One irked eye slid open.
I bent close, worried we’d draw attention. “You can’t be seen sleeping,” I hissed. “People will see and gossip that you thought the performance was terrible.”
“I tend not to worry about what others say about me.”
He really did look tired.
I bent closer, and both of Raphael’s eyes opened. “They’re magnificent. They must have trained for years for this. Surely you don’t want their reputations to be sullied by rumors that the vampire king found them dull.”
Raphael arched a brow. “I haven’t slept much of late, so you’ll forgive me for taking the chance when I could.”
“You can sleep at dawn,” I countered.
Raphael didn’t agree, just looked at me.
He couldn’t be planning… “Do you intend to not sleep during the day because of me?”
“You deserve to feel safe when you sleep,” Raphael retorted. But he still looked tired. I wondered how much rest he’d had on the journey. Oh, he was a centuries-old vampire, sure, but he worked himself to a brutal end.
“You can sleep later. I’ll be fine.” Probably. “Just because I’m silly and costing you rest doesn’t mean these musicians should suffer for it.” To have worked so hard…
He arched a pale brow. “And you would welcome me in your bed for that purpose?”
I flushed, refusing to be distracted by his innuendo. “It’s a large bed.”
The brow rose higher.
“We’re sharing a room. We can be reasonable. You don’t need to stay up the entire time—if we were in danger, you would wake, wouldn’t you?”
“I would.” There was no innuendo here, just a quiet vow.
“Then… rest a little if you must now. You can have my shoulder. People will think it’s affection rather than sleep deprivation from watching over your paranoid companion at night.” Since apparently they already thought we were entangled. “But I’ll wake you near the end so you can be seen applauding with the rest.”
“Deal.” Raphael’s eyes fluttered shut as our negotiation concluded. This one, he didn’t seal with a kiss, and I wondered if I was disappointed. He adjusted himself, looking less obviously asleep as he leaned closer to me.
There. Now I could enjoy the concert in peace without worrying the performers would be damned by headlines readingVAMPIRE KING BORED TO SLEEP.
Only there was no refocusing on the music for me. Oh, I still appreciated it. The reverberations of the strings, the crisp notes at the high ends of the scales on the piano, the currents the harp carried through the melodies.
But I couldn’t pay attention to it because there was Raphael. Asleep.
He’d never been asleep while I was awake, not as long as I could remember. I doubted he was truly sleeping deeply now.But he looked different. Not defenseless but… less hardened. The strands of his hair tickled the edge of my throat, his cedar scent close enough that I caught myself biting my lip.
The music shifted again, from the fast-paced movements to a slower tune, no less enthralling with its depths.
But not quite as captivating as the male next to me.
An hour passed, and the pieces continued. Sensing the end was near, I nudged Raphael. He lifted subtly, as if he’d never been asleep. He didn’t, however, immediately shift away.
“Feel better?” I whispered.
He clapped, obliging even though he hadn’t been awake to hear the performance. “Leagues.”
One more song was played, the finale of the symphony, and all too soon everything was over. We stood and applauded. I barely resisted a cheer. Gods, they’d been incredible. Even in Damerel there hadn’t been anything so incredible. The musicians, no three of them the same race, had made a tremendous masterpiece. We clapped for five minutes, ten.
“Do you want to meet them?” Raphael asked as the clapping faded and the attendees began to make their way up the steps to the exit.
“Truly?” The word was out before I could temper my excitement.
