Silenced by K.N. Lee Page A

window. Her breaths quickened as they watched the slender woman step from her silver Mercedes parked along the busy street.
    It seemed too soon for such an appearance. Willa swallowed as she glanced up at the sky, the sun’s light muted from behind the cloud cover of the overcast London morning. She bit her bottom lip and put her hand over her heart.
    It’s happening, she thought as she watched the woman.
    All of the patrons in Little Zoe’s Coffee Shop crowded in front of the window to watch the spectacle before them.
    Willa scooted closer to Zoe, uncomfortable with the proximity of the other patrons of her best friend’s coffee shop. Each time someone touched her, a jolt of visions filled her head, showing her their thoughts.
    Some were pleasant.
    Most of the thoughts were not.
    Warily, Willa’s eyes went from the short man whose arm pressed against hers as he ogled the woman outside to the morning sky. Visions of him sitting in an old recliner with a lazy cocker spaniel on his lap came to her. The smell of cigar smoke and whiskey accompanied the image, making her cover her nose. It was no use trying to mask the smell. She was thankful when it faded with the vision.
    Sighing, Willa crossed her arms over her chest and chewed her bottom lip. She still had yet to find a way to exact her revenge on Lukas and save the other witches he’d imprisoned.
    A gruff voice came from the short man beside her. “How do you know she’s a vampire, Zoe?”
    Zoe took a picture of the vampire on her cell. “It’s not difficult, Mr. Craig. They just stand out.”
    “We should make them wear something. So they stand out even more. I can’t tell them apart,” Mr. Craig said.
    “Like the Jews?” Willa raised a brow. Having lived through countless wars, Willa was used to hearing such remarks. This was 2016 and humans still felt the need for a scapegoat.
    His eyes glanced at her. “You know what I mean.”
    “The Vampire Nation must have put their Sun Serum 99 on the market,” Zoe said.
    Willa looked down to see Zoe uploading the picture to Instagram.
    Willa’s brows drew in. “Stop that,” she whispered, nudging Zoe.
    Nearly a foot taller, Zoe looked down at Willa with an amused smile on her mauve lips. “What? They don’t care! They love the attention.” Her hazel eyes left Willa’s stern face and locked on the beautiful woman with the porcelain skin and impeccable style.
    Willa envied how the woman’s gray dress hugged her full bosom and slim hips.
    “Look, she’s almost glowing,” Zoe said. “Sun Serum 99 must work.”
    “Bloody vampires,” the short man said, shaking his head. “Won’t be long now before the world’s overrun with them.”
    Willa glanced at him. She wished he’d shut his mouth. Only years ago people said the same thing about witches. Now they were everywhere, perfectly assimilated into the human culture.
    Zoe gave Willa a concerned look. “We don’t know that,” she said. She lowered her voice. “You going to be okay?’
    Willa nodded. She hoped she’d be fine. Everything was changing.
    All she could think about was the prospect that the vampire walking toward the coffee shop could be one of Lukas’ spies. How many times had she moved in the last few years?
    Too many.
    Mr. Craig wiggled his stubby finger at Zoe. “Mark my words. They’ll be serving our blood up at tea time, with scones.”
    “Oh my,” Zoe put a hand on Willa’s. “It’s Lady Cavill.”
    “It is,” Willa said in surprise. Her eyes widened. Lady Cavill was one of few vampires that were coming forward now that the serum was created and approved for use.
    The world was about to change.
    Zoe gave her hand a squeeze. “She’s coming here.”
    Everyone stepped back, their eyes following Lady Cavill as she reached for the door of the coffee shop.
    Mr. Craig clicked his teeth in disapproval. “What does she want with coffee? You let vampires make a habit of coming here, and I won’t be returning.”
    “I’m sure that