I laugh, new purpose piling on top of the deepest love and filling me completely.
Sybil and I descend the many levels to the Drayke Mountain library and head toward the vampire section, my birds lighting the way. We both carry a lantern as well. It’s cold and dark in the preservation caverns, and I already miss the sunshine.
“Why does Bale keep the books down here?” Sybil’s voice holds an audible shiver, and she pulls her cloak more firmly around her.
“He must think they’re safest here.”
“Along with all his gold?” She flashes me a grin.
“That’s locked up.” I grin back at her. On the way here, we passed the tunnels leading to the many vaults and treasure troves of the residents of Drayke Mountain, mine included. “Everyone has access to the library.”
“I bet he’d show you his gold if you asked him to,” she says suggestively.
I snort. “You’re incorrigible.” A snap of heat still warms me to the core, despite the frigid cavern.
“I’m romantic.”
“There’s nothing romantic about shoving gold at someone.”
“Says someone who’s never lacked for gold.”
“Have you?” I counter. Sybil comes from a wealthy family in Ruthinock, and Bale pays her generously.
She tosses me an exasperated look. “Would you rather have flowers?”
I shudder. “And cut the poor things in their prime? Never.”
“Then what would make you swoon?” she asks.
I laugh. “Nothing, I hope. I prefer to stand on my own two feet, not keel over unconscious.”
“You’re incorrigible.”
“I’m realistic.”
Rolling her eyes, she clucks her tongue at me.
“What made you fall for Stuart?” I ask, suddenly curious. “Besides him being the most handsome of the new recruits.”
Her expression softens as she thinks back to their courtship. “I always felt safe with him. Comfortable. We were here, in this new place, doing and seeing all these new things…” A smile brightens her face in the lanternlight. “But with him, I felt at home. He was home. I didn’t regret leaving anything behind because I already had what I needed.”
“Home,” I echo wistfully. I’m thinking of my room several levels up from here, but when I close my eyes on a blink, I see a mountain. It’s a high peak that sits at the intersection of Torridaig, Fanghaven, and Bloodwold, the last in the chain of the lush and river-gorged Silver Moon Range that runs the length of Torridaig’s border with Fanghaven. Shaking off the odd vision, I say, “I think that’s Drayke Mountain for me.”
“Not Glarraden House?” she asks.
I shrug. “One day, maybe. Not now, though.” Bale’s burning eyes and his warm, strong arms around me suddenly burst forth like the most vivid memory. Woodsmoke and wind tease my senses even though there’s only cold rock down here. I look over my shoulder, half expecting to see Bale striding toward us, but there’s only darkness beyond my phoenixes.
“Here’s the vampire section. Anything to look for in particular?” Sybil asks.
“Old?” I hazard a guess. “Since no one seems to have heard of sunbloods.”
She rubs her gloved hands together, her eyes already searching the shelves. “All right, then. Let’s dive into some old books.”
We search for more than an hour before I hear Sybil’s teeth start to chatter. I’m frozen to the bone, too, and barely hide it better. My thoughts start to stray as the texts blend together. Why did Rexton Hale bother coming early to warn me? What’s it to him?
Clearly, he wanted a taste of me. Only to verify the rumor? Or because he wanted his turn with the sunblood? Or something else I haven’t thought of?
And what would he have done next if I’d let him bite me and he’d found me delicious? Try to convince me to become his blood buddy? Attempt to sweep me away to Fanghaven to live with him and his dark, brooding eyes, and show me what consensual bites feel like?
