City of Magic: The Complete Series by Helen Harper (book club recommendations TXT) 📕

you weren’t there at the time. You came to Manchester because the power in the magic makes you feel powerful. It was a similar thing with Julie. She had a moment of madness where she almost helped to bring about the apocalypse by forcing too much magic into the city because she was tired of being hunted and feeling like prey. What you have to remember is that the world didn’t end. And she feels really bad about what she did.’

He looked at me curiously. ‘Is that why you think I don’t like her? I’m not bothered about what happened there. We’re all allowed our moments of madness.’

Are we? I raised an eyebrow.

He tutted. ‘Whatever this world is now, whatever this city is, until the apocalypse occurred our kind had to hide. Do you have any idea what it’s like to be so alone that you can’t tell a single soul what you are?’ He gestured at Monroe. ‘We’re not like werewolves. We don’t usually live in packs like this. Most vampires are only living here together because we have the wolves to contend with, and this is the time for a display of might and numbers. It won’t last.’ He shook his head. ‘No. Until all this occurred, even the faintest hint of our true nature could bring vampire hunters to us. They don’t just kill us – they want to capture us, keep us alive, study us.’ A pained expression crossed his face. ‘You’ve not experienced what it’s like to feel you’re a monster until you’ve seen the bodies of your parents after they’ve spent a few years being tortured by the hunters.’

I felt an overwhelming desire to hug him tightly but I doubted he’d appreciate it. ‘Julie experienced the same thing. She’s like you. She had to hide from them, just like you did.’

‘She was an actress.’ The guard spat on the ground as if it were a dirty word.

I scratched my head. ‘Uh…’

Monroe got it. ‘Broadcasting her face to millions on a daily soap opera. Doing interviews. And not growing old.’

‘Exactly.’ The vampire folded his arms and nodded. ‘Sooner or later some clever bastard on the internet would have worked out that there was more to her longevity than Botox. It was only a matter of time. Because she wanted to be famous, she risked exposing us all. There weren’t many vampire hunters because there weren’t many people who knew about our existence.’ He sniffed. ‘But imagine an entire world knowing you’re out there. Looking for you.’

‘The entire world knows you’re here now,’ I pointed out.

He shrugged. ‘Perhaps. But they’re out there and we’re in here.’ He glanced again at Monroe. ‘Dealing with wolves is far preferable to the life we had, the pitiful existence that Julie Chivers threatened.’ He set his jaw and I knew the conversation was over. There was deep-seated pain and trauma amongst all the vampires. Yeah, every single one of us was messed up in our own way.

Monroe and I walked away. ‘The vampire is right, you know,’ he said. ‘Julie’s desire to be on television put all of them under threat.’ He grimaced. ‘If any werewolf tried to do the same…’

I wrinkled my nose. ‘Why weren’t hunters after you guys? I mean, you’re supernatural too. In theory, werewolves should have also been a target.’

‘We live in close-knit packs. We don’t have the unnaturally long lives that vampires do, so we don’t draw as much attention to ourselves. And when someone gets too curious, we’re excellent hunters and trackers.’

I stared at him. ‘You’d kill someone who discovered your true nature?’ I asked, aghast.

‘It never happened,’ he said quietly.

‘But if it did?’

‘Then, yes. For the good of my pack and the others out there, yes, I would indeed do that.’ He stopped walking. ‘You know I’m not lying.’

I shivered. Unfortunately I did.

‘I told you, Charlotte,’ he said softly. ‘I’m dangerous. It’s a good thing that you have all those other fish in the sea to choose from.’

Shit. ‘Monroe, I…’

He held up his hand. ‘Don’t.’ He raised his head and scented the air. ‘I don’t think Julie is here. There’s no trace of her. I know her scent and her presence is not usually difficult to locate. I don’t think she’s here or in the south.’

This did not bode well. ‘There’s no one else who might know where she’s gone. From the way that guy was talking, all the vampires feel the same way about her. They all hate her.’

Monroe stilled. From the look on his face, he’d thought of something hugely important.

‘What is it?’

He clicked his fingers. ‘You might be onto something.’ He grinned at me so suddenly that I was taken aback. ‘Good work, sunshine.’ He took off in the opposite direction, jogging away. ‘Come on, then!’ he called to me.

I gazed after him for a moment. ‘Please let us find her,’ I whispered to myself. Then I ran too.

Chapter Twenty-Three

I was some distance behind Monroe. When I entered the pub he’d disappeared into, he already had Carter, the barman, by the collar and was yanking him over the counter. ‘Monroe!’ I yelled. ‘She’s not here! We’ve already checked this place!’

He paid me no attention. ‘I’m looking for two vampires,’ he snarled in Carter’s face. ‘Both of them are tall, thin and balding. One has a scar on his cheek. The other is a Metallica fan.’

From the way Carter’s pupils flared he was scared, but he was doing a good job of standing up to Monroe. ‘I was never a fan of doggy breath,’ he spat. ‘Get your face out of mine.’

Monroe tightened his grip and shook him. There was an odd snapping sound and, for the briefest moment, Monroe’s face changed into a wolf’s muzzle. With a wolf’s teeth. Then his features smoothed back to their human form. ‘Believe me,’ he said, ‘I can give you more than dog breath if you keep this up. Tell me where I can find them. You know exactly who I’m talking about.’

Carter