed, a look of sorrow passing over it.

“Sorry,” I said. “Didn’t mean to pry.”

“Is fine. Was a long time ago.”

“Never been to Norway or even out of England,” I said. “I’ve heard it’s beautiful there though.”

“Ja,” he said as his eyes took on a distant look. “Much beauty but many supernaturals.”

“Really? Like vampires and werewolves?”

“Nei,” he said as he shook his head. “They are there as they are everywhere, but the worst are the Jotun.”

“What are they?”

“Trolls. Fearsome creatures my people have fought since the time before Wotan.”

“Wotan?”

“Hmm, you would perhaps know him as Odin,” he said and grinned when I nodded. “Old religion still practised today.”

“So you’ve fought these Jotun?”

“Them and Nökken too,” he said and saw my blank look. “Shapeshifter that hides in the water and drowns young women.”

“That’s horrible!”

“There’s little about the supernatural world that isn’t,” he said.

“Even us?”

“Ja, even us.”

I swallowed the last of my drink and placed the glass down. He poured another without hesitation and raised his own glass in salute. I followed suit and downed it in one, enjoying the way the fiery liquid burned as it went down my throat. He poured a third glass.

“Hope you’re not trying to get me drunk,” I said. “Cause it’d take more than that bottle.”

“Nei,” he said. “I remember when I first found out about all this. A few drinks help, trust me.”

“Thanks.”

He smiled and we drank in silence for a short time. The sounds of movement from above was accompanied by the squeak of a mattress and the thud of a headboard against a wall and Patrik grinned as he caught me staring upwards.

“You want to join them? You can, they won’t mind.”

“Ah, no thanks,” I said with that blush heating my cheeks once more.

“Not problem,” he said with a knowing smile. “They are very welcoming.”

“Have you...”

“Once,” he admitted. “But too many people for me. I’m old fashioned.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“You should go sleep. We train tomorrow and then we hunt.”

“Hunt what?”

“Vampire,” he said and his eyes seemed to gleam in the darkness. Anticipation mixed with something darker that I shied away from.

I swallowed the last of my drink and placed the glass down on the counter before I said, “perhaps I should get some rest then.”

“Goodnight,” he said with a nod as he poured the last of the bourbon into his glass. “Sleep well.”

“You too,” I said as I stepped from the room, backwards so that he didn’t get to stare at my ass peeking out from beneath the gown.

The thought of a hunt filled me with equal parts excitement and fear. A vampire and perhaps one that was like Sephtis, who had murdered my parents and left me orphaned with a life full of sorrow and loneliness.

It would be a good start.