Page 94 of Let Sleeping Vampires Lie

“You shouldn’t push yourself,” I said. “You still look⁠—”

“If you say fragile, I will set your favorite boots on fire,” she cut in.

I closed my mouth.

Raven’s eyes softened again. “I’m tired, Cass. Not broken. And even if I were, I’d still sit with him.” Her fingers brushed that shimmer on her wrist again. “He’s carried me through more darkness than you know. I can sit beside his for a while.”

Something in my chest twisted. “Tell him I said he’s an idiot.”

“I tell him that hourly,” she said. “But I’ll add extra scorn on your behalf.”

“Perfect.”

She turned toward the connecting door, then paused, looking back at me. The playful glint faded, leaving something raw and honest in its place.

“Pay attention to how it feels,” she said quietly. “The magic. If it shifts. If it pulls. If you start hearing whispers that aren’t Valerian’s. Don’t shrug it off. Tell me. Tell Con. Even if it’s small.”

I nodded. “I will.”

“Good.” She hesitated for half a heartbeat, then stepped forward and pulled me into a brief, fierce hug. “You’re not alone in this, okay?”

“I know,” I said, voice catching around the words. “Neither are you.”

She released me, squared her shoulders, and slipped back through the connecting door. It clicked softly shut behind her.

For a moment, I just stood there, staring at the wood, feeling the ghost of her words settle over my skin.

Then Constantine’s hand found mine.

I looked up at him. His expression was composed, but the fury there was cold and focused, like a blade honed on a whetstone.

“We will fix this,” he said. It wasn’t a question. Or a wish. It was a vow.

I squeezed his fingers. “Damn right we will.”

He lifted my hand to his lips, brushed a kiss across my knuckles, then released me and moved toward the door leading into the hallway. “Come. Let’s see what Julian has for us.”

CHAPTER 16

We had barely stepped out of my suite when the text arrived.

The vibration buzzed against my thigh, quick and insistent, and something about the timing sent a ripple down my spine. Con noticed the moment my steps hitched. He always did. His gaze sharpened, one brow lifting slightly as I pulled out my phone.

“Another update from Julian?” he asked.

“I doubt it,” I said.

The message glowed across the screen.

Approved.

Arrival window—ninety minutes.

Auction location—confirmed.

Details attached.

A map pin unfolded beneath the text. My stomach tightened.