Chapter Twenty...

Two weeks had passed since Sypher’s altercation with Lillian. The Fae had kept herself out of everyone’s way, but she refused to return to the valleys, insisting the soldiers King Artan had dispatched would be more than enough to protect the villages. Syd hadn’t returned from her errand and Julian was growing restless. He spent most of his days watching the skies for her arrival.

“Still no sign of her?” Sypher asked, easily dodging Elda’s kick.

“No. It’s weird for her to be gone this long,” the Vampire fretted. “A week, maybe, but not two.”

“Perhaps Clover wasn’t where she expected.” Sypher slapped away the elbow coming for his face and flattened Elda, twisting her over his hip and kneeling on her back.

“Could you at least pretend it’s hard to beat me?” she groaned when he released her, accepting the hand up. He didn’t flinch when he touched her anymore and his gloves spent their time in his pocket whenever she was around.

“No.” He raised his fists. “Keep going.” She sighed and went after him again, working through the aches in her shoulder blades and circling him slowly. He’d spent the last two weeks doing exactly what she’d asked; putting his all into training her. She could feel herself improving day by day, but she was still no match for him and she picked up new bruises with startling regularity.

“I’m never going to beat you,” she panted, still winded.

“You won’t with that attitude.” He surprised her by making the first move, immediately putting her on the defensive. She blocked his fist with her forearm before it could strike her cheek. Reacting reflexively, she hooked her leg around his and twisted, turning her body into a roll that knocked him onto his back. He grunted when he hit the dirt and she wasted no time in pinning him, bringing her dagger to his throat. His dark brows raised, extraordinary eyes blinking up at her.

“How did I just do that?” she gasped, moving the knife away from his neck.

“Muscle memory. Why do you think I make you practice the same thing a hundred times?” he asked. “Well done.”

“You went easy on me.”

“Of course I did. I could’ve planted my feet and stopped you sweeping my leg,” he shrugged, not making a move to push her off of him. “But you still did well.”

“I thought you didn’t fake progress.”

“You have made progress. Last week you wouldn’t have been able to do that.” He shot her a crooked smile. “Take the win.”

“Yikes. Can you two keep the foreplay behind closed doors?” Julian muttered. Elda looked down, realising she was straddling Sypher and jumping off of him as quickly as her aching muscles would allow. He chuckled and stood, taking in her burning cheeks and dishevelled clothes.

“You need a break, El. Go get something to eat.” The nickname made her blush deepen. It was something he’d started using more as he relaxed around her, and every time he said it her heart fluttered in her chest. She nodded and started to hurry away, hoping the distance would calm her racing pulse.

“El?” Julian teased, brows raised at his friend. He was fully aware she could still hear them as she walked away.

“Shut up,” Sypher answered, slipping his gloves back on.

“You called her El.”

“Shut up.”

“You didn’t freak out when she sat on you,” the Vampire continued. “You nearly beheaded Lillian when she did that.”

“What part of shut up is too difficult for you to understand?” the Soul Forge asked, folding his arms across his chest. Elda ducked inside and out of earshot, her face so hot she was surprised it didn’t turn the air around it to steam.

“Everything alright?” Gira asked, catching sight of her with her back pressed against the wall and her eyes closed. “You look upset.”

“I’m alright,” Elda lied. “Just a little warm from training.”

“Hmm.” He didn’t look like he believed her, but mercifully he didn’t get the chance to push it.

“Syd!” The excited yell drew their attention back to the garden. Elda hurried back outside to see the tulpar demon winging her way towards Julian, splaying her wings to slow her descent. His eyes widened when he saw she had passengers. Two men dismounted as soon as she landed, and the smallest of the two shot towards Julian, slamming into his chest and crashing their lips together like his life depended on it. When they drew apart, Sypher raised an eyebrow.

“Yani. Long time no see,” he greeted wryly.

“Fuck me,” Julian muttered. “I haven’t been kissed like that in months.” He reached out and touched Yani’s face gently. “What are you doing here?”

“We came to give you some news,” the other passenger answered, turning pale eyes on Sypher. “Arden is missing. He was taken by the Corrupted.” The Soul Forge made a noise halfway between a hiss and a growl, some of the crimson leeching out of his irises.

“Where was he taken from?” he questioned.

“Bratus. He was helping to clear out an infestation of demons when Cynthia and Abraxos came for him,” Yani put in, still clinging to Julian.

“Any idea where they took him?”

“Not yet.”

“Alright.” Sypher’s fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly, forcing himself to calm down. “We can’t make a move to get him back until we have more information on his whereabouts.”

“I’ll arrange for scouts across the kingdoms to keep an eye out for them,” Gira promised. “King Artan will be more than willing to spread the word, I’m sure.”

“Thank you.” The Soul Forge turned to Yani and studied his face. “When was the last time you fed?”

“Before we left. We’ve been travelling for about five days,” the other passenger answered for him.

“You know you shouldn’t leave it that long, Clover,” Julian scolded. “Both of you must be in pain.”

“Getting the message here was important,” Yani asserted, lifting his chin. “I can handle it.”

“You’re starving,” Sypher insisted. “Both of you are.”

“We can find a donor in the city.”

“I don’t think you’ll last that long,” he argued, casting a doubtful glance at the smaller Vampire. He looked like the only thing keeping him on his feet was Julian’s arms around him. “Come with me.”

“You shouldn’t feed both of us,” Clover protested.

“Where else are you going to find another donor before one of you loses it?”

“I could help,” Elda suggested, concern for Sypher’s welfare overshadowing her fear of their teeth. His head whipped round to fix her with a look that made her mouth go dry. Gira’s eyebrows crept upwards.

“Absolutely not,” Sypher growled. “Both of you, come with me.” He stalked away from them, the two newcomers following him a second later. Yani shot a longing glance at his partner before he left.

“Did I just upset him?” Elda asked Julian, who still looked shell-shocked by his family’s arrival.

“He’s just territorial.” He ran a hand through his sandy hair, his eyes still on the spot where they’d disappeared into the villa.

“What does that mean?”

“It means he doesn’t want my husband and brother biting you.” He flashed her a sly smile. “He’d rather do that part himself.”

“Stop teasing her,” Gira admonished when another flaming blush crept across her skin. “He’s concerned for her safety.”

“And about other men touching her.”

“You’ll need to be concerned for your safety if you keep pulling that thread,” the Keeper shot back. “Let him be.”

“Will he be alright?” Elda asked, ignoring their bickering. “He technically died when he fed you.”

“I was past the point of sanity,” Julian shrugged. “They’re starving, but not insane with thirst.”

“He’ll be alright,” Gira promised, his brow furrowing. “I’m more worried about the news they had to share. It’s a big concern if Arden was really taken by the Corrupted. Why kidnap him instead of just killing him?”

“Beats me,” Julian shrugged. “I hope the poor kid has more mettle than the last time I saw him. He’ll need it if they’re keeping him captive somewhere.”

“Could they use him for something?” Elda asked. “Is there anything special about him, beyond him being a Keeper?”

“No more special than the rest of us,” Gira shrugged. “I’ll head out to alert the King. Once we know where they’ve taken him we can work on getting him back. We might as well make use of all the resources we have.”

“You can stay here and spar with me in the meantime,” Julian grinned, nudging the Princess with his elbow. “I need to take my mind off my husband eating yours.”

“You make it sound so violent,” Elda shuddered.

“Sweetheart, you saw Sypher’s neck when I was done with him. Vampire bites aren’t the tiny little pin pricks the story books say they are.”

“Even when you’re not starving?”

“Even then. The thrall takes the pain away but it doesn’t make the bite any smaller.” He cocked his head. “You’re lucky the bond isn’t developed yet. He doesn’t let us use the thrall on him. If you were properly bonded you’d be able to sense his pain.”

“Why won’t he let you?”

“He thinks he owes us,” Julian shrugged. “It’s something I’m forbidden from telling you about so don’t bother asking.” He shot her a sideways glance. “Also, he probably finds the idea of me putting him under my charms uncomfortable. You know, after Lillian.”

“Probably,” Elda agreed.

“He’ll be fine. He’ll just be sore for a day or two while he recovers.” The Vampire flashed another mischievous grin. “That should give me plenty of time to teach you a few dirty tricks before you spar with him again.”

“You want me to knock him on his ass, don’t you?”

“You bet I do. When I’m done with you he won’t need to go easy on you,” Julian promised.

Elda mirrored his grin. “Let’s get to work then.”

By the time Elda finished training for the day, her arms and legs trembled so much it was hard to walk. She gingerly made her way back inside, heading for the kitchen to try and eat the meal she’d missed when Julian’s family arrived. The Vampire was as fast as Sypher and he hadn’t been lying when he said he fought dirty. She’d picked up several new tricks that she hoped would give her a well earned win against the Soul Forge.

She was halfway to the kitchen when Sypher practically fell out of his room, bleeding from his throat and wrist. One hand was pressed to the neck wound and all the red was gone from his eyes. He was so preoccupied with getting away from whatever had upset him that he didn’t notice her until he’d walked into her. The demon in him gripped the front of her tunic and slammed her against the wall, teeth bared in a snarl. The tips of them were just beginning to sharpen and she knew when she looked into his eyes that he didn’t see her. If she didn’t calm him down he was going to kill her.

“Sypher,” she said softly, struggling to speak around the knuckles pressed against her throat. The Vampires appeared in the doorway he’d stumbled out of, freezing when they saw her with her feet dangling off the ground. She made eye contact and shook her head, pleading silently for them to retreat. Clover grabbed Yani’s arm and moved him backwards, concealing them inside the room again. “You don’t want to hurt me. You’re safe with me, remember?”

She lifted her wrist to show him the oath rune, hoping the sight of it would snap him out of his anger. It was hard to tell where he was looking when his eyes were entirely black, but his snarl relaxed, head cocking to the side as he studied her.

“Why are you here?” His voice was a soft hiss, confirming that the demon was very much in control.

“I needed to eat. I was on my way to the kitchen.” She held her hand up, palm out and fingers spread. “I’m not here to harm you, Sypher. I know you don’t want to hurt me either.” She felt her feet touch the floor again, though the hand fisting her shirt didn’t relax its grip. The demon was staring at her palm, studying it like it was a riddle he couldn’t crack. She kept it where it was, waiting nervously. He took the hand away from his neck wound and looked at it, ignoring the blood staining his skin.

He was testing her, waiting for her to recoil from him. Elda refused to back down, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling of his blood on her skin as he laced his fingers through hers. She expected the contact to bring some of the red back to his eyes. When it didn’t, she started to panic. She knew he could see her pulse fluttering in her throat but she kept her chin up and waited him out. The grip on her collar slowly relaxed, the knuckles at her throat finally retreating so she could breathe properly. Even so, the demon remained firmly in control of Sypher, his eyes staying stubbornly black. He braced his free hand against the wall at the side of her head.

“Strange creature,” he murmured, his voice a mix of the demonic hiss and the honey-smooth baritone. “You’re terrified, but you don’t run.”

“You get what you want if I run,” she replied, glad her lips didn’t tremble.

He arched an eyebrow. “And what might that be?”

“You want to be angry.” She maintained eye contact, goosebumps rippling across her skin. “You’ve been locked up inside someone else’s mind, mistreated by everyone and left alone. If I abandon you now, I’m just someone else to add to your shit list.”

“What makes you think you’re not on it already?”

“You haven’t killed me yet.” He moved closer, still showing no signs of returning to his normal self. The short distance between them closed until his face was an inch from hers, the scent of vetiver and leather mixing with the metallic tang of his blood. Her knuckles touched the wall, her arm pinned there by his fingers still twisted through hers.

“You’re dangerous for me,” he purred, putting his lips next to her ear. His breath tickled her skin, freezing her in place. A shiver walked the stairs of her spine.

“Why?”

“Because you make me weak.” Her eyes widened when he drew back, his lips a breath away from hers. “I don’t want to kill you.”

“Then what do you want?” she whispered, her voice hitching with nerves. He flashed a wicked smile, his free hand finding hers where it hung by her side. She was helpless when he caught her fingers again, both arms now trapped against the wall, her body pinned by his. She knew she should be fighting him but a shiver of anticipation rippled through her instead.

“Oh, varro, you can’t handle the things I want from you.” His smile widened, lips brushing ever so lightly against hers, just enough to leave them tingling but not quite a kiss. “But I’m looking forward to the day you beg me for it.”