“Vane,” I say, “do you plan on seeing Vyvyan while we’re in Borealis?”
He stiffens. “I hadn’t decided,” he admits, his voice measured. “She sent me a letter, asking me to return to the Nest. She said she was sorry for everything.”
“She did?” I resist grabbing fistfuls of my hair.
Vyvyan apologized. That’s unheard of. An apology and her signing off on the cure tells me she might have turned over a new leaf. Despite that, it doesn’t change the fact she tried to kill me.
Vane sighs and traces gentle patterns along my back. “She did, and I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind to see her. Vyvyan and I have a long history, and we need to discuss things, especially now that the cure is available.”
I nod, trying to swallow past the lump in my throat. “I understand,” I say, my voice barely audible above the train’s rumble. “You don’t have to go anywhere with me after the cure’s release party, Vane. I mean it. It doesn’t mean I love you less if you stay with her. I will be okay on my own.”
He pulls me closer, his lips brushing against my forehead. “I won’t go anywhere without you, Desiree. You’re my everything.”
I shake my head. “Some may say you are obsessed with me.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
I laugh. “As a former medical professional, I’d have to say yes. As a ravenous vampire, I say no.”
Another whistle sounds, drowning out Vane’s laughter.
“Come on,” he says, taking my hand. “We’re boarding.”
As we settle into our private compartment, thoughts of Vyvyan and the Nest continue to occupy my mind. Misty has been invading my dreams a lot lately. I’d love to see her again, but she also owes me an apology. She was my best friend. I listened to her and was there for her night in and night out, but when it was time for her to be there for me, she wasn’t. Maybe one day, we will get back to where we were, but we have a ton to unpack before we get to that level.
Vane sits beside me, reading a newspaper, betraying his age, and I find myself mesmerized by his every movement.
“Tell me about your fondest memories during those early days with Vyvyan.” I rest my head on his lap.
Vane folds the paper. “What do you want to know?”
I peer up at him through my lashes. “If it’s about you, I want to know all the sordid details.”
“Then, I will tell you.”
A firm knockat my door interrupts the quiet of my office at the Borealis Blade Precinct.
Since our showdown with Lua in Aurora, the Council has been too preoccupied with drafting treaties to consider replacing me as the commander. I chose to stay in this position to help maintain peace between the factions, and now that the country is more stable, I find fulfillment in the work I’m doing to keep it that way. Growing up, I never envisioned myself as the commander, but now that I’m here, I can’t imagine walking away from the role, not yet at least.
Soter enters. The scent of his cigarette smoke mingles with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. His bi-colored gaze darts between Pallas, seated across from me, and myself. His eyes narrow.
Pallas spent the last five months in Aurora working with Eddo and his Blades.
“You wanted to see me,” Soter states. He’s not a fan of Pallas, given that Soter spent months trying to imprison him during the Nyx case last year. My Domna still possesses an inch-thick file documenting all of Pallas’s alleged crimes.
Pallas smiles at him. “Hey, how’s it going?”
Soter steps deeper into the room. “What is he doing back here?” he asks through gritted teeth.
I lean back in my chair. He’s always wound so tight.
“Pallas works here now,” I say. “He will serve as a consultant, providing insight into organized crime in Borealis and teaching us how to think like criminals to catch more of them. Eddo implemented this approach with great success in Aurora, and I plan to do the same here. You’ll show him the ropes.” My grin widens at Soter’s flushed face.
“Excuse me?” he says, his voice low and dangerous, like the rumble of an engine.
“You heard me, Domna. You’ll be Pallas’s point of contact while he works with us. You will get him anything he needs.”
The muscles in Soter’s jaw twitch. Heat radiates off him, raising the temperature in the small office by several degrees.
