Page 35
“Sugar!” the snake shifter cried, pulling the vampire into a bear hug. “I’ve been so worried.”
Medusa’s portal power was a proper life saver.
What would we do without it?
The two besties broke the hug, Vaughn and Silvanus hugging it out next. Aw, it was nice to see. I was still on the fence with Lord Vaughn but mostly hanging off it now. He’d helped me get away from Aidan, and he was fully Team Silvanus.
Always good in my books.
Still, we’d had a rocky meeting at the club Majestic Moon, which didn’t help. Whatever. It didn’t matter now.
Medusa came over to me, crushing me to her ochre skin and emerald scales. A kind, lovely person I’d really come to enjoy being around. She’d been on my side from the beginning.
Bless her.
I crushed her back.
“Are you okay, sugar?” she whispered into my ear.
“Sweetcream. Curdled sweetcream, but still a bit sweet.”
She laughed before pulling back, inspecting me with her amber eyes. “That scumbag won’t let up, will he?”
I shook my head, glancing at Elio. Still on the sofa, still staring at the fire.
We really needed to talk.
Vaughn patted the elf’s shoulder, then got down to business, explaining everything to Silvanus, including the big parent reveal.
The vampire lord winced in my direction. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to take that away from you.”
“It’s okay.” I offered him a weak smile, speaking truthfully. The information had to go the vampire king’s way sooner or later. And honestly, I was glad to have that burden off my shoulders.
But it also made it more real.
This is really happening…
“Give him the thing,” Medusa said, addressing Vaughn.
“Ah, yes. Indeed.” The vampire plucked a packet of mistrock cigarettes from his long coat pocket, along with a lighter.
My heart skipped a merry beat. “Am I seeing what I hope I’m seeing?”
He waggled the packet of vanilla magical-tobacco-replacements at me. “I always keep some on me for any mortals craving a puff.” He pulled a disgusted face. “I’ll never understand it myself.” He tossed the cigarettes and lighter to me.
Overjoyed, I sparked up and took the first blessed drag. Man, there was nothing like that vanilla-laced first puff. A real tension soother, a heady rush to ease the stress.
I blew out the smoke, riding the tingly high.
“Thanks,” I said.
Another point for him, the vamp going up in my estimations again.
“Then we must return to Glimmer City,” Silvanus chimed in, not showing any emotion despite the information overload. “What matters now is getting to the Carving Glade and breaking Aidan’s faith.”
He was right. The sooner we gained access to the runic disks and the elven magic, the better. Even if it did mean facing my parents again.
I drew a deeper drag on the cigarette, my nerves felt like they had been dragged through a tangle of barbed wire.
