Page 98 of A Vow of Blood and Tears

Wyn whirled around, her eyes wide. “What?” Visca sighed as her wife began scrambling through the stack of lists. “Why wasn’t I informed of this? Get the steward over here, we need to reassess the seating arrangements.”

But I couldn’t bring myself to care about Wyn’s carefully-laid plans. My stomach felt like it was trying to tie itself into a knotnow, especially when Auré offered her hand to Bane, and he bowed over it, his lips only inches from her skin.

It was the first real jealousy I’d ever experienced, and I loathed it. She was beautiful, and courtly in a way I wasn’t, and most of all, she was a vampire. His kind. She would understand him in ways I couldn’t.

I rather thought I wanted to go off and privately be sick, which was ludicrous, because… I had nothing to fear, right?

Nothing at all. He could bow over her hand and greet her because he drankmyblood, he slept curled around me, and he wrote me poems that made me want to giggle and blush like a girl. Everything would be fine. Perfectly all right.

I swallowed the nausea as Bane released her hand and strode to me, taking me in his arms.

“My lady, how I’ve missed you,” he murmured, for my ears only. His eyes were bright today, skin gleaming with health; I could see the difference in him now, the starvation Wyn had spoken of. He was sleek and vibrant, a predator at full power.

I touched the note tucked in my dress, smiling up at him as I slowly signed.You write the finest poetry I’ve had the pleasure of reading.

He rubbed his snout, looking away. “I do believe I’ve fulfilled the requirements of my promise to embarrass myself before you. As it turns out, I’m no poet. Rhyming is… a struggle.”

No, I told him.It made me happier than you could ever imagine.

Bane smiled tentatively, then took my hand and pressed it to his cheek. He turned his head, his warm lips pressing against my palm in a kiss.

He’d come to me. I saw him, and he heard me.

Everything wouldhaveto be all right.

Chapter 24

Bane

There were many times when Wyn’s inexorable need to be in control of all things gave me a slight headache. No, that was a lie—a pounding headache, though I loved and appreciated her as the fine aunt and advisor she was.

“You, you, and you—” she snapped, pointing to three unfortunate maids. “Have the upper levels of the Tower of Summer made up for a Lord in residence immediately. No, don’t worry about the Silent Brother. He’ll stay in his current accommodations.”

I found the steward, instructing him to bring a message to Brother Glyn that he would soon be surrounded by vampires. It was unlikely that he would care—no Silent Brother old enough to have served in the war would be uncomfortable with our kind; we’d slept, eaten, and fought beside each other for ten years. Auré was already there, settling her retinue into their assigned quarters.

With that small duty done, I returned my attention to settling Wyn before she completely melted down, happily keeping Cirri clasped to my side.

Is he like you?she asked, looking up at me sidelong. I appreciated that she moved slower now, pausing when I was clearly puzzled over a word.

“In a manner of speaking. As ugly as I am? Absolutely. As sweet-natured and lovable?” I waved a hand, smiling a little. “Not in the slightest.”

She nodded, but for once she didn’t respond to my jokes in kind; there was a slight crease between her brows, a worried look in those green eyes. She held my arm tighter than usual.

Perhaps she was concerned about another fiend in residence. Ancestors knew it couldn’t be comfortable for a human still learning our ways.

“He wouldn’t dream of harming you,” I told her. “There’s no need to fear him. Wroth has always loved women and children. His mutation hasn’t changed that.”

She smiled at me, but it was a distracted smile, an uneasy one.I couldn’t be afraid of any brother of yours, she said, but the movements of her hands were lacking in her usual confidence; she almost seemed to be trying to shrink in on herself.

Now I felt my own worry arise; what bothered my Cirri, my rose, the lady of my heart?

The question was on my lips and remained unvoiced. One of the human scouts reported to Visca at a run, tracking dirt over the scarlet rugs, and Wyn stared at the tracks with the full fury of a bloodwitch about to explode.

Visca’s lips stretched wide in a gritted-teeth grin. “Here he comes. Why don’t you go greet your brother, Bane? We’ve got things well in hand here.” She tipped her head towards Wyn, the silent message loud and clear:I can’t leave my wife or she will reduce the inhabitants of this castle to puddles of gore.

“Trust me, you’ll like him,” I told Cirri, leading my own wife from the chaos of the ballroom.

Her shoulders relaxed as we left the madness. Perhaps it was just Wyn’s overbearing manner that was bothering her; she’d spent several hours in the bloodwitch’s grasp, being taught the basic rudiments of how to behave with nobility in residence, of what Bloodrain entailed for us.

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