When Sebastian didn’t show up for dinner, Kieran decided that was the final straw.First, because that meant he probably hadn’t eaten all day—which couldn’t be good for him—and more important, because if Sebastian was allowed to ask for brutal honesty from Kieran, he was allowed to ask for it back.
As soon as he was done with dinner, Kieran marched up the stairs.Normally, he didn’t consider himself confrontational, but despite himself, he was, well, worried.
He squared his shoulders, then rapped on Sebastian’s door.
“Sebastian?”Kieran called.“It’s me.Can I talk to you?”
There was a long pause.For a moment, Kieran had a sudden new fear: What if in attempting to give him privacy, Kieran had missed something, and Sebastian was in some kind of bodily danger?Maybe if he hadn’t eaten any food all day, his curse was getting worse—
“Kieran,” a gruff voice called.It sounded as if the inside of histhroat must be completely dry.“Don’t open the door.Not until we land.”
“What?”Kieran wrinkled his nose.“Sebastian, what are you talking about?”
“I—” He cleared his throat, but it didn’t seem to help.“I was planning on hunting when we landed for the supply stop.As long as I got a big enough animal, I’d be fine.But now I—I don’t think it’s safe for any of you to be around me.”
A chill went up Kieran’s spine.Of course.Sebastian hadn’t been able to drink any blood for days now.Kieran had noticed he’d seemed a little more distracted over the last day or so, but when he’d asked about it, Sebastian played it off as a lack of sleep.Now that Kieran thought about it, though, he should have known.They were flying high enough that there were very few—if any—birds around, and without them to snack on, Sebastian had to be starving.
Kieran’s pulse sped up, and his hands grew clammy.Even if he wasn’t saying it out loud, he knew what Sebastian meant: He may be in control now, but if he didn’t drink soon, he’d wouldn’t be for long.
Kieran’s shoulders set.For once in his life, he didn’t question himself at all as he called through the door, “Let me in.I think I can help.”
“That’s not a good idea—”
“I don’t care.”Kieran stood firm, even as his knees started to feel a little weaker than he’d prefer.At the spike of emotion, the magic in his chest began to react, and for once he had to push it down.“Please, Sebastian.Let me help.”
There was a long pause.Kieran wondered if Sebastian was simply electing to ignore him.Then he heard footsteps on the other side of the door, so light they were almost imperceptible.A lock clicked, and the door opened, just barely enough to give Kieran room to come inside.
Sebastian waited on the other side, his body blocking the entryway.His thick black hair hung over his eyes, lank and listless.Heavy shadows were like bruises under his eyes.At first, Kieran thought Sebastian was having some sort of breakout, but then he realized the lumps on his upper cheek were, in fact, the red eyes Kieran had seen the other night, beady and unlidded like an insect’s.As Sebastian breathed through his mouth, Kieran caught sight of the matching sets of fangs on the upper and lower parts of his mouth; his fingers had turned spindly and black like a spider’s legs.
As soon as there was open air between them, Sebastian winced, taking a step back.He clapped a hand over his nose and mouth.For a moment, Kieran was offended—he’d showered just recently—until he realized it was his blood that Sebastian was smelling.
Sebastian, voice muffled by his hand, said, “This is a bad idea, Kieran.You should go.”
“And let you starve?No.”Kieran stepped inside, then shut the door behind him.His pulse thrummed.While this was far bolder than he usually felt, strangely, he wasn’t paralyzed with anxiety.This wasn’t some stolen kiss that made his brain go dark.This was Sebastian’s well-being—something he’d recently found himself caring about more and more.
Kieran took a step closer to Sebastian.Even in this form,starved and fraying, he was still breathtaking.His lips were just as soft despite the fangs behind them.To see him there, beneath the visage of his curse, was to understand the meaning of grotesque beauty.
“Drink from me,” Kieran said.He’d never heard his voice come out quite so certain.In an odd way, he was suddenly reminded of his father—how steadfast he was, unable to be moved by even the most powerful forces.While he wanted to emulate very few of his father’s traits, this wasn’t a bad one.
“I can write a spell to help keep your mind clear,” Kieran promised before Sebastian could open his mouth to argue.He reached into his back pocket, pulling out his well-worn journal and a pen.“That way you won’t lose control.”
Sebastian, to his credit, looked absolutely mortified.“I— You’re not kidding.”
“Of course not.”Kieran began penning a paragraph comparing lucidity to the blade of a knife.His magic stirred easily, even now.He absently asked, “So where’s the best place for you to bite me?Neck?Wrists?I guess there’s also that big artery in the thigh.”He paused as the mental image of Sebastian’s face against his bare thigh flickered through his mind, and he immediately felt his face grow hot.“Okay, maybe not—”
“Neck,” Sebastian interrupted.He tried to swallow, but it seemed his mouth was still too dry.“Neck is easiest.And…lying down helps too.That way there’s no risk of your collapsing.”
Lying down?Kieran didn’t take his eyes off the page as he wrote, even as his palms began to sweat.This is turning into that one book Briar let me borrow.
“I—I think I can do that,” Kieran said.He had only a fewwords left to write before his spell was done.The feeling of his magic rushing through his hands and through the pen was enough to slow his pulse and help him stand straighter.It was as if someone had turned his blood into soda water.It was both electric and soft at the same time, almost like a phantom kiss that sent a pleasant shiver down his spine.
“There.”Kieran drew the final period and passed the spell to Sebastian to read.While Sebastian’s eyes moved across the page, Kieran added, “Let me know if that helps.In the meantime, should…should we put a towel down?”
Sebastian paused in reading, nose wrinkling.“On the bed?”
Kieran’s face lit up with a burning blush.It was almost enough to throw him off, but he quickly explained: “Well, mind you, these sheets are very expensive.One thousand thread count.It would be a shame for them to get all…bloodstained.”
Sebastian just stared at him, his primary eyes wide.Kieran found it comforting that he could at least do that, even if the bloodlust was burning him from the inside.It seemed the spell had helped.“Out of anything you could fixate on…you’re worried aboutstains?”
