I may not have wanted to become the head of a house, but now that I was, I felt I had to live up to my responsibilities.
The pixies weren’t the only ones who needed their own territory. Connor did too. He wasn’t ready to stay full time in the Gargoyle or at Liam’s. He needed his own place. Since he was part of my House, that meant I did too.
Not to say I was ready for full time cohabitation with my vampire boyfriend. I wasn’t. Not yet anyway. Maybe one day.
Liam’s face softened as he brushed his fingers down my temple. “I know. Just promise to visit. I’ll miss having you in my bed.”
I leaned my head into his hand. “Only if you do the same.”
His mouth lowered to mine in a gentle kiss that ended with a nip on my bottom lip. “Try and stop me.”
By the time the party ended, it was already late. Too late to bother driving to the new house. Instead, we made the short trek back to the Gargoyle as the city came awake around us. Traffic began picking up as one by one, the lights in the office buildings turned on.
Like all good vampires less than a century old, I was already tucked into bed by the time the sun truly started its ascent. The moment the first rays touched the sky, I fell unconscious, dead to the world until my nemesis retreated once again.
My dreams that day were chaotic, filled with flashes of blood drenched pools and a darkness that carried the stench of death.
Whispers infiltrated my mind, their meaning indecipherable.
Blood filled my mouth, freezing cold as it slid down my throat. A pit of ice expanded in my stomach, invading my veins. I froze from the inside out.
Shh. It’ll feel better soon.
The voice catapulted me out of the dream, my heart pounding. For several seconds I lay there, disoriented as I took in my surroundings. Gradually, the familiar ceiling of my room came into focus as I became aware of a heavy weight across my legs.
A half-hearted growl of complaint accompanied my attempt to dislodge the object.
I lifted my head to find a black dog curled into the crook of my legs, his chin propped on my hip and his eyes closed.
As if sensing my gaze, one eye cracked open to stare at me from a wrinkle filled face. His snout was wide like a hippopotamus’s and his eyes intelligent. From this position I couldn’t see the tentacles that extended from his jowls, which was probably a good thing.
“When did you get back?” I asked, my voice still raspy with sleep.
Alches came and went on his own schedule. As old as the Fae realm of Noctessa, and once the ruler’s protector, he’d recently adopted me as his new owner. Though I still didn’t know why.
In answer, he closed his eye. Snoring started again a second later.
“You’re ignoring me. That’s just great.”
I wiggled, dislodging him. But not for long. He scooted back into position, this time wrapping a tentacle around my leg to hold me still.
“Rude,” I huffed.
If dogs could look smug, Alches managed it as he snuggled deeper into the crook of my body.
I glared up at the ceiling, wondering how I’d managed to become someone a mythical creature out of Fae legend liked to bully.
A blur shot across the room.
I had no time to react as a pixie landed on the tip of my nose.
Her wings fanned, blocking my view of the room. They were a work of art. Bigger than her body by far, they were an iridescence green that transitioned to yellow near the bottom. Dark green capillaries were threaded throughout so that when she fanned her wings, they looked like leaves rustling in the wind.
Inara propped her hands on her hips and glared. “Where have you been?”
Her eyes were a little too big for her face, bug like. Her skin had a greenish cast. And when she spoke, I caught flashes of teeth that were sharp and pointed.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve been here all day.”
