Page 107 of How to Entice a Fiend

“I’ve lived all over Europe and the US, but I was born in Spain before my brother and I left to follow a dream of his. After I escaped Abel, at first I just spent time eluding him. Once I felt strong enough that I could possibly kill Abel, I followed Watson’s trail over here, believing that Watson could lead me to him.”

“Where do you see yourself living after all of this?” I ask curiously.

“I don’t know. It seems so far from reality that it’s hard to imagine where I would live. Maybe I’d let Rylee decide. As long as it’s not in Orin’s house… assuming the VRC doesn’t toss me in prison if I manage to live.”

“I won’t let them.”

“Oh? You’re going to fight for me?” he asks. “I would love to see you brawl Marcus.”

“I wasn’t going to brawl him with myhands,but Iamstill a council member, believe it or not.”

I set my chin on Ender’s shoulder and close my eyes, really not wanting to let him go. He pushes my head back and I sigh, disappointed until I realize he’s done it so he can turn and face me. He pushes me against the wall and kisses me. “And when I’m done dealing with Abel, I’m going to fuck you. Alright?”

This sounds more than fine to me. “Very much alright.”

“Good.”

“Can I have a kiss while I wait?”

“You’re awfully needy,” he says but doesn’t even hesitate before kissing me. This man can make me go weak from how fucking good his kisses are. I feel hypnotized by it and easily get lost in it before he pulls back, ending that fun.

“Only one kiss?”

Ender eyes me. “You deserve a second one after bullying me into sleeping in the same bed as you last night?”

“Probably not.”

He shakes his head with a grin before giving me a quick kiss and pulling on his clothes. Dressed, we head out to the dining room where Orin is staring at his phone. “Morning. There’s some blood if you need some.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” I say, feeling like I might be overindulging since nearly dying of blood loss. I quickly retrieve some blood and barely make it to the table before cracking it open.

“You two look a bit more alive this morning,” Finn comments as he comes in.

“I feel alive,” I say as I chug the blood.

“You know we can get you more, right? Like there’s a whole fridge full. You don’t have to choke yourself,” Finn assures me.

“Ah. Ha ha. Right. Going days with little blood has made me a bit… gluttonous.”

“I bet.”

Marcus walks in just as I’m restraining myself from licking the bottle clean. “This one time Finn missed dinner and he acted like he was going to expire right there. There was some ‘I’m not going to make it’ and also some ‘Just because I’m your portable juice box, you think you can starve me to death.’ I mostly liked how he acted like it was my fault, even though it definitely wasn’t.”

“Right?” Finn says, not at all refuting this.

“What are our plans for today?” Orin asks.

“Did anyone manage to get me more supplies? If so, we can go back to the university and I could make a few more… things?” I ask.

“I feel like, as the police, we’re not supposed to encourage you to make a few more… things?” Finn says. “Antidote is fine but ‘things’ might not be fine.”

“I’m okay with it,” Marcus states.

“Of course you’re okay with it. You were going to murder Gradyinsidethe prison while on camera with multiple eyewitnesses. You’re the very last person I would ask about anything pertaining to legalities.”

“Understandable,” Marcus says as Alexei and Claude join us. “Ask Alexei, then. Alexei, would you permit Mads to make more bombs?”

“I don’t see why not.”

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