Considine scooped up the next forkful of cake. “What’s on your mind, Snack?” he asked, bringing me back to our conversation with painful clarity.
Be polite and recognize what he’s doing. I may not know how to tell him I love him, but my parents drilled me enough on manners that I can at the very least manage this.
“Thank you for telling me all of this, Considine,” I said, trying to put all my sincerity into my voice. “I won’t speak of it with other slayers—I promise.” I opened my mouth to accept the cake.
Considine shrugged as he fed me. “I don’t know if it will matter if you do. It’s not exactly something slayers can take advantage of.”
I felt a sticky bit of frosting left on my mouth. Before I could lick it off, Considine set the fork down and reached across the table, swiping at the corner of my lips with his thumb. “It’s not something that even bothers most vampires, since we don’t typically make it past a couple centuries.” He licked the frosting off his thumb, watching me with interest.
Torn between wanting to find a small closet to go die in—I didn’t even really feel embarrassed, a small closet just seemed necessary right now—and from knowing I needed to stay because this kind of conversation really meant something, I awkwardly cleared my throat.
Focus! I have to support and thank him!
“Well, I still appreciate it,” I said when I finally found my voice. “It’s a hard topic.”
Considine pushed the plate of cake away. “If there’s anything I understand, it’s the merciless plod of time. Since identifyingyour importance to me, there’s nothing I care more about, so I will sacrifice whatever it takes to keep you with me.”
I replayed his words in my mind. “That’s a big thing to say.”
“I mean every word.” He strolled around the island counter, stopping directly next to my stool. He leaned in slowly, giving me plenty of time to pull away. “You are my priority, Jade.”
He was so close. It was setting off the alarms in my head—and not the ones that clanged for self-preservation and bodily harm. Something much more dangerous than that.
He slid a hand under my chin and tilted my face up toward his.
My heart felt like it was doing its best to leap out of my chest.
Maybe I should tell him after all.
My traitorous eyes fluttered shut. “Considine…”
His lips brushed mine in the softest start.
Then the door burst open.
“Considine!” Margarida skid into the kitchen, her lovely hairstyle looking a little windblown. “We—oof!”
Auberi careened into her back, equally windblown. “News—watch it!”
Considine released a long, hissing sigh and rested his arms on my shoulder. “I take it back. I really hate Ambrose for extracting that promise.”
I laughed—or I tried to. I was finding it hard to breathe with Considine still so close to me. Hopefully Margarida and Auberi wouldn’t notice the unusually loud pounding of my heart.
Thankfully, they were too busy squabbling to notice.
Margarida recovered her balance and elbowed Auberi. “Back up.”
Auberi hip checked the younger vampire, pushing her out of his path. “You first.”
“I am going to maim both of you,” Considine said, his voice bright, friendly, and dripping with violence.
Margarida frantically waved her hands, ignoring the threat. “Gisila! We’ve got word of her!”
Considine stiffened. “What?”
“Some vampires heard of her.” Auberi straightened up. “She’s being followed around by vampire guards who had a run in with the Lee Family inside Magiford city limits around dusk.”
“The Lee Family recognized them as outsiders and tried to warn them off. The guards said they were staying in Magiford for employment reasons,” Margarida reported.
