“Thank you, Keradoc,” she whispered, her eyes glittering with tears. This time, there was no hatred behind them. Only gratitude. Only warmth.
She took a step closer and offered another smile, and for the briefest, oddest moment, I thought she might embrace me…
“Haley.”
The gruff voice shattered the moment.
Elian. Her vampire-fae companion. The fugitive, drug-addled doppelgänger whom I still couldn’t bring myself to look at with more than a passing glance, for every time I saw the face that tugged at my memories, Melantha’s treachery burned anew.
She would pay. Dearly.
At the sound of her name passing through his lips, Haley’s eyes filled with longing. Regret. Heartache.
And there, flickering around the edges, hope.
I hated him for it, though I didn’t understand why.
“Be right there, Elian,” she replied. Then, turning to me one last time, she placed her palm against my cheek and said, “Sleep well, Keradoc. Tomorrow is a new night.”
24
ELIAN
Where’s Jax?” she asked as we headed back into the common room.
Of course that would be the first question out of her mouth.
“Don’t know, don’t care. I’m more concerned about what you’re doing having tea with our jailor like you’re old chums.”
Haley laughed. “Seriously, Elian? I think we’ve gotslightlybigger issues to worry about than who’s attending afternoon tea. I mean evening tea. Or… whatever the hell time it is. Either way, I’m beat, so I’m going to bed.”
Pushing past me, she headed for her bedroom.
Jax’s bedroom.
Fuck. Even when he wasn’t home, she still wanted to be close to him.
Jealousy, that old friend, burned through my gut as I watched her remove her robe and strip down to nothing but a thin T-shirt and panties.
She crawled beneath the blankets, then glared at me. “Um, you here to tuck me in, or…?”
In response, I took a seat in the chair beside the bed. Folded my hands in my lap. Smiled. “Just keeping an eye on you, little sparrow. Since your boyfriend can’t be bothered.”
She rolled her pretty green eyes and punched down her pillow, then settled in with a sigh. “You can stay as long as you want, Elian, but only if you promise not to be a dick.”
“Can’t promise I won’tbea dick, but I’ll do my best to hide my true nature.”
This got a smile. “Fair enough. So… what’s on your mind?”
“Nothing, I… I just thought maybe we could… talk?”
“Talk? About what?”
I leaned forward, watching her in the light of the triple moons that shone through the window, searching through my fractured mind for a safe topic—one that wouldn’t send me into a jealous rage or cause her to kick my ass out.
There was no real purpose for my visit. Only that Jax and Hudson weren’t here, and it was the first time I’d been alone with her since that night in the apartment—the night Jax had made her come with my name on her lips—and I just… I needed to be with her.
And this was the only way.
