“My nuts. I left them in my room when we went to the council meeting, and now?—”
My words died in my throat as Kage lifted the front of his shirt.
Tucked against his stomach was my pouch. The leather strap was looped around his waist and had been hidden completely by the loose fabric of his shirt. I’d been so focused on the castle and saving Sammy that I hadn’t noticed he’d grabbed it.
“These are i-i-important to you.” He untied the strap and offered me the bag, unable to meet my eyes. “I saw you with them.”
He didn’t finish, but I understood. He’d seen me grieving and falling apart. He’d found the ones I’d dropped and thought to gather them. He’d taken something precious to me and kept it safe.
I reached out and took the pouch, the familiar weight settling into my palm like an old friend. “Thank you, Kage.”
Kage nodded, still not looking at me. His cheeks were flushed, and we stood there for a moment, and then I got an idea.
I opened the pouch and pulled out a handful of nuts, examining them. “These will work, I think.”
“W-what?”
I didn’t answer, too focused on the task at hand. I selected four nuts—one star chestnut, two black walnuts, and a pecan—and crushed them together in my palm, spat, and worked them together until they formed a pungent-smelling paste.
“Take off your shirt.”
Kage’s eyes went wide. “W-what?”
“Your shirt. Take it off. Vampires can smell house mages, right? But if we cover your scent with something stronger…”
Kage’s flush deepened, but he pulled his shirt over his head with trembling hands. His chest rose and fell rapidly as I stepped closer. I began spreading the paste across his skin, focusing on his neck and shoulders where the scent would cover his scent best.
He shivered under my touch, his breath catching. “G-gross. It has your s-s-spit in it.”
My jaw clenched, a familiar tension running through me. The ingratitude stung more than it should have. Here I was, literally covering him with a concoction I’d made from my most precious possessions, and he was concerned about my spit? Did he not realize what I’d just done for him? What the nuts meant to me? I swallowed the flare of irritation, reminding myself that he couldn’t possibly understand.
No one really did.
“Yeah, well, it’ll keep you alive.” I kept my voice flat because the last thing I needed was for him to run off scared.
I didn’t slow down, working quickly to cover as much surface area as possible. “This should mask your scent well.”
Kage nodded, his gaze fixed on some point over my shoulder. I stepped back, surveying my work. The paste left a shiny residue that caught the moonlight. He looked ridiculous, but it did the job.
He pulled his shirt on and fell into step beside me as we continued north, his earlier muttering reduced to a nervous hum.
We walked in silence until the trees finally gave way to the outskirts of the village. I’d forgotten how different vampire villages were from others. The buildings were made of dark stone instead of wood. It was a sign of wealth and ingenuity that many of us had never embraced.
It was late, and the main road was empty, but I could feel eyes on us from the shadows. Those who were awake during peak darkness when the moon was lowest were always the most dangerous.
“Stay close.” I could practically feel Kage vibrating with anxiety.
He grabbed onto the hem of my shirt, his invisible fingers bunching the fabric, creating a disorienting disconnect between my senses.
The three-story inn loomed ahead, and I caught my reflection in a window as we walked to the door. I was a mess after the journey and the multiple times I’d shifted. My hair was all over the place, with a few leaves sticking out of it, leaving me looking like I’d lost a fight with a shrub. And the dirt? I was surprised that Kage was touching my shirt.
I pulled open the heavy wooden door and stepped into adimly lit room. A woman with jet-black hair looked up, her eyes narrowing as she took in my appearance.
I resisted the urge to smooth my hair or wipe at my face, knowing both would likely make things worse. Instead, I lifted my chin and held her stare, refusing to be the first to look away.
“I’d like a room.” I approached her, keeping my voice friendly and nonthreatening. I didn’t have Sammy to put out any fires from my grumpy demeanor.
Her gaze traveled over me, lingering on my tattoos as her lips formed a grimace. “Shifter.”
