Page 53 of Soul Forge

“I feed him when he’s desperate because I owe him a life debt.”

“Do you like it when he bites you?” Elda asked.

Reiner almost choked on her food.

Sypher blinked. “...Are you asking me if I’m attracted to him?”

“That’s how it sounds,” Julian chortled. “I don’t blame you. I’m irresistible.”

“Shut it.” Sypher scowled at his friend. “I’m not involved with anyone if that’s what you’re getting at.”

“You’remarried,” the vampire snorted.

“I thought I told you to shut it!” Sypher’s eyes flashed, the fire in them burning brighter with his temper. Reiner’s mirth faded, her fingers curling around the mace to balance it across her shoulders as she set the mane brush aside. Atlas curved his neck around her protectively, resting his chin in her lap again.

“Ooh, scary,” Julian mocked.

“You still didn’t answer my question,” Elda cut in before the pair could continue bickering. “I asked if you liked getting bitten.”

“You asked if I likedhimbiting me,” he answered, “but no. I’d rather he didn’t use the thrall.”

“Why?” Reiner probed. Unlike Elda’s stilted stammering, she was straightforward and blunt. “What benefit is there to it if all you get out of it is pain?”

The Soul Forge frowned at them. “You two ask a lot of questions.”

The ex-captain flashed a smile that promised violence. “If you’re looking for quiet women that won’t overstep, you’re in the wrong place.”

“I’m looking for people that don’t pry into my life. Your gender means nothing to me,” he replied, not breaking her stare.

“Stop being evasive,” Julian remarked, waving his hand dismissively. “He doesn’t like me using the thrall because he thinks he deserves it to hurt. It’s his way of atoning.”

Atoning. Elda’s brows pulled together. “For what?”

“Don’t you say another word,” Sypher hissed, the red in his eyes almost disappearing. A shiver scuttled down Elda’s back at the sight of his bared teeth, and Reiner abandoned all pretence at being amicable, pointing her weapon at Sypher’s head.

“You’d better calm down right now, demon,” she warned.

Sypher ignored her. “I mean it, Julian.”

The vampire held up his hands quickly, palms out to ward off the anger. “Alright! Jeez. I’m sorry.”

Elda shifted positions, putting herself between the mace and the Soul Forge, ignoring Reiner’s annoyed grunt. Sypher watched her movements, the ticking of the muscle in his jaw giving away that his teeth were clenched.

“Is this another secret you won’t tell me until you know you can trust me?” she asked. Sypher nodded. “Well then, I’m sure I’ll find out soon.”

“Don’t count on it,” he muttered, laying back down and turning away from them. Reiner lowered the mace but kept it in her hand when she settled back against her Pegasus, ready to spring for him at a moment’s notice.

“I get it,” Julian nodded, looking down at his friend. “He thinks you’ll do what the others did.”

“You know what he’s talking about?” Reiner probed.

“I do. Unfortunately, I like living too much to let you two in on the secret.” He passed Elda another cloth of stripped meat, eyeing the tulpar demon in warning when she started sniffing. “Sypher, you should eat something.”

“I’m fine,” came the mumbled reply. Julian rolled his eyes but didn’t push it.

Elda frowned and looked down at the meat. It was still hot, and her stomach growled. But she hadn’t just lost enough blood to die. She dangled a piece in front of Sypher’s face.

“Julian is right. You need to eat,” she instructed.

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