Read Online Heart of the Vampire (Vanderlind Castle) by Gayla Twist - Free Book Online

have to get a favorable ruling from the Bishops.”
    “And what if we don’t?” I asked. It was, after all, a strong possibility.
    Jessie filled his lungs with air and then let it out slowly. “Then we run , and I spend the rest of my life protecting you.”
    I couldn’t suppress the words that sprang to my lips. “You mean the rest of my life.”
    Jessie looked at me, his gray eyes deep as the night. “Aurora, if a vampire gets to you, it’s only because he’s already killed me.”
    Gulping, I whispered, “Do you really think it’s that bad?”
    “I don’t know,” he said with a heavy shrug. “But until we get to Budapest, you need to be very careful at night. I don’t want you going out after sundown unless you’re with a large group of people or I am at your side.”
    “Okay .” I nodded. It wasn’t that difficult of a promise to keep. After Ilona, I pretty much didn’t want to go out at night ever again.
    “And what about your father?” Jessie asked. “What if he agrees to have you for a visit? How will you get out of it?”
    “No,” I assured him. “He’d never go for it. He doesn’t want to see me. He doesn’t even want to pay for child support. Whenever I do speak to him, he always manages to work into the conversation how he’s broke and can’t afford it.”
    My words made Jessie flinch a little. “I’m sorry your father’s priorities are so screwed up,” he said, giving my arm a squeeze.
    “Yeah, me, too,” I told him. “But to be honest with you, I’m pretty used to it.”
    We sat in silence for a moment, but I could tell Jessie’s brain was running a mile a minute. “I’ll contact the Bishops and tell them that we’ll be there as soon as humanly possible,” Jessie said. “They know you must take a plane. I’ll also book the tickets and get you a passport. Do you think things will work out with your father? I mean, as far as your mom believing you’re going to visit him?”
    “I think so,” I said, feeling a twinge in my heart knowing I’d made my mother cry. She would never say anything to stop me, of course. Not in a million years. She wasn’t the type of parent to prioritize her own feelings over what she thought was healthy for me, but still... I felt like a jerk. “I’ll call my dad again tomorrow. I’m sure he’ll say no, but at least there will be the phone records if anyone checks. I’ll have to take my car. My mom’s expecting me to drive down there, so I guess I can just park it at the airport. I’ve already asked to take Wednesday off of school to buy us some extra time, and I think my mom will go for it.”
    “That’s good.” Jessie nodded his approval. “I’ll get you a flight out of Cleveland. That’s the closest big airport. How early do you think you can get there on Wednesday?”
    “I don’t know.” I hadn’t really thought about it. “Not super early . My mom will find it suspicious if I’m too eager to see my dad,” I told him. “But, Jessie. Last minute flights are going to cost a fortune.”
    “Don’t worry about paying for anything,” Jessie assured me. “I’ll handle it, of course.”
    “You don’t have to,” I told him. Although I really couldn’t think of any way I could afford a flight to Europe on the wages I earned at Cup of Joe’s.
    “I insist.” His voice was so firm that I didn’t resist any further.
    “Thank you,” I said very softly, leaning a little closer. He was just so generous and kind.
    “What are your plans for tomorrow?” Jessie asked after clearing his throat.
    “School, I guess. Why?”
    “Can you skip Monday and Tuesday?” he wanted to know.
    “Absolutely not.” Tiburon high was not very lenient on truancy. I would be caught almost immediately. I was already pushing my luck to take Wednesday off even with my mom’s permission.
    “Do you have to work in the evening?”
    “No.” I shook my head, wondering if I’d ever told Jessie about my part-time job. “But I’ll have to