A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

when, instead of
focusing on small talk, all I could think about was how not to kill them? I
could only imagine what I’d say to the prospective in-laws, “Hello, it’s a
pleasure to eat, I mean, meet you.” I had to find the book—and
fast—before I turned Amber and half of her family with or without their consent.
    Kieran waited for me outside my room,
leaning against the railing, an unnerving grin playing on his lips. “Fee! Fie!
Foe! Fum ! I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he ‘live,
or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.”
    Walking past, I hissed, “Shut up.”
    “You’re right. The lyrics don’t fit. I’ll
change the end: Be he ‘live, or be he dead, I’ll drain his blood from his head.”
    I punched his shoulder.
    Kieran lifted his hands, his smile
widening. “What?” He sniffed the air and moaned. “Are you having a Fangsgiving Day dinner without me again? Somebody’s messy.
You know, they came up with this marvelous invention in this century. It’s
called a paper napkin. Ever heard of it?”
    Kieran wasn’t going to drop it. Not until he
got bored. I sighed and decided to get it over with. “Okay, say it.”
    “No idea what you’re talking about.” Kieran
raised his eyebrows in mock confusion.
    “That I’m a fool for putting myself through
this because of a girl.”
    Kieran laughed, eyes glinting with
self-satisfaction. “You’re going about it the wrong way, bro. Girls will trip
over themselves to get a bad guy. The way you’re proceeding, she won’t fall for
you in a million years. If you bite her and she turns, the Lore court will kill
you, but she’ll have her bad boy. If you don’t bite her, you’ll end up running
around in those stained shirts for the rest of your existence.”
    I looked down at the stains, and sighed. I
had been too frantic yet again, even though I knew drinking frozen blood would
never quell my thirst. “Crap. It’s probably on the carpet too. Where’s Clare? She’s
a miracle worker when it comes to removing tough stains.”
    “Great way to impress your future
brother-in-law, by the way,” Kieran continued. “You look like you took a blood
bath. The only thing missing is the axe. Would Dallas really let his little sister
date a crazed murderer who hacks bodies in the basement? You need to change
that shirt pronto. And oh, you’re welcome. I just saved you from making a
complete and utter fool of yourself, but don’t mention it.”
    I curled my lips into a fake smile. “Thanks.
It’s so nice to know you’ve got my back.”
    Kieran regarded me coolly. “A hobby might
help ease all that hunger. Have you ever considered fixing cars, or
woodworking, or maybe a DIY project around the house?”
    “You’re getting a big laugh out of this,
aren’t you?”
    Kieran shrugged. “There’s nothing on TV. I
really hope you don’t change her. If you do it’s a sure death sentence, and I
won’t stand by and watch.”
    I smirked. “Just do me a favor and get
Amber’s brother out of the house before I have his blood stains on my shirt,
too.”
    Kieran crossed his arms over his chest,
grinning. “Yeah, killing him might not help you earn any brownie points with
her. So, what’s with the bad mood? Not yourself today?”
    “Not really.” I stared at the floor and the
whirled up dust particles shimmering in the artificial light.
    “I doubt you’ll ever be, bro, and that’s
because she has you wrapped around her little finger.” Kieran winked, his
laughter ringing through the hall as he headed downstairs.
    I returned to my room to change. I’d be the
one having the last laugh when Kieran found his mate, but until then I reckoned
I’d continue to be the laughing stock.
    Clare wasn’t in the library. I dropped on
the sofa and waited for my brother to give me the all clear. Half an hour
later, Kieran hadn’t returned from the living room, and the scent of Amber’s
brother still hung heavy in the air. How could I talk to Amber, make her want
me and agree to her turning if things went wrong, if Kieran didn’t hurry up a
bit?
    A vein throbbing in my right temple, I
stood and took a few tentative steps down the hall. Voices carried over; the
scent seemed a hundred times stronger here. Then I heard Kieran’s laughter, and
I realized my stupid brother was probably having the time of his life—on
my expense. Fighting the sudden pang of hunger, I clenched my hands and entered
the living room.

 
    ***

 
    Amber sat next