Page 38 of Of Night and Blood: Special Edition

I chuckled softly at that, shoulders loosening as the fear and discomfort left me. Distinguishing between fae and demon would be easier than looking at their ears it seemed, because Henry, Noe, and Winona all spoke in that same accent as Bellamy now did.

“My wife is right. Please, sit and suffer through breakfast with us,” Ranbir spoke, gesturing to the seat beside the head of the table, which remained noticeably vacant. Almost painfully so.

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. Not only had a Healer married outside of his faction, but he wed a demon. The two of them smiled at one another, and I thought, not for the first time, that perhaps we were wrong to enforce that restriction on our kind.

With a gentle hand on my upper back, Pino encouraged me forward. I plopped down in the seat across from Henry, holding in my need to enter the minds of those around me—fighting off my curiosity. When I felt them all stare at me once more, I decided to speak.

“Is there something you all would like to ask, or am I simply so good looking you cannot divert your gaze?”

A snort sounded from Henry, and beside him Ranbir blushed faintly. Noe and Lian on the other hand, looked amused in a way that made me wonder if in another life I would fit in well with this group.

“Well, yes you are, but I am actually quite curious. The rumors of your power are so very exciting. Can you show us?” Noe asked, her tone not mocking, but inquisitive. Genuine.

I reached out, just to douse her curiosity. I knew when I had her, because the darkness enveloped my senses. Every ray of sunshine, every flame of fire, every bit of light was sucked out of the world. I saw nothing for what felt like a lifetime, but eventually came back up for air. Her intrigue was at the forefront of her mind, and when I attempted to creep further back it was as if there were no other thoughts, emotions, or memories. Just distinct interest.

I opened my eyes, which I had not realized I closed until then. Noe was staring, waiting.

Stand.

Noe stood.

Jump.

Noe jumped once.

“Tell me a secret, Noe,” I said, dropping my voice to the commanding tenor of my mental one. A couple of the others gasped, each of their faces full of concern. I rolled my eyes. “Fine, a secret of little consequence.”

Noe looked like she was intoxicated on my power, as if this experience was a rich wine she could not get enough of.

“When Bell and I were young, I sent a pyrien after him because he would not kiss me, but I never told him it was me.”

My eyebrows furrowed. What was a pyrien? Before I could ask, the smell of cinnamon and smoke wafted in the air like a warm breeze. I turned to find Bellamy in the seat beside me, claiming his head spot.

“I always knew that you did that, you little heathen,” Bellamy said.

He was still wearing the red tunic, though it was now hiding his chest. His dark hair was slightly tousled, as if he, or someone else, had been running a hand through it extensively. I also noted the bit of kohl under his eye, causing the blue to look terrifyingly—enchantingly—bright.

“Hello, Princess,” he rasped, our eyes locking. Butterflies erupted low in my stomach, but I ignored them.

“Do not call me that, demon.” I scoffed. Noe’s lush laugh sounded behind me, followed by Henry’s deeper, more earthy chuckle. Bellamy seemed unfazed by my tone. If anything, he smiled wider.

“I love it when you play hard to get,” he purred. I rolled my eyes and did my best to act as though I was not fighting the urge to kiss him. He was the enemy, and I was not staying.

“On a more important note, has anyone ever told you that you sit funny?” Henry asked me, his green eyes alight with an emotion I could not place. My brows creased in confusion as I assessed my posture. I was sitting as any royal would. “Like you have a stick up your ass.”

Noe giggled, Lian coughing to hide her own laughter. Winona and Ranbir looked as if they were trying very hard not to react at all. I merely glared at the demon, not wanting him to know just how badly that wounded me. With all the grace I could muster, I sat straighter.

Bellamy leaned over and smacked the back of Henry’s head, causing it to fling forward and nearly land in his food. Then it was my turn to laugh.

“Anyways, Winona what was it you so desperately needed to make me aware of?” the prince said, looking my way with a dazzling smile on his face, as if he enjoyed the sound of my laughter.

The Sun opened her mouth to speak, but when her eyes quickly darted to me, she shut it once more.

“It might be a matter best discussed in private,” she said. Everyone else at the table seemed to zero in on me as well, though I was unsure if they had ever stopped gawking. My own eyes narrowed, my fists scrunching in my lap in anger.

“Yes, you would not want to divulge too much to your captive, Prince,” I added, eyeing her. Winona winced, as if prepared for me to harm her for what she said. I was both offended and thrilled by her fear, which was a new trait of mine that I was growing rather comfortable with.

“I do not mean to offend you,” Winona responded, her voice soft and soothing.

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