Page 110 of Promised in Blood

Painfully bittersweet memories of the way he would carry them both on his back, how they would wait at the castle door, eager for his safe return, unfold in my mind like pages from a book. A tear runs down my face, and I swat it away, closing the book and shutting down my grief before it can take root.

My bond with Ophelia is so very different. Was our story also written billions of years ago when the universe was new? I have always known of the possibility of vampires having fated mates, but it is so rare an occurrence that I never considered it a possibility. Until today, I had no idea my parents were fatedmates. Never would I have thought that I had one or that I would wait over two thousand years for her.

Knowing what I know now, I would wait two million years for Ophelia. She is different from any being I have ever known before, and as her powers grow, so do mine. And what better way to test them…

I clear my mind and focus on him, and as I breach the veil between our worlds, my mind grows sharper.

Alexandros Drakos.His deep growl is even fiercer than I recall.

My pulse spikes.Anikêtos.

He snorts, and I can practically feel the heat from his fire.Elpis told me you had spoken.

I expected that she would.

I am surprised to hear from you. The last time we spoke, you called me… What was it now?

I pinch the spot between my brows and sigh.You burned my wife’s face, Ani.

She got in my way.

Fury burns inside me as raw as the day in question, but I swallow it down. He never accepted her part in my life.You are a dragon with a three-hundred-foot wingspan. Everyone is in your way.

I was by your side for over a millennium, Alexandros.

And then you left!I remind him.And when my entire world was burning, you still did not come back. I needed you.

Do you think that we could have done anything to stop what happened?

Grief, acrid and hot, balls in my throat.You could have tried.

And risked the elimination of my entire species too? Do not be so arrogant as to assume that dragons owe your kind anything, Alexandros. We stalked this earth long before any ofyou, and when you all destroy each other, as you surely will, we will return once more.

I am not talking about what your kind owes anyone, Ani. I am talking about you and me.

He snorts again.You think that I owe you something?

A familiar rage swirls inside me once more, only now it is tinged with guilt and regret. I should have known this would be a mistake. The door of my study opens, and Ophelia pokes her head inside. The mere sight of her is enough to soothe the raging vortex of emotion that churns inside me.

I hold out a hand and beckon her to me. Closing my eyes, I listen to the sound of her soft footfalls as she crosses the room. Her slender fingers curl around mine, her touch sending a gentle warmth through my veins rather than the electric current I usually feel in such close proximity to her. She shuffles onto my lap and curls her small body against mine. With my arms around her, I rest my lips on the top of her head. She fits so perfectly here, as though she is precisely where she was meant to be. As though our atoms were forged from the same piece of the same star.

Hello Anikêtos,son of Herôs, first of your kind, Seer of truths and Keeper of the cradle of magic. It’s an honor to speak with you,Ophelia says in a calm, clear voice.

I blink at her.

And you are?Ani responds, but I can already tell that using all of his titles has gone a long way toward ingratiating herself to him. Dragons are known for their large egos, and none can compare to that of Anikêtos.

I am Ophelia Hart. I’m bonded to Alexandros.

I narrow my eyes in warning so she knows not to reveal too much, but she simply smiles sweetly at me.

You are not a vampire.His tone is much less harsh than it was a moment ago, full of curiosity now rather than disdain.

I am not, she admits.

He is no threat to her, but I still find myself banding her within the tightly protective circle of my arms.You are a curious creature, Ophelia Hart. So few are able to talk to dragons.

I know. I consider it a great honor, sir.

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