Page 43 of A Study of Blood and Ichor

I’d honestly never dared to ask Vain, though the thought had crossed my mind.

Ask.

“Why?” I braced myself for his answer.

Because I see you, Rory Masters. And while you may have given up on yourself a long time ago, that doesn’t mean that those around you have done the same.

I swallowed, emotion tugging thickly in my throat.

“Are you the one that’s making me feel this attraction to her?” I asked, needing to be sure. “Are your feelings for her why I feel the same way?”

I think that is something you have to figure out for yourself.

I sighed loudly and snapped my eyes open. I held up my middle finger in front of my face, staring at it. “You’re worse than a fucking therapist, you know that?”

Vain chuckled darkly. Do you remember what I told you when I first came to you?

There was a lot that I remembered from that night—a lot I wished I could forget—and those memories remained as clear to me as they had been seven years ago. The blood-stained bathroom tiles, the icy chill in the air, the smoky scent of Vain’s shadows curling around him as he stood over me, watching me die.

I promised you one thing. That until your last breath, you would be mine until the end of your days. That you would never have to be alone again. Do you remember that?

“I’ve never forgotten,” I said, the words tugging sharply in my throat.

You gave yourself to me. And I only ask that you hold on just a bit longer, Vain said. Allow me a little more time. Please.

I tugged the comforter over me and appeased him with a quiet, “Okay.”

Do you trust me?

A pause. “I trust you.”

Good, he said. You have no choice not to.

“Asshole,” I muttered and peered up only to find Alastair standing beside the bed holding a glass of water and an Advil. He set them down on the nightstand, one brow quirked as he looked down at me.

“Not you,” I said to him. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, but Alastair only rolled all of his six eyes and left before I could even offer him a thank you.

I swiped up the pill and downed the water in three swallows before curling back under the sheets and drifting off to the soft peals of Vain’s laughter in the back of my mind.

THIRTEEN

Ava

As much as I would have preferred to hide in the safety of my bedroom all day, I couldn’t stay in it forever. With any luck, I wanted to explore the penthouse without running into anyone.

But, when I finally did pluck up the courage to open the door, Vain was leaning against the opposite wall, his arms crossed over his chest while he glared at me with those deadly black eyes. His newly clean-shaven face was a stark contrast to the dark scruff I had grown accustomed to. And, to my relief, he was at least fully clothed.

“Are these wards going to be a new permanent feature in my home?” he asked, motioning down at the floor.

To my shock, I found myself relieved that Vain was in front of me and not Rory. If Rory was in control, I didn’t think I could hide my embarrassment at the memory of last night.

“For as long as I’m here they will be.”

“I’m glad to see you’ve gotten comfortable enough that you are already redecorating to your liking.”

“What do you want, Vain?”

He pushed off the wall and leaned against the doorframe with fluid grace. He was toeing a dangerous line, so close to the wards at his feet, but his eyes never once left mine. “Why in all the infernal wastes would you think I must immediately want something of you?”

---