“Together,” I repeated, liking the sound of it.
“Together,” he confirmed, sealing the promise with a soft kiss.
We lay there in comfortable silence for a while, just holding each other as the morning light grew stronger outside the curtains. I could hear birds singing in the trees around his cottage, and somewhere in the distance, the faint sounds of campus life beginning to stir.
“We should probably get up soon,” I said reluctantly. “I need to get back to my dorm before people start asking questions about where I spent the night.”
“Probably,” Valen agreed, but he made no move to release me. “Just a few more minutes.”
Those few more minutes stretched into nearly an hour before we finally forced ourselves out of bed. I watched Valen movearound his bedroom, gathering clothes and preparing for the day, and felt this strange sense of belonging wash over me. Like this was how mornings were supposed to be. Waking up tangled together, and sharing lazy conversation and gentle touches before facing whatever the day might bring.
“What’s your schedule like today?” I asked as I pulled on my clothes from the night before.
“Classes this morning, then fencing practice this afternoon,” he replied, then paused. “Actually, I’m not sure if practice is happening. The salle is still considered a crime scene.”
The reminder of yesterday’s attack brought reality crashing back down around us. The Purity Front was still out there, still targeting anyone they deemed unworthy of magical society. And that definitely included vampires and the people who cared about them.
“Be careful,” I said, the words coming out more intense than I’d intended. “Promise me you’ll be careful today.”
Valen crossed the room to stand in front of me, his hands coming up to frame my face. “I promise. But you need to promise me the same thing. If anything feels off?—”
His words were cut off by a banging on his front door downstairs.
“Are you expecting someone?” I asked, glancing toward the stairs.
“No,” he said, all his tenderness replaced with tension. “Stay here.”
“Valen,” I began. “What if it’s?—”
“It’s probably another professor,” he said, cutting me off. “And they can’t know you’re here, remember? We’re still breaking all the rules right now.”
My heart hammered against my ribs as the banging on the door continued, more insistent now. Valen was right though. If another faculty member found me here, it would raise questionsneither of us could afford to answer. But the thought of hiding while he faced whatever was downstairs alone made my stomach clench with anxiety.
“Just stay put,” he said again, already moving toward the bedroom door. “I’ll handle this.”
I wanted to argue, to insist that we face whatever this was together, but the rational part of my brain knew he was right. Getting caught here would destroy both our school-related careers and any chance we had at a future together. So I nodded reluctantly and watched him disappear down the stairs.
I crept to the window, careful to stay hidden behind the curtain as I peered out toward the front of the cottage. From this angle, I couldn’t see who was at the door, but I could hear muffled voices drifting up through the window. Then I heard the front door open as Valen answered.
The voices got louder immediately, all of them talking over each other at once. Then Valen’s raised above the rest. “I assure you, there’s?—”
“Don’t lie to me,bloodsucker!” a familiar voice yelled. “I tracked his student ID!”
My heart sank, my blood turning to ice in an instant. I knewexactlywho that voice belonged to.
“ARCHER?!” my father called. “Get your ass down here NOW!”
Chapter 25
Archer
There was barely enough time to make sure I had all my clothes on before the bedroom door burst open, hit the wall, and rattled on its hinges. My father stood in the doorway, his face twisted with a rage I’d only seen a handful of times in my life. Behind him, I could see two other men in cheap suits that looked like hired thugs. They were the kind of people my father called when he needed problems handled quietly and efficiently. And one of them had my sister Amelia in his grasp.
“There you are,” he said, his voice deadly calm in that way that made my blood freeze. “Do you have any idea how worried your mother and I have been? When you didn’t return to your dorm last night, we feared the worst with these Purity Front attacks.”
I could hear the lie in his voice. He wasn’t worried about my safety. He was furious that I’d embarrassed him, that I’d been caught doing exactly what he’d suspected I was doing. Except this was probably far worse of a distraction than he’d ever imagined.
“Father,” I started, but he cut me off with a sharp gesture.
