I can’t keep my mouth from opening wider, shock all too prevalent in my expression. “Crazy bitch. Undo it.”
She smiles, and I swear I’ve never hit a woman, but that is about to change. “I can’t undo the Vampiric Night, baby?—”
“Don’t call me that, Elizabeth. What the fuck!?” I whirl around on her. “Are you insane?! Why?” My voice is elevating while my hands shake so bad I fear I’m going to do something irrational.
That smile of hers stays as she tilts her head. “Insane for you. Now we can be together, Kairhyse. In time you’ll come to understand what I did was for you… for us.”
I’m lost in a nightmare, that is all this is. The moment I wake up, it will be behind me. I’ll come to—in bed alone—tomorrow, having broken it off with Elizabeth, and my life will get back on track.
Except, I’m no fool.
This is real, and she just ended my life forherhappiness.
We turnonto the familiar Bison Road, the smooth pavement of the highway giving way to gravel as we enter a corridor of trees. Sydni sits in the front seat, her head turned over her shoulder, gazing at me with a sorrowful expression.
I hadn’t spoken to anyone about my turning in so long—not even Xeraphine—but when my little butterfly asked, I couldn’t say no. Not now.
“I’m sorry…” she offers somberly. “What a crazy bitch.”
I nod. “Agreed, but don’t apologize. That was over three hundred years ago, and I’m settled in my fate.”
“Is your creator still alive?” Niyla, who is sitting beside me, asks.
Resting my elbow on the door’s armrest, I fix my gaze on Sydni.
“No, I killed her about thirty years later. Took her that long to let her guard down. I was finally able to take her head off in the middle of the night, then I burned our house to the ground for good measure.”
Syd, I can tell by the look on her face, is drawing comparisons between Xeraphine and me. I’m doing the same. Even if she’d been born a Succubus, it seems more apparent every day that my girl would’ve preferred a Mundane life. And maybe I would’ve too, back then. But now, I’m grateful for the Vampiric Night. It brought me to my little demon, and it will keep me with her for eternity once I’ve got her back.
Other than her question about how I was turned, the entire car ride to Eldritch has been silent. It’s stayed that way because there’s only one question I need to ask Alaric. He claims it’s irrelevant, but to me, it’s everything: What the fuck is a Fallen?
Sydni has been texting me throughout the drive, stating that there’s nothing online about what a Fallen could be. She says all that comes up is fallen heroes of the Old War. I can’t see that being what he was referring to, but who the fuck knows?
“How often do I need to feed?” She asksmespecifically, not Niyla.
Although she seemed to relent to feeding when we left Sidence, the bottle of blood has remained untouched in the cupholder for the past twelve hours. It’s probably undrinkable by now, and while I desperately need her to eat, I won’t force her.
Not yet, at least.
“Depends. Once a day while you are this young is for the best, but the older you get, the longer you can go between feedings.”
Her head falls against the back of her seat. “Do you think Phiny will feed me?” she whispers, her frown deepening.
Even if I don’t feel like doing so, I smile and nod my head. “Of course, butterfly.”
It doesn’t escape me that I hear the subtle squeeze of leather, and when my eyes flick to Alaric who is driving, he is squeezing the steering wheel. His comment about me feeding from Xeraphine flashing across the forefront of my mind.
What is his fucking deal?
“I don’t want to feed on anyone but her.” My head shifts back to Sydni as she continues, “So I guess we better get her quickly.”
She swings her gaze to Alaric, her expression teetering on a snarl, and I can’t help but love it. My little butterfly is about to spread those wings of hers—and they’re razor sharp.
“You.” She juts her finger right at him. “I don’t trust you, and when I say you better not try anything snaky, I mean it.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I smirk. A chuckle comes from Niyla, who surprisingly also has a grin on her face.
“I get enough threats from one Vampire. Do I not deserve a break?” There is no humor in his tone as he sighs.
