Page 34 of An Empress of Fire & Steel

“Brother?” Torin spat. “You are certainly not a member of my brethren,” he said dangerously. “If you were really getting to know him, did he tell you that he’s a vampire?” he asked Emara.

She stilled.

“I take that as a no. Do you know how strong the scent of your blood is to a creature like him?” he asked her. When she didn’t respond, he turned to the man. “I suggest you leave before I defang you and make you walk in the sunlight.”

The vampire's face turned motionless. “I wasn’t going to feed on her, I swear.”

“No, because feeding on her would be the last move you ever made.” Torin’s threat struck hard and he removed a hand from his pocket. “Now leave.”

Doriel waited a few seconds before taking a risk by glancing at Emara again. “It was nice to meet you. Enjoy your night.” The vampire bowed his head.

He left and Torin snarled at his departure.

“Are you serious?” Heat rushed all over Emara’s body as the male took his leave. Torin’s stare didn’t meet hers for a few seconds as he watched for the vampire and his friends to make an exit. “Torin, what in the Underworld was that? Are you crazy?”

His gaze snapped to her face. “That,” his mouth nipped out the word, “was me saving your ass from being someone’s meal. Did you know vampires favour pure blood over anything else?”

Virginal blood.

Emara’s cheeks swam with heat before she saw flashes of red in her vision. “I can handle myself, so don’t you dare bring your macho bullshit over here and ruin my last night of freedom. You are not my guard yet. I am still free of you.”

He leaned against the black limestone bar nonchalantly and glowered at her. “You can handle yourself, can you?”

“Yes,” she hissed.

“I don’t think coming out alone, unarmed, is handling yourself particularly well. We spoke about this in training.”

“Just because I am not wearing a weapon belt does not mean I am not armed,” she battled back. “You should know that.” Surprised flashed onto his face and she felt a smug grin form on her own. “See, you don’t know everything.” She pulled up the hem of her dress ever so slightly to reveal a small dagger strapped to her thigh. His face changed instantly, and he brought his gaze up to hers.

“You are really trying to kill me, aren’t you?” he said as his masculine jaw sharpened at a lethal angle.

“Excuse me?”

His intense gaze was back on her once more. “You cannot waltz in here, wearing that dress and have a dagger strapped to your thigh and not expect me to fall in love with you.”

Even though she felt the jest in his words, they slammed into her heart, making it race at an unthinkable rate. “You have probably fallen in love with every girl in La Luna tonight.”

“I don’t fall in love with anyone.” His words were lined with something more meaningful, something that made her avert her eyes from his face.

“I have made the mistake of going out unarmed before, I won’t make that same mistake twice.”

A muscle ticked in the side of his jaw and flashed his eyebrows up. “Again, you surprise me.”

“Have a little faith in me for once and you wouldn’t be surprised.” She took a little sip of her drink, wishing it was a gulp.

“Oh, I do have faith.” His gaze lingered on her face.

“Besides, I know I can protect myself with my magic. But until such times that I know how to actually harness it without killing people, I will stick to weapons. I have had some training with them, at least.”

“You really are on track to make me fall in love with you if you keep talking like that.” He smiled, but it wasn’t wicked or flirtatious. It was real.

She laughed, her heart picking up pace again. “You are an idiot.”

He watched her face whilst ordering a drink with one hand. The barmaid placed two drinks down and Torin handed one to her. “Pop it on my tab,” he said without looking away from her.

She lowered her lashes. “How did you know what I wanted?”

“Because I know you,” he said and her heart thundered like a brewing storm. “You like something that’s sweet but has a kick to it, something that burns going down to let you know that you are consuming alcohol. You wouldn’t want to be deceived,” He smiled, and her stomach flipped. “Or maybe that was just a lucky guess.”

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