Page 88 of The Star's Sword

Talus showed us the main bedrooms, and Cayne and Simon took the first one, then Samael, Zadis and I passed one with two beds, and Samael nodded to go inside it.

Griffin and Os continued down the hallway, probably to be shown to their room.

But I was ready to just relax for a minute, things had gone so fast.

Samael shut the door as I flopped on one of the beds, head racing.

Zadis was pacing by the window, looking out. He looked at Samael. “You really think we’re safe here?”

Samael nodded. “Ara is the most powerful demon in existence. She would know how to protect what she wants to protect.”

I thought of Cayne. Of how we hadn’t been able to stop him. Like Ara, he was just protecting what he wanted to protect.

Just like Simon was protecting what he wanted to protect. And the vampires were even protecting what they wanted to protect.

The only outlier was Vasara, who only ever seemed to protect herself.

And yet she was being worshipped and protected as a hero. It made no sense.

“Vampires have no empathy,” Samael said, looking up at me. “If you’re wondering why they turned on Simon and Cayne so fast, after knowing them for years.”

“Scary,” Zadis said. “That they can change so easily.”

“Their lack of empathy leaves them blinded, easily controlled and manipulated. Being bored makes them flock to whatever is exciting, rather than fulfilling or safe. Vasara was the perfect recipe for disaster, coming here when she did, when the vampires were already restless and hungry and confused about whose blood is actually keeping them alive.”

“This is all my fault,” I said, pushing up to sit on the edge of the bed and slumping forward over my knees. “If I had done as Simon said, and played nice—”

“Then a lot of vampires would be dead from a lack of blood donation,” Zadis said, turning to me. “Cleo, you did nothing wrong. You did what you could to actually serve them, not persuade them. You couldn’t have known they would value a fake face that would leave them to die over someone who would literally bleed for them.”

“I liked the vampires,” I said. “I feared them, but I fear people in general. I really did like the idea of keeping more alive, since they were friends to Simon. I guess I thought they would be more like him, able to see past the surface.”

“Simon is unique as a vampire,” Samael said. “He has worked hard to build his own kind of empathy, in order to understand others. As a result, he now understands others more than most. But he still has blind spots.”

“Like not realizing when someone hates him,” I said.

Sam shrugged. “I don’t know if it’s that or if he just doesn’t care enough to notice until it’s too late.”

Zadis folded his arms and looked to both of us. “Do you think Cayne was right? About what she was trying to do to Simon?”

We were all quiet, but the somber feel in the air said that we all felt off about it.

Even if there was nothing we could do.

“We won’t know until he wakes up and can tell us more,” Samael said. “Cayne will take care of him until then. His blood regeneration is legendary, due to being a blood mage. The two will be safe together till morning.”

I nodded.

Zadis’s lips curved up at the side, as a sort of awkwardness fell over the guest room. “So, now that the dragon wine is fading, how is everyone feeling about before?”

My cheeks flamed. I’d been so drunk the images of our time together were slightly blurry. But my heart, and my body, would never forget.

The way the both of them felt. The bond between us all. The pleasure.

Samael looked at me, and there was something complicated in his eyes. But then he nodded. “It was a good night.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “But I wish I had some of that wine now. I guess I could fabricate it, but I better stay alert for any attacks.”

“We’re safe here,” Zadis said, putting a hand on the sheath of his saber, which made an odd match with his tee shirt and jeans.

The three of us had just been having sex when all of this craziness had broken loose.

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