?Eventually, after entirely too long, they start calming down and look back at us. They’re both smiling contently and when Mavyn stands with a soft sigh, Jullia follows.
?“Where are you going?” Varian quietly asks. He looks tired and I almost pity my brother.
?Mavyn looks at him and her brows twitch together for a second. She softens as she watches my brother and I wonder if Varian can see that.
?“It’s late.” She sounds so. . . calm. Comforting. It wars too much with her having no remorse about killing. “I’m walking Jullia back to our dorm.”
?“And then?”
?“And then you and I are going to talk.”
?He nods solemnly and perhaps recklessly, I say, “I can take her back.” All three of them stare at me. “That way you two can just talk now.”
?Mavyn raises a brow and looks between me and Jullia before her mouth slowly smirks. “Not a chance, Death Devil.”
?“I promise I won’t bite.”
?“You’ll make a blood oath?”
?An image of me sinking my fangs into her dark skin appears and I keep my mouth shut.
?“That’s what I thought.” Except she doesn’t make it sound like me staying silent is because I can’t promise I won’t hurt her. She says it as if she knows what image my mind conjured up. She nudges the mage who looks content and relaxed.
?“Actually Mavyn, can we walk over to Stone? I left some textbooks over there anyway.”
?“Yeah sure.” She rolls her shoulders out and a weight begins settling on the vampyr’s shoulders. “It’ll be better, tonight isn’t going to be a good night.”
?Varian goes on defense and steps towards her as they start walking. “Why isn’t it going to be a good night?”
?The vampyr turns her sights to the floor. “We’re going to talk and then I won’t be at class tomorrow.”
?Huh.
?Varian’s true form surfaces and anxious terror boils his aura.
?Jullia links her arm through Mavyn’s and pulls her close. “All day?”
?I begin following them. Curious about what’s happening and because I will be seeing the mage to her rooms whether the vampyr likes it or not.
?Quieter, Mavyn says, “It’s been a while already.”
?“It’s only been a month,” Varian breathes. The vampyr doesn’t turn back towards him.
?“How do you know?” Jullia whispers.
?“I haven’t had any nightmares since the ball. I think he’s been saving his energy for this and I might try to hold out for as long as possible.”
?They huddle closer together and my brother’s pain is palpable. I grab his shoulder to hold him back a bit. Eyes full of so much defeat and agony face me.
?“What’s going on?”
?He looks back over to her. “Lyalthil Kyros was her guardian for seven years when she was a child. His soul still remains within a realm where he’s able to touch her. He cursed her.”
?The reason she can still burn in the sun. The Devil of Madness was connected to Ruu, the God of Sun. He is the example of what happens when someone with a true form tries to become one with it.
?No wonder she has the scars that she does. The bitemarks. The claiming mark. The Mage Board should have sentenced him to death instead of exile.
?I pull him into a hug. Wrapping my arms around my twin. Offering him a moment to let the world weigh on me instead of him.
