Cassius met her gaze, but he didn’t seem embarrassed as he swiped the rag down her neck. “Drinking from another is an intimate moment. There’s a level of trust that goes into it, because no matter how much you love that person, there’s always a risk of overindulging.”
“That’s why Keegan asked me to stop you.”
Cassius nodded, moving to the poultice he’d made. He dipped his fingers in, the paste sticking between his fingers. Thalia swallowed again. “If you hadn’t stopped us—stopped me—I would have drained him of all his blood.”
“I thought Vampyrs can only be killed by shoving a stake through its skull.”
Cassius swiped his finger over the cuts on her face. “It’s true. But when a Vampyr drains another of their blood, we go into a coma-like state. The only way to bring us out is to refill the blood that’s been taken.”
“So that Vampyr would have to drain another?” Thalia asked.
Cassius nodded, his fingers going again to the cut at her hairline. “It’s a vicious cycle when that happens.”
Thalia stared at him, studying the way his eyes roved over her face. The way he worked thoroughly and efficiently, like he always had.
When he was satisfied with his work, he moved to her hand. He didn’t speak as he cleaned the blood off her fingers. She hissed when he cleaned the cut.
“Sorry,” he murmured, his brows knotting. “How did this happen?” Cassius must not have recalled through his haze.
“I-I cut myself—to snap Keegan out of it.”
“Smart.”
“There was no other way to pull him out. Even shaking him didn’t work,” Thalia rambled.
Cassius tipped his chin. “That’s not uncommon. Especially if there’s a lot of damage and a lot of blood is required. If we were both at our prime, it wouldn’t have taken you cutting yourself to snap one of us out of it.” He wrapped a length of gauze around her hand, tying it off before stepping back.
Thalia suddenly craved his nearness as he went about putting away the things he’d used. She stared at her covered palm, the sounds of clinking ceramics echoing.
Finally, she asked, “That was one of the creature’s spawn, wasn’t it?”
Cassius finished drying off one of the bowls. “Yes. We got word late last night that one was spotted near Irenbis.”
“And you went by yourself?”
Cassius shrugged. “Better to stop it before it could get to the city.”
“You could have been killed.” Or worse, bitten.
Cassius turned to her, ire suddenly washing over his features. “And you could have been too. Tell me, Thalia, why the hell were you in those woods?”
Thalia crossed her arms over her chest, lifting her chin. “Same as you.”
He raised an unimpressed brow. “You went to hunt the creature?”
“I went to find you.”
Cassius blinked, something flashing over his features before ire replaced it once more. “And why the fuck would you do that? I told you to stay in the castle.”
Thalia threw her hands up. “Yeah, well, maybe it’s because you didn’t come to bed last night!”
Cassius’s brow rose farther. “And you were worried?”
Thalia bit the inside of her cheek, annoyance replacing her concern. “You’re an asshole.”
She hopped down from the table, aiming for the door, but Cassius stopped her. His hand gripped her arm, pulling her back toward him.
“I’m not being an asshole,” he said, eyes scanning hers. “I’m asking you if you were worried.”
