Page 28 of A Dawn Of Blood

“Is something distracting you, Anna?” Jaeger asks, a tinge of concern in her voice.

“You mean besides the impending end of the world?” I snap, wondering how the hell I’m supposed to save anyone when I’m not even as talented as an average vampire.

For a moment, Jaeger only stares at me, her jaw working. Damn it, I got her pissed. “I apologize,” I rush to say. “Yes, I guess Iama little distracted.”

To my relief, she inhales deeply and stops clenching her jaw. “The Holy Trinity are powerful beings,” she starts, still summoning patience, but succeeding, “but they’re also highly callous and egoistic. If they’re notallyou’re thinking about while trying to connect with them, they’ll simply ignore you. There’s even a chance they’ll punish you.”

Get it together, Anna, I tell myself. “Got it.” And I hesitate, wondering if maybe I should talk to her about it.

“Oh come on, spit it out already,” Jaeger pleads.

I look away for a second. “Alright.” I take a deep breath and force myself to start talking. “You’ve never met either of them, but I told you about both Jericho and Orpheus.”

Her eyebrows shooting up a little, she nods. “You did. And I’m really sorry, Anna, for everything you had to go through—”

“No no, thank you,” I interrupt her with a gentle smile, “but that’s not what... The thing is… there might be a third one in the picture.”

“Dryden, yes, I know.”

This takes me aback. “How?”

She gives a slight smile. “I was there when you smelled his blood, Anna.”

I frown. “Right.”

“But shouldn’t this be something you’re happy about?” she asks gently.

I let out a laugh. “It’s a little more complicated than that. How do I explain this?” Blowing out a sigh, I shake my head. “On one hand, I seem to always end up with my mates, no matterthe circumstances. The bond is too strong to be prevented or resisted. And when I try to resist it, I only end up royally fucking things up.” My voice starts cracking when I get deeper into it, baring my soul to my oldest friend. “On the other hand, this is not how it’s supposed to go. I’m supposed to haveonemate per lifetime. And I sure as hell am not supposed to be expected to throw myself into someone’s arms mere weeks after losing Orpheus, while I’m still grieving and can’t picture spending my life with anyone else.” I pause for a moment, fighting tears back. “So, out of this sense of duty and fear of fucking things up all over again, I’ve asked Dryden on a date. But now that he’s said yes, all I can think about is… Is it too soon? I don’t feel ready and I can’t even bear the thought of disrespecting Orpheus’s memory.”

Once I’m done with my rant, I’m breathing heavily and Jaeger is looking at me thoughtfully. “Let me ask you something,” she finally says.

“Please do.”

“The fact that Dryden is your mate… Doesn’t that mean that heisOrpheus? That heisJericho and all the mates from your previous lifetimes?”

“It does.”

“You still might not feel ready and that’s okay, but going on a date with him… How can you worry about it being disrespectful? It’s not possible for it to be.”

I think for a second, but I actuallyamreassured. “Thank you, Jaeger. Alright, I don’t feel as distracted as I did a minute ago. I think we can go back to the rituals now.”

Chapter 20

It’s in one of the classrooms that Dryden sets up a romantic candle-lit dinner.

“You seem to be in high spirits,” I tell him, smiling as I let him help me into my chair.

“With good reason,” he says as he gets settled in himself.

“Really?”

“Yes,” he replies with a grin. “I’m about to have dinner with an exceedingly interesting woman, and despite ending up having to use her powers yesterday, she avoided getting recognized, which means this might turn outnotto be the last time I ever see her.”

I blow a laugh through my nose. “You’re a glass-half-full kind of guy, aren’t you?”

“I am.” He leans forward, pinning me with his stare. “How about you?”

And suddenly, all I’m aware of is how intimate this place feels. I clear my throat in discomfort. “What about me?”

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