Page 97 of Soul Forge

“That fool couldn’t fight his way out of a flour sack. How the fuck can I expect him to control your compulsive stupidity?”

“Why would he be in a flour sack?” Elda asked groggily.

“Spirits, give me fucking strength,” Vel muttered, pressing a hand to his face. “Move over.”

“What?”

“Move.Over.” When she didn’t listen to him, he arched an eyebrow. “You really want to ignore me when I’m in a rotten mood?” She stuck her tongue out at him again. “You asked for it.”

Elda squeaked when he climbed in beside her, slotting himself into the thin space between her and the edge of the mattress. His chest was pressed against her side.

“What are you doing?”

“I told you to move over.”

“But the bed is warm on this side,” she complained.

“Fine,” Vel muttered, and she knew even without a discernible pupil that he was rolling his eyes. He shifted so he was above her, and she froze, her heart thundering against her ribs. “Next time I tell you to do something, I’d appreciate it if you’d listen to me.” He spoke through clenched teeth, but his lips were next to herear, and the low purr of his deep voice reignited the fire in her chest. “Now go to sleep.”

He moved away from her and took the cold side of the bed, but the furnace inside her didn’t abate. She tried to ignore it, but the lingering thrall made it almost impossible. The demon soul sighed irritably and reached out to pull her against him, holding her the same way Sypher had after her premonition in Gira’s villa. The gesture was oddly kind.

“You’re beingnice,” she whispered, eyes rounding. His scent of petrichor, vetiver, and leather wrapped around her like a blanket.

“Less talking, more sleeping.”

“Last time you were out, you pinned me against a wall by my throat,” she mumbled. “Now you’recuddlingme.”

“Are you complaining?” His breath tickled the back of her neck, her body beginning to relax. She knew that was probably wrong. She should be on high alert, waiting for him to kill her. Instead, a wide yawn struck her. She felt as safe in his arms as she had in Sypher’s.

“Nope, just observing,” she mumbled.

“Sleep, Varro.”

Her eyes slid closed when his arms tightened around her.

Elda’s head was pounding by the time she woke up in the morning, the light stabbing at her eyes. Her pillow was warm and solid, rising and falling in a steady rhythm. A heartbeat throbbed beneath her ear.

“Don’t you ever say I never do anything nice for you,” Vel grumbled when she lifted her head to look at him. Much like Sypher the morning after her premonition, he had one handtucked behind his head and the other wrapped around her. She was surprised he’d stayed the whole night.

“You’re still here.”

“Show me your eyes so I can leave,” he instructed. Elda frowned but let him study her pupils. “No more thrall means no more Vel. See you around, Princess Moron.” He winked.

“Wait!” But he was already gone. Sypher sat up and grabbed both of her arms gently, his eyes flaring bright when the garnet hue returned. His gaze fixed straight on her throat where Malphas had bitten her.

“Are you alright? What happened?” he demanded, his brow creasing into a concerned frown. “I saw that vampire feeding on you, and my demon wentinsane. I was locked out before I knew what was happening. It was worse than the hallway back at the villa.”

“I’m alright,” she reassured him. “Vel killed Malphas and brought me inside to wait out the thrall. He was furious.”

“How do you know his name? Did he tell you it?” Sypher asked, his eyes widening.

“No. Gira let it slip when he got threatened.”

Something about the answer seemed to relax him a little, but then another frown creased his brow.

“Did he do anything to you?” he asked.

She shook her head, understanding the meaning behind his question. “He called me stupid a few times, but he was respectful.” Sypher nodded, though his shoulders remained tense.

---