AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Knowing now what it was like to smell the scent of a real blood rose, he understood how impossible it must have been for Rez to do anything but agree to her invitation. Devyn would have done the same thing in Rez’s shoes, especially if, like Rez, he hadn’t been aware of her connection to Stone.
He twisted the cap off a beer then moved to sit at the island to think about the whole damn thing. The question that rose foremost to his mind was the same thing Stone was wondering about: Why was there suddenly a new blood rose in Tannisford?
Stone believed the Nine Realms no longer had need of them.
Was it possible Emily’s rise to blood rose ability portended something unexpected?
He thought back to the wraith, how strange the man had seemed, unlike any male wraith Devyn had ever known before. His power level had been extraordinary. Was he an aberration? Or something new in their world they were likely to see more of?
The greatest mystery of all, however, was the simple truth he no longer had pain, not even after a week. He was, however, beginning to feel the need for another draw, which brought up a very different issue. Would the two feedings he’d had from Emily, one from her wrist and the other her throat, sustain him indefinitely against his chronic blood starvation?
He marveled all over again and rubbed his stomach. He hadn’t fed in seven days which was an incredible length of time between feedings for a mastyr. The demands of his body had required daily draws from his stable of doneuses, sometimes more than once a day.
He didn’t want to go back to the incessant stomach cramping he’d endured for decades.
For that reason alone, he was tempted to hunt Emily down, maybe keep her chained up somewhere just to feed him.
As his thoughts turned toward her yet again, he wondered if she was safe. He didn’t know what he would do if any harm came to her. He lived with enough guilt as it was because of Kyle. But if Emily was ever injured, or worse, he thought he might lose it.
She wasn’t without resources, however. The time-path would serve her extremely well. He’d watched her use it to simply disappear as needed. He’d been inside the extraordinary phenomenon as well, so he understood how it worked.
He went into the kitchen to prepare a meal. As he heated a bowl of bean soup in the microwave, he drew his phone from the pocket of his leathers and called Emily.
The phone rang several times until she finally answered. “Hey, Dev. I didn’t expect to hear from you. Is everything okay?”
He couldn’t respond right away. His heart was beating hard. He might have mentally set Emily aside, but his vampire body was so tuned into her that even the feminine resonance of her voice twisted his heart.
Why had he called? Right. He cleared his throat. “I spoke with Mastyr Stone about the events in Millerell, the battle with the wraith. He asked about you. I told him you were a blood rose.”
“I see.”
He heard her disappointment and pressed on. “Stone gave me a piece of advice about making sure you were safe. That’s why I’m calling. Have you been harassed or anything?”
Silence returned to him. He had no idea what Emily was thinking. When she still didn’t answer, he said, “I need to know you’re all right. You’re important to me.”
“Of course.” He heard an abrupt intake of air. “I’m fine, Devyn. You don’t need to worry about me. Honest. Vojalie was here a bit ago and she’s built mist around my property.”
Devyn was relieved to hear it. “That’s good. Excellent.”
“Yes, it is.”
Several questions rose to mind. He wanted to know more about her experiences time-pathing, what she thought of Vojalie, and whether she’d spoken to Davido recently. He wanted to know a whole host of her thoughts on a variety of subjects. He felt an almost unbearable compulsion to start asking and never stop.
It had been one of his fantasies over the years. Of course he’d pictured having sex with her as well. In a thousand different ways. He’d have these long stretches where he’d imagine taking her in every position possible.
Of course, because she’d been Kyle’s woman, guilt would descend and he’d shut the images down. For a while. Then they’d return, more haunting than ever.
But he’d also imagined conversations with her. Walks along the stream near her house, or in the nearby woods. Those fantasies always occurred after a family dinner at his folk’s house. Emily would often engage him in conversation or she’d chat with their dad. Kyle would usually turn on a soccer match in the other room.
Kyle’s death had taken more from their family than just a beloved son. Emily had been a favorite of their father’s and part of their communal life. But she’d never been comfortable going back after his death. Now Devyn wondered if it was because she’d been on the verge of breaking up with Kyle.
Her voice disrupted his thoughts. “Devyn, are you still there?”
“I am. Sorry. I got to thinking about my father, how much he always enjoyed your company.”
“I miss him.” Devyn then heard her chuckle. “He could always make me laugh. He was such a combination of both his boys.”
Devyn had never thought of his father in that light before. But he did have Kyle’s sense of humor, or perhaps the other way around.
