“How can I help you?” he grumbles.
“I’m looking for a book.” I press my elbows onto the desk as I keep my voice down.
“Congratulations, you’re in the right place,” the old vampire mocks. He must be well into his ninth hundred year of life. I grimace. Is that what I’ll look like? A hunched back and skin like cracked leather?
Death in battle seems… sexier.
Vain.
I’m vain. I admit it.
I like it. I’m not apologizing for liking my youth. I love women, and seeing this old man makes me want to bed more of them, because one day, it’s going to end. No one wants to fuck a raisin.
And those that do… I’m not letting them near my cock.
Or, you can be an adult and fall in love, find a woman who loves you, regardless.
Nah. The path Everett put us on is likely to end in a premature death, so I might as well live life to the fullest.
Leaning forward, I ignore his rude reply and flash my best smirk. “It should be in the mage section regarding spells to break bonds.” Wow, the closer I look, I can see his wrinkles have wrinkles. Surely a mage cream can repair that.
“What kind of bond?” His brows resemble furry caterpillars.
Nosey, are we? “You know,” I wave my hands in the air, regretting the action because it wafts the old book smell. “This and that.”
“What if I give you a book on that and this?” he playfully spits. “Be specific. We have thousands of books here, boy.”
Asshole.
Leaning closer, I whisper, “Mating bonds.”
Even if the word gets back to the king, he’ll have no idea this book refers to Selene and Titus. I’ll just lie and tell him I found my mate during the war, but our views are different, thus my need to sever the bond.
He jerks back, his cloudy eyes swinging up and down like I’m old meat flies are swarming at the butcher’s market. “You have a mate bond you wish to break?” He’s short but manages to look down his hooked nose at me.
I shrug.“I have commitment issues,” I lie.
“Fix them.”
“Don’t want to.”Dude, what is your problem?
“Breaking a mating bond is a crime.” He crosses his arms and tips his nose higher to reveal his grey nose hair.
I flinch. Gross. So bloody nasty! You don’t need a mage to fix that; just grab wax from a candle. That’s what humans do.
I push off the counter and stand tall. “Not if it’s voluntary.”
“It’s also a myth,” he grunts as he trudges back to his cart.
“Myths have seeds of truth,” I argue as I rush after him.Listen, asshole, just point me in the right direction.
“A mating bond is magic. Magic is the only true immortal. You can’t kill it; it may take a new form, but its roots are vast, and they never fully sever. Bonds are never broken.” He grabs a stack of books.
“Let’s put it to sleep then. Cage it. Taint it. Take your pick. I need the bond dulled,” I argue.
He waves his hand dismissively. “It’s a waste of time. Putting things to slumber has consequences. It’s better to dream than have nightmares, boy.”
I clench my jaw. “Which section will the book be in?” I’ll find it myself.
