Page 27 of Never Run from an Immortal

Thadlia held Rae’s stare with the same fervour she’d been downing the contents of her glass for the duration of the meal. The same zeal with which she tried to access Rae’s mind, even as she spewed her empty words for the rest of the table to hear.

Rae had been more than prepared for each of the council members to attempt it at least once over the course of the night, despite what loyalty they all pledged to their Lord. But she’d felt nothing, until now, and realised that perhaps Thadlia was more powerful than the others. A little more cunning in her approach.

Rae had endured worse. And she could keep Aidan out, so the Provident who was somehow still blathering about the joy their union brought to the council was merely an irritation. Aidan seemed equally unimpressed, and Rae knew, because she was familiar with the feel of his magic now, that he’d been practically dancing around her thoughts since they’d set foot in Cosia to offer some sort of… protection, Rae supposed. So that his secrets were kept safe.

A smart move, but unnecessary.

Thadlia looked at Aidan as if she didn’t know whether to fuck him or murder him. She probably intended to do both. Had tried both, already, no doubt. Rae couldn’t say she blamed the female.

“To all you seek. Beatus vita.” Thadlia ended her speech, and the other Vampires chimed in, glasses dutifully raised to their Lord.Blessed life.

Aidan rested his hand over Rae’s, and she thought of how he’d unfurled her fingers from the door handle in the car earlier. How he’d leaned across to fasten her seatbelt, and somehow had managed not to brush his body against hers despite how close they were, despite the size of him. How he’d pinned her with his silver gaze, the scent of him washing over her. How she’d let herself indulge, just for a second, in thinking he looked better in his suit than anyone had any right to.

Rae wasn’t above admitting to herself that if she wasn’t there for a job, she’d have told him to forgo the meal entirely. She watched him now as he silently raised her hand to his lips, diamond eyes flashing as he pressed a kiss to her knuckles before she remembered the others were watching them.

He could make them all believe anything he wanted, so this—this—was just to fuck with her. To remind her that he could take this all away in the blink of an eye.

But she was game.

“Tell me,” Rae murmured without breaking Aidan’s gaze; no doubt the rest of the table was listening to her every word despite the volume of her voice. “Will you continue to take her to your bed?”

Aidan’s fingers tightened a fraction on her hand as he lowered it back to the table, though she knew he could have crushed bone if he chose to. “Vampires are faithful to their Odaliks until death.”

The implication was loud and clear. Untilherdeath, which could likely be imminent. Still, Rae didn’t let it fluster her. “You honour me.” She eased her hand out from under his to cup it against the side of his face and leaned in close to murmur against his lips. “Until death.”

His gaze dipped to her mouth, but she pulled away to feed another scrap to Quinn, her new best friend and probably the only good thing to come from this whole shitshow.

Baelin stifled a grin beside her. “Rae and Bae,” he’d said when he’d introduced himself properly after the ceremony the night before. “We were made for each other.” That had earnt a glare from Aidan, and Rae had decided she liked his Ascendant immediately.

For the most part, the conversation around the table had been dull, nothing of any use to her or Omnia, and Rae had been content to eat the food, which, as it turned out, was rather good, and chat quietly with Baelin as Aidan fenced questions from his council. All updates had been about the Fae presence at the border, and Aidan had seemed disinterested in all of it.

“The Witch king is dead, and the Fae king is on his death bed,” the ass-kissing Provident Aidan had introduced as Sysmus said over his glass of, well, blood, Rae presumed, though she’d made an effort not to peek too closely at anyone’s beverages. Aidan had nursed the same glass of visk for the whole meal so far and had even eaten a little of the food laid out for them, unlike the others. “We can capitalise on this time of uncertainty,” Sysmus added.

“Alethea has been missing for a decade, and Casius hasn’t stopped sulking since,” another of the council members interjected.

It was common knowledge the Witch princess had jilted the Fae prince ten years prior. An arranged marriage, as most political marriages were, and one which would have likely ended in misery.

“You’d sulk too if you were publicly humiliated, Lorsan,” Thadlia said over her glass.

The Witches had been far more secretive since the disappearance of their princess. There had once been talk of an alliance with the Vampires; the union between Witches and Fae was intended to be a bridge between the Orders, but the Witches had closed off all communication after their princess went missing.

Rae thought of Aidan’s words from the night before, how he’d seemed to believe that Demesia, even the continent, truly could be something better than what it was. Perhaps the Witches could have secured some kind of an alliance between the Orders as they’d intended. But Rae knew better. The Witch king had been a bastard, would never have intended to follow through on his promises, and Mazyr was better off without his lies.

The Witch prince, however…

Therewas a true opportunity for peace. For something better, as Aidan had put it, though she hadn’t yet worked out what the Vampire Lord stood to gain from it and didn’t doubt that there would be something in it for him. Everything Aidan had done had been to get him to his position, to secure his status.

“The younger sister would make an excellent queen,” Thadlia added.

Rae was inclined to agree. Casius had been nothing but an overbearing prick when she’d met him, not that he would remember; he’d been so drunk he could barely stand. “Fae culture dictates it’s the queen’s firstborn child who inherits the throne. Casius is the rightful heir regardless of his ineptitude. Cheers to another long and painful reign by a male with more gold than sense.” She downed the contents of her glass and excused herself to a few quiet chuckles from the table.

With the weight of so much attention on her, Aidan’s included, she needed some air. The great room was becoming stuffy, theVampires louder and louder as they knocked back more of their rikoli, the blue liquid constantly being refilled from decanters by the waiting staff.

Quinn padded along silently beside her as she ignored the passing glances from the table, sinking her fingers into his fur in silent thanks as snippets of the conversation carried to her.

“Alethea can’t run forever,” Rae heard one of the bloodsuckers say as she neared the end of the great table. How little credit they gave the young Witch.

“Don’t be a fool,” another Vampire shot back. “She wouldn’t have lasted more than a year without her father’s protection.”

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