Into The Void (Vampire Hunter Book 4) Read Free

when we were still humans.”
He snickered.
    “I know!” Lucas said, laughing. “I keep having to remind myself that
Aurora can’t just come and go as she pleases.”
    “I’m right here; you don’t have to talk about me in third person,” I said
waspishly.
    “Sorry.” Lucas brushed my hand. Relax. He mouthed the words.
    I forced my shoulders down. I didn’t realize I had been holding them so
tightly. I really was tense. At least Lucas looked like he was calming down some
now. And even Emmett had stopped pacing and sat down to study the flashlight
thing.
    “Actually, I’m glad you said that about me being grounded. I can’t
believe I was about to forget that my curfew is at midnight. We’ll just be
getting to the meeting then,” I said nervously.
    I pulled out my phone and texted my mom. Can I stay at Jessica’s house tonight? Henry will drop us both off.
    Almost immediately my mom wrote back. Sure!
I’m so glad to see you reconnecting with your old friends. Have fun!
    If only she knew the truth.
    Henry had also texted me back. I was almost afraid to read it, but I had
to know he didn’t hate my guts. I’m so
glad you’re safe, Rory. Where are you now? I could leave the party and we could
hang out.
    I couldn’t let Henry know anything strange was happening.
    I’m home but I’m exhausted. Going
to bed early. Call you in the morning?
    I slipped my phone back into my purse, satisfied with my alibis. I just hope mom and Henry don’t compare
stories, I thought nervously.
    “Anyway,” Lucas continued, “getting back to what I was telling you about
Matthews. He didn’t say much on the phone or in emails – he’s very careful. But
one thing stood out. He had an old email – from before the first meeting – that
mentioned making sure each and every attendant got a stamp.”
    “Like when they stamp your hand at a concert to show you’re underage?” I
asked.
    “That’s what we were thinking,” Nicholas said. “So we decided to set out
and find one of these so-called stamps.”
    “But didn’t you say that they’re all unique?” Emmett asked.
    Lucas looked uncomfortable but Nicholas seemed totally at ease. “Correct.
That’s why in order to find a stamp, I first had to find a vamp.”
    “You see,” Nicholas continued, “there are some creatures you don’t want
to mess with. And vampires are one of those creatures, but I’ve got a leg up
since I happen to be one myself. So, I thought if I could find a vampire with a
stamp, I’d take his stamp and put it on my neck. And voila. I’d become him for the next meet and greet.”  
    “What happened to the vampire you took it from?” Emmett asked
suspiciously. He was watching Nicholas closely and didn’t look like he trusted
him at all. But then again, Emmett didn’t seem to trust anyone. It was probably
a miracle Lucas got him to agree to come out with them and not meet in some
hugely populated place.
    Nicholas pantomimed stabbing a stake through his chest, then dramatically fell back onto the couch as he twisted his
face in pretend pain.
    “Is that really how they die?” I blurted out.
    Lucas looked like he was trying to decide whether to be annoyed or
amused. “ Nic is screwing around,” he finally said.
    “About all of it?” I raised my eyebrows.
    “Nah, just about the way vamps die. It’s much more brutal than that.”
Nicholas leaned forward, a serious expression on his face. “I’m not trying to
scare you, but yeah, I had to kill the vampire. Maybe Lucas sugar coats his
job, but I don’t. Sometimes it’s necessary.”
    I looked at Lucas. “You told me you only kill the bad guys!” I said
accusatorily.
    “I wasn’t implying Lucas has a lax moral code,” Nicholas said quickly.
“Neither of us does. This vamp I killed – Raymond – had it coming. Always
involved in shady shit and by the skin of his teeth would muster up an alibi to
clear his name. Or all of the sudden some other creature would turn up dead, a
handy