I stand. “If I had left him there the hunters would’ve killed him.”
He storms over. “Now the withering will kill him.”
“We can return him to the other side of the Fade,” I say calmly.
“We’re not strong enough to cross the Fade when it isn’t the full moon.”
“You said vampir were strong the three daysaroundthe full moon. We can bring him back tomorrow after the search parties have died down.”
“You want to take that chance?” Ruvan arches his brows. “What if we can’t cross?”
“We also have the Hunter’s Elixir to help.”
“An elixir thatIneed to survive.” Hurt flashes through Ruvan’s bright eyes. He searches my face and the insatiable urge to touch him nearly overtakes me. “An elixir you, and Ventos, risked your lives to get for me.” His voice has gone softer with gratitude.
“Callos will learn how to make more.” I shift my gaze. “Won’t you?”
The bespectacled man looks uncomfortable with being put on the spot. “I’ll certainly try.”
“And you’ll succeed.” I shift back to look up at Ruvan looming over me. “Drew will be here one day at the absolute most. The moon will be mostly full tomorrow; we’ll bring him back then.” I’m not sure what Drew will be returning to…but I have twenty-four hours to figure out that solution.
Ruvan purses his lips.
“Plus, he will have useful information for us—information that might help Callos with how to make the elixir. And about the other vampir that was in the hunter’s fortress.”
Judging from the fact that Ruvan isn’t utterly shocked at the mention of another vampir, Ventos filled him in on that discovery. The muscles in his cheeks bulge as he clenches his jaw. They must be locked up, because he can’t get out a single word for a few long seconds, even though I can feel displeasure radiating off him. Displeasure I doubt is entirely aimed at me given the recent revelation of an unforeseen enemy.
“Quinn, take the hunter to the same room Floriane first resided in. Callos, go back and tell Ventos, Winny, and Lavenzia to figure out a guard rotation. Then, Callos, immediately get to work on figuring out this elixir.” As Ruvan barks his orders, the men jump into action. Quinn lifts Drew as though he weighs next to nothing, even though I know my brother is quite a few stones.
The two regard me warily for the first time in weeks. I suppose I can’t blame them. I’ve brought a hunter back—a real one. Whatever trust I was building with them has been damaged. I just hope it’s not irrevocably. It won’t be once I can speak to Drew and hopefully glean useful information for us all.
At the very least, my brother is alive. That’s more than enough for me.
“Thank you,” I say softly as the other two leave.
“Youshouldbe thanking me.” Ruvan gathers his height. He’s so painfully close, and yet he doesn’t touch me. In fact, he spins away. “I’ve let you bring a genuinely deadly hunter here. I’ve given you enough deference that my men are listening to your insane orders.” He runs a hand through his hair, strands falling between his fingers like platinum. Ruvan looks at me between them. It’s as though he’s torn between wanting to touch me, and needing to be away. “I might have just damned the fate of my people, for you.”
“You didn’t,” I try and reassure him.
“But I could’ve. I could’ve and I did anyway.” Ruvan approaches with purpose once more. “What I’ve done,amdoing, with you could be the end of everything I loved.”
“We have hardly done anything.” I insist to myself its true.
“If we’ve ‘hardly done anything’ then how have you become my everything?”
I stagger back a step, clutching my stomach and the heat that has pooled there with the question alone. What do I say to that?
“We could stop.” My voice has dropped to a whisper as well. I don’t know why I’m saying this. I don’t mean it.
“Neither of us want that.”
“Don’t we? Haven’t we been trying to avoid each other since your admission of your forefathers’ crimes and our marital status?”
“I was never avoiding you.”
I roll my eyes. “Of course you were. And why wouldn’t you? How much could you really care when you said I could be nothing to you?” It isn’t until I’m speaking that I fully admit just how deeply those words cut me. If he could shut off all affection he felt for me that easily, then how real was it to begin with?
“Did you honestly believe me?” He raises his hand slowly, extending his pointer finger. He runs his knuckle down my cheek, the pad of his finger down my neck. “When have we ever been ‘nothing?’ From the first moment I sensed you…I had to have you. From that second on, I knew I would never be satisfied again until I knew you.”
