A Werewolf, A Vampire, and A Fae Walk Into A Bar (Book 1 of The Last Witch Series) novel Chapter 38

“Where am I?” she asks Darius, who’s still holding her hand. His jaw is clenched tightly and his muscles are tense, like he’s the one in distress.

“In a room that keeps you safe from the outside,” Darius answers, “but not safe from yourself.”

“Can you take me away?”

The vampire shakes his head, a look of pity etched on his brow. “I can’t take you anywhere you’d be better off. Matilda, do you recognize your granddaughter?”

She turns toward me, the warm smile still there, and nods her head.

“Bernie. I’m so sorry.”

“What for, Nanny?” I can’t imagine what she feels the need to apologize for. The tears I’ve been holding back begin to spill as I rush to her side, kneeling next to Darius, and only slightly resenting that it’s his hand she’s holding instead of mine.

“I couldn’t save you,” Nanny says. “I couldn’t save my Lauren, and after I tried, I couldn’t save you.”

“Save me from what?” When she doesn’t respond immediately, I turn to Darius. “Save me from what? What’s she talking about?”

He throws me a quick look, and with it a mental warning. If you want me to learn anything, you’ll stay calm.

I nod, his point well taken, and he gives his attention back to Tilly.

“You’ve more power than I remember,” Darius says, a slight quiver in his voice. “Do you know what changed? What happened to your mind?”

Nanny keeps her eyes on the ceiling, and I see a tear fall down her weathered cheek.

“I thought I could end the line,” she says matter-of-factly, her voice clear and strong. “I thought, perhaps, I could be the last one.”

I don’t understand what’s going on, and I can’t quite tell if Darius does either. His face looks pained, like he’s having this conversation while squatting a thousand pounds.

“Why didn’t you know better?” the vampire asks. The question isn’t so much scornful, as one filled with regret. A sadness born from whatever my grandmother did.

She turns to him again, the smile coming back, though this time with a mischievous curl in her lip. “Why don’t any of us know better, my sweet?”

My sweet? That better be some endearing grandmother shit, because I’m not prepared to hear that Nanny and my vamp boy had a thing before I was born.

“Matilda,” Darius says, the strain in his voice more pronounced. “The Order is back. Or perhaps never left. We know they want the baby, but we don’t know their intention. Without your guidance, I fear they’re being misled.”

Tilly’s smile fades, replaced by a look of concern.

“I know nothing. Leadership came through my bloodline, protection spells from our family books. It… it must be a new--”

Before she can finish her sentence, the door to her room crashes open, shattering the fragile silence.

“Get away from the bed!” screams a male voice.

I look over to see a man dressed in black, his face covered by a hood just like Karl’s, only it’s not Karl’s voice. It’s obviously not medical staff, unless they’ve really changed their methods since last I was here.

“You! Get up. Let go of the woman’s hand!” he shouts, holding up a gun and pointing it at Darius.

The vampire raises his left hand, the one not locked with Tilly’s, to show he’s defenseless. Then he leans in and whispers to my grandma, just loud enough for me to hear.

“This will hurt, and I’m sorry. But you’re strong.”

With that, he releases her hand and she immediately starts to convulse violently. It’s worse than I’ve ever seen before, and I’m sure her neck is going to snap.

“What did you do?” the man at the door shouts, stealing my question. He makes a move toward Tilly’s bed, but as soon as he lifts his leg, Darius waves an arm and sends the man flying through the doorway, crashing against the wall on the opposite side of the hall.

“More will be here soon,” Darius says, his voice raspy and his eyes bloodshot. “Follow me through the window.”

“I can’t leave Nanny. What if they hurt her?”

“They won’t,” he says as he unlocks and opens the window frame. “If the Order of the Star wanted her dead, she’d be dead.”