Page 20 of Vameer

Back inside the chamber, I know for certain that my captives are dead.

Oh well.

I need sangue, but if my Fire Touch has gone cold, I need more power than those two would have been able to provide me with. Even if I drained them dry, it wouldn’t be the boost I’m looking for.

I need to travel.

Far.

I don’t know exactly where my mate is. But I feel the pull to go north.

So that’s what I’ll do.

A few steps from the altar, I stop.

What is that?

Bending over, I reach for the item on the ground.

My hood tears more.

Huffing, I stand straight.

I didn’t pack extra clothes for myself, so I can’t shred this robe. Especially now that my pants are gone.

Reaching up, I try to pull my hood free so I can push it back. But the robe is tighter now on my larger body. And my horns are longer. And no matter how much I try, I can’t stretch the material up high enough to get it off them.

Tamping down my frustration, I undo my belt.

The leather cracks at my handling, and I loosen my hold.

Brows furrowing, I start to suspect that I might have slept longer than I meant to.

Belt off, robe hanging open, cool air swirling around my otherwise nude body, I reach up and try again.

But my shoulders are constricted by the wool. And I still can’t get the fabric up over my horns.

Annoyance flares through my body.

Enough.

I keep my legs straight and bend at the hips, dropping my top half quickly. Then I hang my arms down to the ground and shake my body.

Gold coins fall from my pocket and bounce off the stone floor. But the robe slides off my body, finally dislodged from my horns.

Completely naked, still bent in half, I reach out and grab the item I spotted off the ground.

It’s small. Smooth. Flexible.

I stand straight and bring it up to my face.

It’s hard to make out colors in the total darkness, but I can tell the beads are a variety of colors. And shaped like hearts.

I drag my fingertip over the beads.

The material is new to me. But when I lift it to my nose and inhale, all I smell is the delicious scent of my mate.

It’s been a long time since I’ve had any jewelry. But this belongs to my mate. So I will wear it. And return it to her.