When I emerged fromthe bathroom, Raphael looked at me like he could see the extra red tint beneath the cosmetic I’d applied after I’d scrubbed my lips raw—trying to erase the tinge of his blood because I couldn’t stop licking to taste it.
“Where to today?” I’d been too tired by the end of the evening to ask for the itinerary of the next day.
“I have a meeting with the king.”
“When do we leave?” I hadn’t thought to bring a change of clothing into the room, so I crossed into the bedroom to look through the outfits that had been prepared. Which would be appropriate to meet with the elusive king?
Raphael followed me into the bedroom, hand coming to the top of the wardrobe, where he looked from me to the dresses. “I’ll be taking this meeting alone.”
“But… the fledgling bond.” I gestured between the two of us like there was a visible string. As much as I hated spending almost every minute with Raphael, I didn’t relish the excruciating pain that came about when we separated.
“I’ll still be in the palace. Given your ability to wake up before the sun since being here, it’s possible the range has relaxed,” he assured me.
And perhaps because I’d just had some of his blood. It would be a test, at least. As happy as I would be to believe I could bear a larger distance, the answer beingdrink more of Raphael’s bloodwas about as appealing as the answer beingset myself on fire.
Even now I felt the effects. Despite the sudden start to the day, I felt more awake. My muscles were relaxed, as if I was comfortable in this strange body for once.
The trouble was that even now I wanted to drink more. It wasn’t the painful ache I was used to, though, it was more like craving a spoonful of pudding after finishing supper.
I don’t need it. I shouldn’t want it.
But I did want it, and the deal we’d made meant I wasn’t going to fight against those wants.
“If you feel any distress, send it to me and I’ll return immediately,” Raphael continued.
Relax the shields I had fortified inside my mind? It was an easy enough way to let him know exactly how far my range was if needed, but letting Raphael in… it was dangerous.
Of course, I couldn’t truthfully tell Raphael that I was in support of that plan, so I changed the subject before he could demand any assurance.
“Should I be able to senseyourfeelings from drinking your blood?”
Raphael considered for a moment. “It’s not a common ability. Powers like that are unique.”
“Do you think I have any powers like that?” I pressed. I didn’t think I had that power, but… how would I know? I’d had his blood to complete the change in a borderline fugue state. Sometimes it felt like emotions that weren’t quite mine stirred inside me. Of course, that was partially from the grimoire. I’dgotten better at picking those thoughts out. But sometimes, it was like there was something more. Not the righteous anger, but other things—panic, concern, tenderness. Could that be Raphael?
“It’s not uncommon for progeny to share some vampiric powers with their sire. Of course, sometimes new powers emerge.” He cocked his head at me, contemplating me again.
Sweat beaded on the back of my neck. “So will our next lesson on embracing my vampire gifts involve turning into a bat?”
“Perhaps.”
“You’re joking.” His lips didn’t betray anything like a smile, but his eyes were light. With Raphael, I’d learned to read the subtle changes of his face, which I’d once thought was so stoic. As well as he could read me, in this I was learning him too.
Thea had given me a book on vampire powers when I’d first arrived at Damerel. It wasn’t comprehensive, but it had specified that most vampires had no powers at all—well, beyond unnatural speed, unnatural strength, night vision, and no need for sustenance beyond blood.
“I suppose with you, anything might be possible. Have you felt the need to eat any fruit flies lately?”
I rolled my eyes. “Hardly.” The only thing I’d craved was Raphael’s blood, and even if there was no forgetting my behavior this gloaming, I didn’t plan to bring it up. “Is that how you found out you could turn into a bat?”
“It might be one way to discover your abilities.”
I narrowed my gaze, not missing the fact he once again had sidestepped a question about his own powers. Sometimes, Raphael could be ruthlessly candid. But there were times it was almost like a dance around certain topics, where he knew just how to step. He wove the truths into a puzzle I wanted to untangle. “Wouldn’t I know by now if I had new powers like turning into a bat?”
“Would you?”
My lips twisted. I hadn’t known I was the necromancer until Idied, and I still don’t know what I’m capable of on that front. We had stumbled onto a dangerous subject, and I wasn’t sure how we’d gotten there, but it was suddenly imperative that we backed away from me answering direct questions about new powers. “Are you sure I shouldn’t be accompanying you to the king?”
Raphael leaned closer, a teasing gleam in his eye. Strands of white hair fell past his ear, tempting me to brush them back. “So reluctant to be parted from me?”
