“Fae fangs serve for nothing more than pleasure,” I retort with a scoff.
“Different vices indeed,” Rowen muses as Ryc chuckles.
Fenryn bursts into unabashed laughter. “Not a single day, Darin. I’ll put gold onminutes.”
“Why help?” Tanila’s voice cuts through the laughter filling the room. “Why agree to help keep the Grayflame family in power?”
Her eyes fix upon me, waiting for me to answer.
I heave a sigh and reach behind Rowen for my glass and the bottle. Rowen lifts his glass, holding it steady as I pour. I fill my own glass and set the bottle side.
“Would you believe me if I said to save you?” I say, and her brows shoot high before a scathing scowl settles into her pointed features.
“This doesn’t make us friends,” she shoots back, the words sharp.
“Didn’t expect it to,” I counter calmly.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” she says to Rowen. “Getting in bed with yetanotherdemon.”
“Tanila,” Rowen sighs but she’s already through the door.
With another sigh, Rowen taps his glass against mine with a nod.
And together we down the bitter liquor.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Two days.
It’sbeen an infuriating two days of waiting since sending that damn letter. With no response from Sabien or the vampire court, there’s little I can do. I have to wait. Hanging on the response of a temperamental vampire has thrown open a door, one my unkind mind is eager to explore. It’s left me toiling and ruminating in the darkness of both the past and what’s to come.
If I’ve missed this opportunity—if I’m unable to reach Ylara…
I don’t know what I’m going to do.
No, that’s a lie.
I know exactly what I’m going to do.
I’m going to hunt a necromancer. Somehow.
Lilith ventured close to requiring one this morning.
Her life teetered dangerously near ending when she stormed my quarters before dawn. Sweeping her bright and singsong self through the room, she threw back curtains while going on about adventuring through Ollora together.
Had Ryc not already been up and gone for the day, I doubt she would have dared enter. Even so, she skirted around me like she knew her life depended upon staying out of reach.
I would have strangled her otherwise.
Sleep these last few weeks is a rare commodity and I cannot bargain for enough.
Burying myself beneath blankets was a mistake. It prompted her to climb over me, pinning my arms at my sides. Giggling and laughing like a godsdamned dolt, she prattled on aboutshopping. I admit, it took my slow-to-wake brain longer than it should to fullyunderstand the tittering words spilling from her mouth.
Shoppingin Ollora for agift of silver.
A couple of hours later and we’re still stalking the cold streets of the city when I’d much rather be curled up in the comfort of the castle.
Peeking up at the cloudy sky, I strain my eyes as the sun high overhead, blazes through the fluffy white. We’ve burned away most of the morning with this outing, having visited more jewelers than I care to remember.
