Chapter 30
Severin
With Joel gone, Dina and Cole were cooking for everyone. It felt like he was being replaced and that did not sit well with any of us, but we simply had no clue on where he was. Dina’s coven was coming tomorrow, so one hundred witches needed to be housed around here for the time being. Peter still had his own castle, so that would have to do for most of them, not that they needed much.They were happy to help us out, just wanting a safe place to rest as we figured out what to do now.
Peter and I had called around, trying to find old allies and friends to ask for help. Reminia was coming today, a vampire we had met around four hundred years ago in passing. She was turned young, like we had been, and with her knowledge, I hoped we would make some progress. She had asked to be housed in my castle, preferring to stay with me and Peter and not the coven, which I had agreed to.
After leaving Felix’s arms this morning, I felt like I had not seen him in ages. He wanted some time with his sister and Claire today, and since Peter and I had to call our allies, it seemed fitting. But now, hours later, I was missing him too much to think of anything that was not him.
“Let us call it a day,” Peter grumbled, likely needing his own bonded, too.
“Agreed,” I said, running out of the study, scenting out where my fated was.
I found him in the potion room with Giro. “Hi, my heart,” I greeted as I entered the room fully. “I thought you would be with Astrea and Claire today.”
He gave me a weak smile and I wished we were alone so I could ask what happened, but I still did not know how much he wanted Giro to know about things with his sister. But who knew, perhaps Giro had already been told why my Felix seemed so sad.
“I ate lunch with them, but…” he sighed. “I felt like I was the third wheel. It was weird. Like, I was talking with them, but they kept eyeing each other, like they just couldn’t wait for me to leave.” I felt my forehead wrinkle. I was sure they had not meant anything by it, but maybe they needed more time together before Felix would feel less left out.
Giro gave Felix an understanding smile. “If they’re in love, they might just be in that lovey dovey phase. Astrea lost five years, maybe she’s picking up the time she lost, and savoring every moment with Claire. I’m doing the same with Peter whenever I’m not with you. I keep fearing something will happen to one of us and this time is all I’ll ever have with him, so I’m selfishly enjoying whatever time we have.”
That hit me harder than I had expected it to. Yes, I knew we were entering a time of war and fighting, and logically that meant someone would get hurt. But I had not thought of losing Felix.
“You broke him!” Felix accused, snapping his fingers in front of my unseeing eyes. He groaned before taking my hand and leading me back to our room.
I scented Peter passing us in the hall, but I still could not see anything other than how empty my life would be without Felix in it. A smile formed on my face as soon as we were in our room.
“Shit, he really did break you. Why are you smiling now?” Felix asked, his tone a tad worried.
“I will simply die. I had forgotten that part,” I explained, feeling my body relax.
“Um, please don’t smile and talk about you dying. That does not make me feel good. Like,at all.”
I blinked. “Oh, I forgot to tell you the first part.”
“Of you dying, or the conversation I wasn’t a part of?”
“Har har,” I drawled. “I thought about what Giro had said, about one of us getting hurt. Then I thought about how I would have to go on living without you, if you were to die. But I remembered I would die, too, so I worried for nothing.”
He just blinked before sighing loudly.
Reminia stood tall and proud at my front door, a cloak covering her body from the setting sun.
“Hello again, Severin,” she purred, her tone always holding that tiny bit of seduction to it. It was simply how she always spoke to those she liked, or she had at least always spoken to Peter and me like that.
“Reminia, a pleasure as always,” I smiled, stepping aside and letting her in. “I have pulled the curtains in every room, so the sun should not be a bother while you are here.”
“I appreciate that. It’s always a bore getting burned.”
“I would imagine,” I grimaced. I was lucky never to have experienced it. I had lost two friends over the years from sunburn. Something most vampires feared. I had met only two others who could sunwalk, besides Peter and I. It was not a common ability, and one many were envious of. It got passed down, so my creator,or sire, like it was named back in the day, was able to do the same, which was the reason my father had wantedhimto change us.
“Where’s that brother of yours,” she asked, looking around the foyer. She had been here only once, a decade ago, back when I was restoring the castle. She had a lover with her, another vampire, but seeing as he was not with her now, I did not ask.
“He is in the dining room with the rest of our household,” I informed her, gesturing to the stairs. “I figured a brief meeting to catch you up to everything would help.” Reminia had a lot of friends, or acquaintances, and I selfishly hoped she would help us out before we got Joel back.
She nodded and followed me up to the dining room. I had yet to tell her about Peter and I finding Felix and Giro, something I felt was better told in person. Reminia was not a close friend of mine, but one of those I had known the longest. I hoped she would like Felix.
The room fell silent as we walked in, all eyes landing on Reminia and her blood red hair. She was a beautiful woman, no one would dare say otherwise.
