Page 157 of The Vampire's Bride

“Do you miss living in the light?” he asks. “Do you miss your old life?”

“Sometimes. But I do love it here.” I offer him another smile—a genuine one this time. “I love Valaric. I still miss my mother and my brother, but I feel like all of you are my family as well.”

“Except Damar,” he says with a teasing grin.

“Even him.” I laugh. “I just try to think of him as Valaric’s pretentious and mildly intolerable older brother.” Eben snorts. “But I would not trade this life for anything.”

“You should come back inside,” Reyla’s voice chimes in as she walks toward us, carrying a blanket. She drapes the thick quilt around my shoulders. “There. That should ward off most of the chill.” She gives me a warm smile. “I’ve got some hot chocolate waiting for you inside.”

As I walk inside with Eben and Reyla, I spare a glance at the enchanted rosebush. The petals are drooping and several arescattered around the base in the snow, reminding me that time is growing short.

I’ve found a home here. A family. And I would give anything to be able to stay.

Moisture clings to my skin from my recent bath as I walk through the castle. I decided to bathe in my old room, not wanting to wake Valaric if he was already sleeping. A faint shiver traces down my spine, and I clutch my thick robe closer around me as I descend down the spiraling staircase to Valaric’s chambers—our chambers, I correct myself.

Carefully, I turn the knob to enter, not wanting to wake him if he’s already asleep. I push the door open and slip through. A startled gasp escapes me when I notice movement near the fireplace.

A smile curves my mouth when I see Valaric lighting the hearth to warm the room. He turns to me with a piercing gaze. Soft knit pants hug lean hips and toned thighs, but he wears nothing else. My gaze travels over his broad shoulders and his muscular physique.

He moves with preternatural grace as he crosses the room in three long strides. He removes my robes and shoes, leaving me in only my silken shift, and then envelops me in his arms and wings, chasing away the chill in the air.

“You’re so cold.” Worry lines his handsome features as he cups my cheek, his thumb brushing lightly over my skin. “Come. Let me warm you.”

Lifting me effortlessly, he carries me to our bed. Gently, he lays me down on the soft mattress and then crawls in beside me, pulling the thick blankets and furs over us both.

His body is a line of heat at my back, his arm a reassuring weight around my waist. I turn to face him and gaze into his crimson eyes.

Valaric brushes a lock of hair from my face, studying me as if I were a rare and precious thing as he folds his wings around me. “Better?” he murmurs into my hair.

I snuggle into his embrace. “Much.”

He presses a kiss to my temple. “Tomorrow, I will travel with Aerlyx to Kendar.”

“Why? What’s in Kendar?”

“Lyra’s home,” he replies. “It has been twenty years since I made the bargain with her family. If the curse is truly broken, perhaps she may be there.”

I push up on my elbow. “You think the witch may have actually returned them to their homes and their families?”

“It is my hope.” He tucks a stray tendril of hair behind my ear. “Because if she has, then the dark spell has been lifted. Which means—”

“I won’t fall into an enchanted sleep,” I finish his sentence. Hope sparks within, but I push it back down, trying to temper it until we know more. I shudder as an image of the glass coffins resurfaces in my mind.

“Are you still cold?” he asks softly.

I shake my head.

He cups my chin, tilting my face up to his. “The bond between us may still be muted, but I can sense something is bothering you. What is it?”

“I had another nightmare yesterday. Of my attack.”

“Did you remember anything new? Anything that could help us determine who it was that hurt you?”

“No.” I swallow against the lump forming in my throat. “I just”—I hesitate a moment, unsure if I should speak my fears aloud—“I was wondering if I would dream… if I was asleepin one of those glass coffins.” My voice quavers. “It would be terrible to be stuck in a nightmare, unable to awaken.”

“I will not let that happen.” Determination lines his features. “If the curse has not already been broken, I will find a way to break it. I swear to you.”

Tears burn the back of my eyes. “You cannot promise this, Valaric. And I don’t want you to.”

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