Page 74 of Invoking the Blood

Now that her anger was subsiding, her headache came raging back in with a vengeance. “I need to make some tea. My head is killing me.” Faye patted Sparrow’s thigh, signaling her to get out of the way.

Sparrow got out of bed and turned back to Faye. She leaned forward and rocked back on her heels before asking, “Can I ask you something and you not get mad?”

“Probably since you’re asking and not doing,” Faye said getting out of bed and stretching her back.

“What happened? Did you just get too excited grabbing his neck?”

Faye spared her sister a quizzical glance as she headed for her closet. “I didn’t grab his neck.”

Sparrow trailed behind her. “The man asked me to heal finger holes in his neck. You’re the only one with claws.”

“He said the High Council summoned him. I thought he was making an excuse to get away from me. Maybe he got frisky with someone there.”Like the high bitch.Faye didn’t want to be jealous but the emotion sank into her bones. She changed, pulling on her clothes roughly trying not to imagine the High Queen gripping the front of his throat. His words during their last dream rose in her mind.

Vampires appreciate aggression. I crave it.

Her sister’s voice pulled her from her own thoughts. “Men don’t usually want to get away from half-naked women. Just saying.”

“Why were you healing him instead of Sadi?” Would Sadi know what those marks meant and be upset with him?

“Because he likes you,” Sparrow said. Faye cut her sister a glance and pulled her shirt on. “I asked him the same thing. He said he didn’t want to prod your anger.” Sparrow spoke the last, lowering her voice and mimicking his accent.

“Did he kiss you?” Her sister’s eyes widened as heat rose to her cheeks. “Darkness, is he a good kisser? Did he pull you in? I’m sorry. I’ll be quiet.” Sparrow’s eyes gleamed as she pressed her hands together bringing her fingertips to her lips.

Her sister stood on her toes and squealed as Faye eyed her. “It wasn’t that exciting.”

Sparrow leaned forward to whisper, “But you did kiss.”

Faye looked away. “I kissed him, but I don’t think he kissed me back.”

Her sister’s arms dropped to her sides. “What do you mean you don’t think he kissed you back?”

Faye dusted her pristine shirt, unable to meet her sister’s gaze. “He saw me after we had our fight. I think he came out of pity. After I kissed him, he left.”

“Well, he came to me to heal him, and he scolded me about my mouth. I’m voting he likes you.”

Chapter thirty-three

Fayestaredupatthe ceiling, drumming her fingers over the knuckles of her other hand, lost in her thoughts. The Shadow Prince was fated to her, not the high bitch or her evil twin. Her, and she wanted him but she couldn’t idly sit by. She needed to pull his attention.

Which meant she needed to be bolder. Not walk-into-his-study-naked bold. Less drastic. Less Sparrow. She couldn’t sit and wait for him to accept what tied them was fate. Faye got to her feet and left the south wing to make her way to her room. She smiled as she went down the stairs. Her room, she hadn’t slept there since her sister arrived.

But maybe she should.

Faye turned the idea over as she started down the hall. She didn’t look into Rune’s study, heading straight to her chandelier closet. Faye shut the door behind her and browsed the clothing he provided.

She sifted through the shirts stopping on the corset. She hesitated for the briefest moment before shoving it to the side. She wasn’t going to dress up like a Familiar. Sadi’s blatant sexuality wasn’t something she was comfortable with.

Faye rummaged through her closet and settled on a backless gray top and black trousers. She dressed and exited the closet to examine her reflection in the full-length mirror. Her vampire would like her neck, wouldn’t he? She pulled her hair into a high ponytail and coiled it into a bun. She used her favorite hair stick to keep her hair up. A polished piece of teak with two metal cherry blossoms dangling from delicate chains.

She took a breath to settle her nerves blowing it slowly through pursed lips. If vampires appreciated aggression, maybe she should just stab him. Faye laughed to herself as she turned to face the hall. A few feet separated her from her query. She just needed to keep her nerves from ruining her plan.

Don’t be boring. Don’t be boring.Faye closed her eyes, taking a final breath before taking fate into her own hands.

She entered his study and Rune was in his usual spot behind his desk. He didn’t look like the man who sat next to her yesterday. He was polished. Controlled. He glanced up at her then, his pale blue gaze pinning her in place.

“A moment,” was all he said, as he lowered his gaze to the documents before him. Flipping through the loose pages.

Faye swallowed, making her way to his desk. She crossed in front of it to stand beside him. Darkness, she felt so awkward. She leaned back on his desk. He didn’t look up at her. Faye gripped the edge of his desk out of his view.

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