Page 80 of The Book Reader
I must kill her.
I’m just not sure how.
Dear diary,
She killed them all; she didn’t even stop for a break.
Dear diary,
Today, I wish I had never woken up. Gaelan and I had the most perfect morning in bed, and then everything went wrong.
I used a binding spell from the book on the Blood Bringer, and it worked; it bound her powers for a short while, allowing everyone in the village to be freed. I saved them. But I got hurt in the process. Gaelan was so angry with me that he yelled at me and then left. I’ve tried to find him, but I don’t know where he could have gone.
It’s so dark without him.
Something is coming for me; I can feel it.
I hope Gaelan comes home before Macy gets here.
I lower the diary with a sigh; there is so much pain and hurt in these words. So much heartache that I start to wonder why Gaelan kept looking for me, why he would go through all of this.Tears roll down my cheek as a pink envelope catches my eye. I smile at the heart drawn on the front and the little flowers. I open it, and the scent of rose and lemon hits me, making me smile.
Dear diary,
Gaelan finally told me he loved me, and he took me to our special place, our hiding place. We had sex in the flowers. He told me he loved me! I said it back!
I’m in love.
I can’t wait to tell Mama tomorrow. I need to buy a scarf to hide the fang marks on my neck. Gaelan has been drinking from me for weeks now. It’s the best feeling in the world, but it leaves marks on me that Mama won’t understand.
I love him.
I frown at the letter;he was drinking her bloodfor pleasure?He has only had little sips of mine, or when he has needed to heal or show me something. It’s never been for pleasure. I’ve tasted him plenty of times now, and I know many non-supernaturals drink from daemons. I never had… until Gaelan. Everyone always talked about the rush they get from it, we even had a shot in the club called “Daemon Ilica” which was a huge seller. I never knew where the blood came from. Kat oversaw that stock intake.
Now that I’ve tasted it, I understand why everyone loves it so much; the rush I get from drinking it is unlike anything I’ve ever felt. The thought of ever drinking it from anyone other than Gaelan makes my stomach revolt.
I look up at the clock and notice that it’s almost dinner time. I must have been sitting here for hours reading all these letters. I wonder if Gaelen is finished with his meeting yet. He did say that if I ever needed him, I could just go to his office.
Does needing an orgasm count?
I laugh to myself as I stand up, gathering the letter and diary entries. I want to show Gaelan what I found and ask him more about Tate and Macy. I also want to know how much he knows about this Blood Bringer; she sounds like someone much worse than Macy, someone I don’t want to run into just yet.
Rex stands, yawns, and then shakes his body; his fur is fluffy for a second before it shrinks back to his skin. Gaelan explained that their fluff serves as armor for them; they puff out during battles, and it feels like small pins if brushed against skin. I’m not sure I believe him. I touched one of those fluffy cacti—that looked so soft—once, and my finger was on fire for hours afterwards.
I head out of the office and into the bedroom to quickly put on a jumper as the temperature has dropped. I’m finally starting to understand how time moves down here. It’s so odd that we don’t have any sunlight at all, but the two moons are so pretty. Right now, the setting sun is on the horizon topside, and here, the second moon is about to rise.
I head down the hallway, Rex walking beside me. The halls are quiet upstairs, so I head down the stairs. As I walk into the main entrance, Jane, the housekeeper, excitedly comes over and bows.
“Lady Ari, what would you like for dinner this evening? Lord Gaelan told me to ask you.”
“Actually, Jane, would the chef mind if I cooked dinner tonight?”
She frowns at me. “You wish to cook?” she sounds shocked.
“If I can? I just want to do something nice for Gaelan.”
She smiles and bows. “Of course, I will clear the kitchen for you and set up the dinner table.”
“Thank you.”
