Page 150 of On Wings of Blood

She fell backwards onto her bed, giggling again. “That might just be the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Hey, you’re the one who loves highbloods. Can’t a highblood love a fluffin?” The question sounded so silly, we burst out laughing again.

“A highblood can do whatever they want, I suppose,” Florence said at last. “But Blake? I mean... I would never have taken him for a fluffin-lover.”

“Florence, please. If we don’t stop putting Blake in the same sentence as a fluffin, I’m never going to be able to stop laughing,” I groaned.

“What I don’t understand is why Neville keeps coming back here,” Florence said, leaning over to pat the fluffin’s fluffy head. Neville perked up a little, then fell back asleep. He seemed to be recovering after his nasty ordeal with the highblood.

“Maybe they’re not allowed to have pets in Drakharrow Tower either?” I suggested.

She shook her head. “I’m pretty sure the highbloods are allowed to do whatever they want over there. That goes double if you’re a House Leader.”

“Maybe Neville–” I suppressed a giggle. “Maybe he keeps trying to get back to Blake, but Blake keeps sending him back to us?”

“That would make sense. But it’s also a little sad. Why doesn’t Blake just keep him?”

“I mean, I guess it might be a little embarrassing for the big, bad House Leader to keep a fluffin?” I said, snorting with laughter. “Poor Neville. He deserves better than Blake.”

Florence looked at me consideringly. “So do you, I guess.”

I blushed. “I mean, he did save me from that highblood. Do you think I should have thanked him?”

“Do you? You said yourself the highblood would probably have killed you.”

I looked away. “I don’t know. Blake’s different from anyone I’ve ever met. He’s not... fully evil, I guess. But he’s certainly not good either. He’s selfish and controlling. He acts like he owns me. But he doesn’t want me to get hurt. It’s confusing.”

I hadn’t told her Blake had kissed me. It was too humiliating. I’d only told her that he’d killed for me. Which was somehow slightly better. I wasn’t sure why.

“What do you think of him feeding from a sellblood?” Florence asked, eying me curiously.

“I was going to ask you that same question,” I said.

She tilted her head, her dark eyes thoughtful. “I think it says something about him. Something neither of you might want to admit.”

“Something bad?”

“No, the opposite. He’d rather feed from someone who’s willing. He didn’t hurt her, did he? The sellblood girl?”

I shook my head. I hated thinking about her. “No, she seemed to enjoy herself quite a bit, in fact.”

“I can’t believe you watched,” Florence said, a little admiringly. “That was rather daring.”

“Blake Drakharrow doesn’t have a right to privacy, as far as I’m concerned,” I countered. “I wasn’t trying to be daring. I just wanted to figure out what he was up to.”

I thought of Professor Rodriguez. How he and Blake had met outside The Drained Rose. It was clear it wasn’t for the first time either.

“But speaking of daring,” I said slowly. “I have a dare for you...”

Back in my own room a little while later, I lay beneath the blankets, unable to sleep even though I knew there were only a few hours left before I’d have to wake up for class.

My head was spinning and it wouldn’t stop.

Mine, he’d said.

It wasn’t the first time he’d said it. But it felt like the first time I’d actually been truly listening.

Mine, he’d said.

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