Page 44 of Ashvale: The Vampire's Kiss

It was strange to be able to see without my eyes, like a new layer of the word I hadn't known existed. Until— “I found it.”

But it couldn't be right. Was this truly what I'd sensed earlier? It was familiar, its song the same but not. My eyes flew open. “Hayes?—”

“No.” Cal sounded breathless and I held my tongue, prepared for an explanation and my emotions swelling when it didn't come, the tidal wave threatening to drown me as my rage crested. The last person to betray me like this had wound up with his heart in my fist.

I shook my head as I stood, towering over the mage’s form on the ground.

“You,” I said, my voice as quiet as death and Hayes fell still.

“No,” Cal repeated, eyes squeezed shut. “My brother.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Leonora

The night air was cool, the scent of bonfire smoke thick, and I was pretty sure that there was a marshmallow stuck in my hair.

“Why are we even eating these?” The pink marshmallow had melted from my proximity to the fire and I grimaced as I tried to pull it free from one dark curl.

“Because they're delicious,” Emerson said, a tiny bit of drool slipping down her chin around the five mallows in her mouth.

Novalie shook her head. “Nope.”

We'd needed to escape court for a few moments of semi-normalcy and air that wasn't stale. It was hard to keep track of time underground, bonfire night had come around fast. London wasn't typically what I would consider to be a peaceful place, but in the middle of the night, by the heat of the fire, I was feeling surprisingly at ease.

“You good?”

I blinked, Novalie’s voice stirring me out of my reverie. The flames were still visible behind my eyelids when I laid back on the ground. “Yeah, just enjoying being out here.”

Leaves rustled and Emerson settled beside me. “It's like a whole other world down there.”

“A bitey, bloody world,” Novalie muttered.

“Full of uninvited and unexpected interlopers,” I added and a scoff on the other side of the fire pit made me grin.

“Oh, come now, cousin. It's not all bad. You have to admit that court has a little something you can’t help but love,” Rath said and Novalie sighed.

“You know literally nothing about me,” I pointed out and he made a sound of protest.

“Well, that's what girls’ night is for, is it not? Why else would I be invited?”

“Not,” I said firmly and brushed some stray ash from my nose. “And I didn't invite you. You saw us leaving and followed us here despite my protests.”

“You have a truly wonderful sense of humour, cousin. Unlike your bitch of a mother.”

“Amen.” Novalie grinned, prodding the fire to keep it burning steadily.

“Did you ever meet my father?” Considering Rath was as old as dirt, he and Cal had likely crossed paths, though that didn't mean he knew who Cal was to me.

“Sadly, no. A shame, if their proclivities hadn’t produced you, I wouldn't have believed anyone could be sadistic enough to bed Elowen.”

“Burn," Emerson muttered and I rolled my eyes.

“You really hate her, huh?” Novalie popped another marshmallow in her mouth and immediately grimaced when she chewed, like she regretted it.

“Not really.” Rath sighed and I sat up to look at him, intrigued. “Elowen is a bit like a beaten dog—hard not to kick her when she's already down. Plus, she just makes it so easy.”

It was an interesting take for sure. I'd only really thought about my mother as a duplicitous, murdering bitch. The prospect that she was small potatoes to a vampire like Rath…

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