But I’m elsewhere, stuck in the past.
Gradually, something changes. Tiernon no longer chases the sun. He stops basking in its warmth.
But every few days, his eyes light with fury, his jaw jutting stubbornly as he steps into the sun, turning his face up to the sky in an act of defiance. Those few moments pain him so greatly he’s forced to linger in the shade for hours after, his entire body shuddering.
Watching him in such agony makes me want to vomit. He’s one of the few people I care about, and I want to destroy anything that harms him. “Ti. What’s happening to you?”
He stares at me. “You honestly don’t know?”
My cheeks heat. “I wouldn’t ask otherwise.”
“I’m a born vampire. Born vampires can enjoy the sun until we naturally begin to transition. And then it begins to harm us. To weaken us. Even as we remember just how much we loved it.”
I feel the blood drain from my face as I put all the pieces together. Ofcourse. Of course he’s a vampire. And yet I’ve refused to acknowledge such a thing, certain that a vampire would never willingly spend time with someone like me.
Ti lets out a hollow laugh. “You didn’t know.”
“No.”
A vampire.
I’ve never met a vampire before. They only visit the most dangerous parts of the Thorn after dark, and I don’t frequent those kinds of places.
It explains how Ti can be so obviously wealthy without a sigil. It also explains how his strength has been increasing so quickly. Just days ago, he reached for a larger branch and snapped it with a crack that left us gaping at each other.
After that, he stopped touching me. A few times, his hand has twitched when I’m near, as if he wants to reach for me but can’t quite trust himself not to hurt me.
And he can’t.
“Do you want to drink my blood?” I ask, suddenly desperately curious.
Disgust flickers across his face. “No. I won’t drink blood until I’m fully turned.” He’s silent for a long moment. “Are you afraid of me now?”
He turns away, and I study his profile. His shoulders are slumped, his posture defeated. It suddenly feels like something is clawing at my chest.
“No. But we should probably start meeting at night, don’t you think?”
His head whips toward me. And the stunned gratitude in his eyes makes my throat tight.
A warm hand cups my face. Forcing my eyes open, I find the Primus leaning over me. My gut twists, and I lash out, grasping at his helmet in a desperate attempt to yank it off.
He leans back out of my reach.
“Show me your face.”
No reply.
Fury rages through me, incinerating any hint of fear. “Show me your fucking face.”
The training hall goes silent, and the Primus lifts his head. “Out.”
No one argues. Within moments, we’re alone.
With a deep sigh, he removes his helmet. And the world stops spinning.
He’s older, yes, but I’d recognize that untamed beauty anywhere.
His features are rougher now, his thick dark brows overbearinglymasculine, contrasting with his skin. Once that skin would turn several shades darker in summer. Now he’s paler than I’ve ever seen him.
