Page 143 of Volik

Chapter 63

Volik

Ihold Nix’s phone up in front of her so she can watch herself in her camera as she gets ready.

It’s fascinating.

And that tender emotion dances over my skin as I watch her inspect herself.

Her eyes. Her fangs. The smoothness of her skin.

She even spent three minutes inspecting her fingers and toenails, claiming it looks like a perfect manicure.

When she brushes out her hair, I set the phone down. “May I?”

“May you what?”

I nod to her head. “Dry your hair.”

Nix furrows her brows. “Sure?”

Focusing on pushing more, but not too much, heat into my hands, I run my fingers through her hair.

Nix picks her phone up off the bathroom counter and watches, mouth open, as steam rises from her hair. “That’s almost as cool as the jumping.”

I scoff. “Hardly.”

“You’ve clearly never had to blow-dry thick hair before.”

I shrug, conceding, as I continue.

Nix continues to watch me through her screen. “Okay, so the no reflection thing is a lie, but I’m assuming that’s based on the whole no mirror thing.”

“Da. I believe so.”

“So then where does the vampires are cold lie come from? I know those are all fairy tales and whatnot, but I’m guessing it stems from something.”

“Most of the old stories got it wrong, but in all fairness, some vampires are cold in the way I am hot.”

Nix smirks. She thinks I am hot.

A purr rolls out of my chest.

“Anyway…” Nix pokes me in the stomach, and I regret the clothing we both put on.

“So impatient.”

Nix pokes me again.

I grin. “Anyway… It is the same as how different families have different levels of gravito. Different bloodlines run at different temperatures.” I slide my fingers up the back of her neck to dry the hair there. “There are tales, paintings, of horned men walking through frozen landscapes with little clothing. The story was spun that they were one with the ice. But I suspect those were actually vampires with strong heat, and they simply did not need layers.”

“I suppose I can understand why people might make that assumption.” Nix shimmies her shoulders as I drag my fingertips down the back of her skull. “So is it cut and dry, hot and cold? Or are there, like, degrees? No pun intended.”

“There are degrees.” I smile at my clever mate. “My mother was practically made of fire. Her bloodline is the hottest known. My father’s lineage was cooler, but still on the hot side. My brother…” I pause, taking a breath before I say his name. “Vameer, he has our mother’s fire. Maybe because he was firstborn. I do not know. Since our mating, my own heat has gotten stronger. But my brother, he was able to incinerate. That skill has been all but lost to us now. But I believe that is also where the vampires turn to ash when they die folklore came from. In battle, or simply after death, ones with the Fire Touch could turn bodies to ash.”

“Wow. That’s… awesome and terrifying.”

“Da.” I run my hands through her hair a few more times to make sure it’s all dry.