In the Shadow of Darkness by Nicole Stiling

Author:Nicole Stiling [Stiling, Nicole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781635556254
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2020-01-19T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

“I didn’t think you’d come back,” Kathryn said, her legs draped over the arms of a chair in the living room. She didn’t look up when Angeline walked in.

“I didn’t think I would either, to be honest. I didn’t want to, if I’m being really honest.” Anger coursed through Angeline’s veins. She was angry at Kathryn, angry at herself, and angry at whoever the sonofabitch was who started this whole vampire nonsense. The constant doubt about making it on her own, alone in an unfriendly world with no one who understood her, was getting a bit tedious. Even after all this time, she couldn’t imagine living in a world where no one knew who—and what—she really was.

“I’m not surprised. Did you accomplish what you set out to do?”

Angeline clenched her teeth. She could feel her gums twitching. “Yes. I did.”

“Did she scream at the sight of her daughter’s ghost, or did she embrace her little baby vamp like no time has passed at all?” Kathryn flipped a page in her magazine.

“She died.”

Kathryn didn’t say she was sorry or offer any condolences, but Angeline was pleased that she knew enough to let it go. Otherwise, Angeline would have ripped her throat out. Tried to, anyway.

“While you were away, I did some soul searching. All those years ago, I decided I needed a friend—a companion—and I was lucky enough to find you,” Kathryn said, her voice dripping with sweet sarcasm. “Maybe you need something similar. I’d like you to meet Charlotte.”

“Who?”

A woman who appeared to be in her twenties walked out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. “Oh, you must be Angeline. I’m Charlotte.”

Angeline raised her eyebrows at Kathryn, whose lips were turned up in amusement. “Charlotte is going to stay with us for a while. She’s photosensitive, so she too is unable to go out into the sunlight. She’s sensitive to our plight.”

“You mean—”

“Yes, Angeline. She knows.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me. Your secret is safe. I’ve always been very interested in the paranormal, since I wondered for a while if I was actually one of you. It took the doctors quite some time to diagnose me. I went on a ghost hunting mission with Frederick Bligh once. It was life-altering,” Charlotte said, leaning against the arm of the velvet couch.

Trying not to roll her eyes, Angeline cleared her throat. “Did you see any ghosts?”

“No. But there was definitely a presence in that old house. Their equipment was vibrating and beeping and making all kinds of noises. It was really creepy.” Charlotte pushed the blond hair that had fallen out of her barrette away from her face. She reminded Angeline of Carole Lombard in Nothing Sacred.

“Well,” Angeline said, sighing. “I’ve had a very long and trying few days, so if you’ll both excuse me, I’m going to bed.”

She picked her suitcase up and carried it to her bedroom, which was a welcome sight even though she’d wished she could have just stayed in Massachusetts. She’d thought about

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