Inhuman Heritage Read Free Page A

glare like that? Then I recognized her, she was the girl who had tried to stop me going back into Magnus’s office once, the one I had been sure had a crush on him. I stared back at her.
    “What is your problem?” She glared at me even harder like I was either stupid or brave for challenging her glare. She kept her eyes averted from me as she spoke.
    “How could you break his heart like that? He’s been such a mess since you left him. How can you come here showing off your new boyfriend like this?”
    “Firstly,” I said glaring back at her, my stare twice as hard as hers making her cower back from me. “I do not have to explain myself to you. I don’t know you and you do not know me despite what you may think. And secondly, he should feel bloody awful after what he did to me, he’s the one who slept with someone else.”
    She looked at me stunned, mouth hanging open and a look on her face that said despite her female camaraderie for a scorned woman she still wanted to be on Magnus’s side. I felt anger boil in me and the top part of the candle that was still intact with the wick lit in the dustpan scorching her hand slightly. She yelped and dropped it all over the floor again smashing the dustpan down on the fire to put it out. I kept staring at her. How dare she try to judge me without any of the facts!
    Jareth was suddenly by my side sweeping his arm around my shoulders and he led me outside. Aribella came bustling out behind us looking perturbed at Jareth’s sudden limpet-like attachment to me. He held my hands in his.
    “Calm down, Cassandra, take a deep breath.”
    I looked into his cool eyes and closed mine taking a deep breath, in and out. I felt my power back down. I realized I’d been amping it up as if I was going into a fight. When I felt calmer and more myself I opened my eyes looking right into Jareth’s. I gave him a brief embarrassed smile.
    “I’m better now, thank you.”
    “Good. I needn’t remind you that this is an important night,” said Jareth blatantly reminding me anyway. I nodded solemnly. He let go of my hands turning to offer his arm to Aribella who was greatly pleased to have his attention again if the look on her face was anything to go by. Aram returned to my side and I took his hand squeezing it tight. He brushed a lock of hair away from my face and kissed the side of my head.
    “Come my Andra, we shall go, we shall dance and this night will get better and better.” I smiled slightly.
    “Is that a promise?”
    “Absolutely.”
    Aram, Jareth, Aribella and I rode back in the limo together. Sienna and the twins Tarquin and Vincent had gone on ahead to be there to greet guests as they arrived. I rested my hands in my lap, keeping my eyes on them raising them only to check to see if Jareth was still looking at me. Every time I checked, he was and it was beginning to bother me. I reached to Aram who was to my left and gripped his hand. He smiled at me pulling me closer to his side. I leaned up to whisper in his ear, it was a futile gesture in a car full of vampires but it was the illusion that I meant for it to be a private conversation.
    “Why is Jareth watching me?” Aram looked over to his brother who quickly turned his head to look at Aribella who was drumming her fingers looking entirely bored with the drive.
    “I can think of one very good reason,” he said with a leer looking over my body. I squeezed his hand harder and I swear he winced. “You do not see how you look, pet but if I must answer with the most likely thing to your mind, it would be that he is keeping track of your emotions.”
    “How?” I asked puzzled. Aram leaned in to whisper to me.
    “His talent, pet. He is a reader, you would call it empathy. He can feel what you are feeling and if he chose could make you feel how he wanted you to.” I made a little round ‘O’ with my mouth and rested my head on Aram’s shoulders. I thought I might have been happier if I hadn’t have known that. To know