Page 76 of Invoking the Blood
Faye’s mouth slacked as she turned to him. “You trap people underneath that?”
“Not people.” Rune lifted his hand and tapped his soul shard. “Errant energy that has yet to return to the Darkness. The romantic notion that a lover will wait in Hell for their partner to join them before returning to the Darkness is fictional.”
His words crumpled something in her. Faye’s gaze lowered to the shimmering crystal below them. She loved reading stories of love everlasting. Knowing all of it was a romantic fantasy left her feeling empty.
Faye turned away from the window and moved past Rune. “Did you want to sit at your desk or in front of the fire?”
“Which ever you prefer.”
Faye nodded and strolled to the settee.
Chapter thirty-four
Apillowlandednextto Faye. She was still in bed and glanced at Sparrow who continued to abuse the talisman they’d gotten. She wondered if Rune was so obscenely rich he didn’t care or if some part of him felt guilty for holding them hostage. Or hosting her court as the dark-blooded would say.
“When is his shadowiness going to admit he can’t find the spell because there isn’t one? I mean the food is great, but I miss shopping a little.”
That was a good question. His options were either she was his or he couldn’t find the spell tying her to him. Neither of which he was willing to admit to.
“You should get more out of him.”
Faye rolled over. “Did you want a talisman for another fancy restaurant?”
“Maybe for a distillery. But no, not for me. He doesn’t think this is fate. He thinks this is a spell, and you make him weak. In his head, he’s mortal as long as he’s tied to you. So, you playing along with him is giving his immortality back, which is invaluable. You should think of something you want of equal value.”
“What would be equal to immortality?” The only way she could have immortality was to be turned, but the transition wasn’t guaranteed. Needing to die was a huge risk on a maybe.
“How many times a day do you think he strokes off to you?”
Faye laughed. She never considered what he did after she left him yesterday. The thought of him stroking himself thinking of her had her biting the inside of her lip. “Once?”
Sparrow snorted. “You’re doing a terrible job if it’s just once.”
Faye laughed, rolling out of bed. “I should go find my tall, pale, and scary.”
Sparrow leaned back in her chair, widening her eyes, and blinking at her. “Oh, he’s yours now?”
“If I wait for him, I’ll be an old woman before he decides this is fate,” Faye said, holding her hands up as she shrugged.
Her sister quirked her lip, nodding to herself. “So you’re going to help him along? I like it. Tell me every detail when you get back.”
Faye laughed, wiggling her fingers at Sparrow as she made her way to Rune’s side of the house. The halls were quiet. Faye entered Rune’s study and stopped.
Her vampire wasn’t in his usual spot. Faye walked to his desk, glancing at the loose pages organized in small piles. They looked old, yellowed and weather worn. Faye moved one gently to see the page below it.
Everything was written in a language she didn’t recognize. High Tongue if she had to guess. Faye carefully put the page back, arranging them as they were.
Faye left the study and went back to her room. She stared at the adjoining door. Would Rune be dressing again? The memory of the hard, chiseled plains of his body made her smile. Maybe he overslept.
Faye rapt her nails on the door before pushing it open slowly.
The Shadow Prince wasn’t here either. Faye peaked into his room and rolled her eyes at his perfectly made bed. She never made her bed. What was the point when she was just going to crawl back under her blankets later that evening?
Faye left the adjoining door open to tease him and stepped back into the hall. She walked down the corridor glancing into his study again as she passed.
Disappointment weighed on her. He never missed a day before.