Chapter 41

I couldn't look away from Damon's silver-gray eyes. They held me frozen, trapping me in the moment. His grip on me was firm yet careful, his expression unreadable as he gazed down at me. My heart was still pounding from the fall, but the adrenaline wasn't just from that-it was from him. From what he'd done.

I swallowed hard and asked again, "What are you?"

He didn't answer right away. His gaze stayed locked on mine, studying me like he was trying to decide something. The silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken words. I could feel the heat radiating from his body, despite the cool evening air. He was too calm, too composed, while my mind was spiraling with questions I wasn't sure I wanted the answers to.

Then, I just said it. "Are you one of them?"

His lips twitched at the corners, almost amused. Slowly, he set me back down on solid ground, making sure I was steady before letting go. The absence of his touch sent an odd chill through me.

"One of what?" he asked, his tone smooth, teasing, as if we were discussing something casual-like the weather or a class assignment.

I met his gaze, determined. "A vampire."

Damon's smile widened, and my stomach twisted. Was I right? Did I just say something I wasn't supposed to? But my confidence flickered when his smirk didn't fade. He didn't look surprised or concerned-if anything, he looked entertained.

"You're almost right," he said.

Almost? My breath caught. "What does that mean?"

Instead of answering, he just chuckled lightly, shaking his head. That smug, I-know-something-you-don't attitude of his was infuriating. He knew exactly what he was doing, knew it would get under my skin, and he was enjoying it.

I crossed my arms, not backing down. "Can you drop the whole mysterious act? I already know a lot. You and your whole family-you're not human."

For a moment, his expression remained unreadable, and then he took a step closer, closing the space between us. The air around him felt charged, like standing too close to a lightning strike. His hand reached out, and before I could pull away, his fingers brushed under my chin, tilting my face slightly upward. His touch was soft, almost careful, but it sent an electric current down my spine.

"Stop searching for trouble, Elizabeth," he murmured. "You're safer not knowing."

I opened my mouth to snap back, to tell him that I wasn't scared of the truth, but before I could say anything-he was gone. Just gone. One second he was right there, the next... nothing. Like he had never even been standing in front of me.

My pulse hammered in my ears.

I knew Damon wasn't normal. I knew something was off about him. But this? Moving faster than humanly possible? Catching me like I weighed nothing? What the hell was he?

One way or another, I was going to find out.

Later that afternoon, Vanessa and I met up at Saints Pub & Grill Shack, a local restaurant-slash-bar that was basically a second home to most college students. The place had everything-great burgers, cheap beer, and a couple of pool tables in the back. The scent of sizzling meat and fried food filled the air, mixing with the low hum of conversation and clinking glasses.

Vanessa was practically buzzing with excitement as we grabbed a corner booth away from most of the crowd. Her knee bounced under the table, and she kept glancing around, as if she was waiting for the perfect moment to say something.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay... what's with the energy?"

"Just watch," she said, her eyes gleaming with something I couldn't quite place.

I frowned as Vanessa stared ahead at... nothing. At first, I thought she was messing with me, but then the lights in the pub flickered. Not just a little-like a full-on power surge. The overhead bulbs buzzed, dimming and brightening as if someone was playing with a switch.

Then, without warning, a gust of wind blasted through the restaurant, flinging the doors open and rattling the windows. Napkins flew off tables. People gasped, looking around in confusion, some cursing under their breath. A waitress nearly dropped a tray of drinks.

Vanessa shut her eyes for half a second, and just like that, everything stopped. The wind died down. The lights steadied. The restaurant returned to normal, people muttering in confusion, shaking their heads like they'd imagined it.

She turned back to me, looking ridiculously proud of herself.

I stared at her, my mind struggling to catch up. "What the hell was that?"

Vanessa grinned. "I think I'm finally getting the hang of it."

"You just-" I gestured wildly around us. "You caused a storm inside a freaking restaurant! Since when can you do that?"

"Since a few hours ago," she said, biting her lip like she was trying not to burst from excitement. "After we talked to Grams, I kinda went home and started practicing. And look-it worked!"

Before I could respond, a familiar voice cut in.

"Jeez, it just got randomly windy out there. I thought I was gonna fly away for a second," Chloe said, laughing as she slid into the booth next to me. "Seriously, that was some freaky weather."

Vanessa and I exchanged a glance, but we didn't say anything. I felt bad that we weren't telling Chloe what was happening, but I felt like she preferred not knowing.

Chloe, completely oblivious, grabbed a menu. "Okay, what are we eating? I'm starving."

I nodded absently, but my mind was still stuck on what had just happened.

Vanessa had power. Real power. And she was learning to control it.

Which meant she could help us figure out what was really going on.

And as much as I knew I should stay away from Damon, as much as I told myself to be careful...

I had more questions than ever. And I wasn't going to stop until I got my answers.