Page 8 of The Star's Sword

Something had always burned between us, but it was completely unlike the flame between me and Sam. It was cool rather than hot, soothing rather than excoriating. Slowly building rather than an inferno from the start.

“You’re going to ruin your outfit,” I said, coming forward, feeling oddly shy as I grabbed the front of his jacket to pull him off the wall.

But he merely grabbed me and pulled me onto his lap, facing away from him. I struggled slightly, almost out of habit, then stopped, flustered and unsure as his arms came around me and his chin lowered to rest on my shoulder, making me shudder slightly with something not unpleasant at all.

But it still made me miss Samael.

Zadis didn’t seem to mind my wandering thoughts as his large hands stroked gently over the top of mine. “Is it really true that I can do this with you? Without that serial killer popping out to punish me?”

“He only punished you once,” I murmured, finding that it was nice to find comfort in Zadis’s arms, even as a friend. “I think maybe he just wanted to stay home. Maybe he just needs more time with Cayne, still.”

Zadis nodded, moving to rest his head on top of mine, a more casual but still intimate position. “They’ve been spending more time together, it’s true.”

My eyes narrowed, because it still seemed off.

But Zadis was here, comforting me, and everything was fine, and surely Zadis would make a great impression on the vampires, given that he was a diplomat when a fae.

Normally the vampires hated the fae and the fae hated the vampires, but Zadis had been rejected by his people the moment he had any demon blood inside him.

Plus, he was the only known

Untitled

with demon powers, which made him an oddity because the vampires could actually harvest his blood.

According to Simon, Zadis went to court with him sometimes.

And the vampire version of revelries.

Jealously sparked in me suddenly at that, and I glanced up at Zadis, wondering if I really did have any feelings for him.

Sam was my soul mate, deep in my heart, but Zadis? I didn’t like the idea of losing him either.

This thing we had that wasn’t exactly physical, but had almost been several times.

We even kissed, once.

Zadis stood, setting me on the wall and putting his hands on my face, tilting me up to look at him. “Cleo, sometimes I feel something. If you want what I want—”

I pushed up and away, dodging his hand, then taking it playfully to pull him along, using my other hand to brush the dust off my skirt. “Come on, we’re going to be late.”

Zadis sighed laconically. “It’s fashionable to be late to these things, Cleo.”

“Still,” I said. “I’m not going to more of these than I have to, so we better get the info we need and get out.”

Zadis’s eyes ran over me appreciatively. “It won’t be fast. The way you look, everyone will want to dance with you.”

My nose wrinkled. “I don’t want to dance with anyone.”

“I’m afraid it’s the passive way everyone in this level of vampire society sizes everyone up. If you want people to like you, you have to at least pretend to trust them, Cleo.”

“You sound like Simon. Wanting me to make nice with people when people like this have never been nice to me.” I shook my head. “I’ve seen how the rich and powerful behave. I want none of it.”

“The food is amazing,” Zadis said. “The decor is lavish, the music live, played by vampires who have been masters longer than you were alive.”

“I prefer the sanctuary,” I said.

“And Samael’s arms,” Zadis said.

---