Page 41 of The Slayer Seduction

I find it kind of peaceful sitting at a table with my mate working on something like this. She seems more disarmed, and I take the opportunity to ask her more questions.

“Does your coven know I’m here?”

Her gaze glances up from the puzzle meeting mine and she doesn’t seem irritated. Though she’s beautiful in all ways, I think this is my favorite version of her yet.

“My grandmother and best friends know.”

“Hmm, but not the whole coven. Don’t witches usually do everything together?”

She clicks her tongue, getting a puzzle match and placing it on the table.

“You seem to know a lot about witches.”

“I’ve encountered my fair share over the many years I’ve spent on the mortal lands.”

“What other supernaturals have you met?”

I find two pieces that fit next to hers and I like the symbolism of it. We are two pieces that belong together. Iris just doesn’t understand that yet.

“The standard. Vampires, shifters, witches, mages, sirens, the occasional reaper, supposedly cupids are real too, but I’ve never seen one.”

Iris takes my words in with a nod. “What about other slayers?”

I still in my seat; it’s a very sore subject for me.

“Not in a long time,” I say instead of the truth.

“Hmm. Well, we didn’t know slayers existed until you came along. Why do you think that is?”

“Because vampires are secretive fucking pricks who wouldn’t want the rest of the community to know their weakness. Also, because we have become far more rare, I believe the spell books that bring us to the mortal lands have been lost with time, generations are no longer passing the magic down.”

“I mean, sacrificing your child seems like a pretty steep price.”

I nod in agreement, but keep looking down at the puzzle pieces. “Any of the humans willing to sacrifice their own are deplorable to me.”

“You really think that?” Iris asks, her voice soft.

“In the beginning, I could understand. The vampire infestation was dire. They would drain whole villages dry, but now? Sure, they still need to be decimated, but from what I’ve seen, they’ve become more discreet in their killing. The world has deemed us less necessary.”

We both work on the puzzle for a long time, not speaking when Iris breaks the silence.

“What’s the void like?”

Her words shock me as I adjust myself in my seat and clear my throat. I’m not even excited when I put part of the fox’s face together, because how am I to explain the void?

“It is a place of nothing. I’m completely alone. There’s no smell, feeling, color, it’s nothing.”

Iris’ swallow is audible.

“But you feel time when you’re there?”

“Yes, and this last cycle in the void was my worst yet. I didn’t think I’d ever be freed again. There’s nothing I won’t do to never go back and stay here with you.”

Iris goes back to working on the puzzle and she doesn’t look at me for what feels like hours. She insists I wait here while she goes to pick up food and I patiently wait for her return.

When she isn’t here, it’s hard to contain myself, to not leave her home. My fingers ache to be gripped around a stake, sinking it deep into some vampire’s chest.

“You need to control yourself,” Adam says. I almost forgot about the fucker while enjoying my day with Iris.