Page 177 of Blood of the Fairest

My blood, perhaps.

She's grumbling under her breath about persistent princes and something about a shoe fetish as she wanders to the guest wardrobe to pull out a nightgown. I'm not sure why she's bothering when I'll take it off her again soon.

Once she's slipped into it, I approach from behind, wrapping my arms around her. After being starved of touch so long, I can't stand being parted from her warmth longer than necessary.

"Will you feed on me?" I murmur, kissing her neck.

Verena's breath catches. "What? No. Eris, you're only out for one night. I'm not going to spend it gnawing all over you. That's wrong."

"Why? I'd enjoy it."

"But that's⁠—"

"I'm not pledged like Wulf, so you can't pretend your pesky morals are in the way when it comes to me," I cut in. "Don't you want to know what my blood tastes like? Tonight might be our only chance to find out if it tempts you as much as the huntsman's and the prince's."

I expected this to be a much longer argument, but Verena is quiet for a long moment.

So long that I realize she's morbidly curious.

Does this mean she's finally adapting to the darker nature of the queen? Thank Crones. At least it's progress over her typical horror toward blood.

"Maybe just one bite. For science." She turns in my arms to face me, her brow furrowed adorably. "Oh, god. I should be saying no. Why am I not saying no? What if I'm slowly turning evil—fuck, what if I become Rhinestone?"

I kiss her forehead, taking her hips and walking backward until we reach the table and chairs I snuck in here from a nearby tea parlor room earlier.

Sitting, I pull Verena onto my lap so she's straddling me, facing me.

"You're nothing like Reinhilde," I assure her, brushing dark red hair from her face. Sometimes when I look at Verena, I completely forget she and the evil queen share this face. There's such a stark difference in their souls that there is no overlap between them in my mind. "You're just upholding your promise. I did make you promise to drink enough human blood every day, remember?"

Her attention slides to the side of my neck. "Are you human?"

"Maybe not. Does it matter? Bite me, Fairest," I urge, kissing her one more time before offering my neck.

Anticipation is coiled within me, my heart pounding. I've longed for her to feed on me for weeks.

Perhaps if I can help soothe her thirst while I'm out of the mirror, I'll feel as if I exist more than ever.

For a moment, Verena's lips are gentle, kissing my skin.

And then fangs slide into my neck.

I jolt, gasping⁠—

But the unspeakable pleasure lasts less than a moment. It's much like my inability to relieve myself in the mirror realm, fading abruptly and leaving me in discomfort.

The sting from her bite still remains even though Verena pulls back at once, eyes wide.

"Um, Eris? I hate to tell you this, but..."

"I don't have blood," I realize aloud.

She shakes her head, regretful as she studies me. "Sorry I bit you for nothing."

I look away, rubbing my neck. There are small puncture marks, but nothing drips from them. No blood to tempt Verena or prove that the heart I feel pounding in my chest is real.

At this nasty little reminder that I barely exist, something inside me splinters a bit.

"I don't get it," she admits. "If you don't have blood, how did you have a rock-hard boner?"