I shifted my shoulder to mold myself into him. If I was smart, I’d ask his help in moving my stuff out of the church tonight, but what came out of my mouth was a small, “Not yet. I’ll call to make sure she’s all right, though. I’m not going to be her scion, but I can’t leave her to be alone. I said no, and I think she’ll respect that.”

“What if she doesn’t?”

I tucked in closer. “I don’t know…. Maybe I’ll put a bell on her.”

He chuckled, but I thought I heard a trace of pain in it. I felt his amusement fade. His chest shifted my head as he breathed. What happened had scared me more than I wanted to admit. “You aren’t under a death threat anymore,” he whispered. “Why don’t you leave?”

I didn’t move, hearing his heartbeat. “I don’t have the money,” I protested softly. We’d been over this before.

“I told you that you can move in with me.”

I smiled, though he couldn’t see it, my cheek scraping against his cotton shirt. His apartment was small, but that wasn’t why I had always kept our sleepovers to the weekends. He had his own life, and I would get in his way if he had to take me in more than small doses. “It would last for a week, and then we would hate each other,” I said, knowing from experience it was true. “And I’m the only thing keeping her from falling back into being a practicing vamp.”

“So let her fall. She’s a vampire.”

I sighed, not finding the strength to get angry. “She doesn’t want to be. I’ll be more careful. It’ll be all right.” I put a confident, persuasive tone in my voice, but was left wondering if I was trying to convince him or me.

“Rachel…” Nick breathed, his breath shifting the hair atop my head. I waited, almost able to hear him trying to decide whether he should say anything more. “The longer you stay,” he said reluctantly, “the harder it’s going to be to resist the vamp-induced euphoria. That demon that attacked you last spring pumped more vamp saliva into you than a master vampire. If witches could be turned, you’d be one by now. As it is, I think Ivy could bespell you simply by saying your name. And she’s not even dead yet. You’re making unsafe rationalizations for staying in an unsafe situation. If you think you will ever want to leave, you should go now. Believe me, I know how good a vampire scar feels when a vamp’s need kicks in. I know how deep the lie goes, and how strong the lure.”

I sat up, my hand going to cover my neck. “You know?”