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Dread crept up Rune’s spine. “How old is she when this happens?”
“Twenty-five years to the day.”
Rune cursed in High Tongue. “Faye is in her twenty-fifth year.” His night breeze was young and fragile. He would protect her. His gaze met Sadi’s. “Thank you.”
She tapped her nails on his desk and stood with feline grace. “Be careful with her. If she escorts you to the Darkness I’ll find her in each life. Her death will be a drawn-out thing of beauty.”
The Ra’Voshnik’s roar echoed through his mind the same moment Rune caught her wrist as she turned to leave. He bit out, “You will not touch her.”
Kill her!The Ra’Voshnik’s fury roiled through him, bleeding into him.
Sadi’s gaze lowered to his hold, then flicked back up to him. “My loyalty runs to you, not her. You want her safe? Stay alive.”
He allowed her to pull her wrist free and vanish from his study.
She threatens our queen, and you let her live?The Ra’Voshnik bellowed.
Calm yourself. She’s Familiar. She believes her vision to be true and moves with our interests in mind.
The Ra’Voshnik growled but ceased its argument. Rune collected the books he’d been reading and returned to his desk. Faye’s line disturbed him and weighed heavily on his mind. He craved her presence, needing to remind himself she was under his care and safe.
The creature purred, agreeing with his sentiment.
Rune pushed his senses over his estate searching for her. He phased into the outer gardens in the event she was soaking in what she deemed, Hell’s hot spring. Faye was on her knees, collecting leaves from her garden. She spent so much of her time on these concoctions for little return.
Rune silently strolled to her. “Good afternoon.”
She jumped at his voice and jerked in his direction, her expression promising violence.
The Ra’Voshnik raged to the surface wanting to clash with her, excited by her temper. Rough play was common among vampires. Had she stabbed him with the letter opener under different circumstances he would have pinned her and made her lick the blood from her weapon. Then taken other things to those lush lips.
Rune dragged the creature beneath the surface. Imaginings were pleasant enough, but his night breeze was no vampire. She needed to be comfortable with herself before he could introduce his darker impulses.
Faye pointed her little garden knife at him. “I’m going to tie bells to your shoes so you stop sneaking up on me.”
He glanced at the knife, then back at her. “Apologies.” She turned her back to him, continuing her collection. Rune canted his head. “How long have you sold your potions?”
“Nine years. I started before I moved out with Sparrow.”
So much of her young life wasted on this tedium. He wanted to provide her with whatever she desired, but he needed to word it in a way Faye wouldn’t take offense to. “I could inquire about a storefront in Necromia to sell your potions if you wish.”
She turned toward him. Her brows drawn down, as she said, “I don’t want a store.”
He spoke a dozen languages fluently yet could never speak the right words to her.
Take her to buy more plants for her garden. Or books!Rune silenced the Ra’Voshnik and asked, “Why do you sell your wares each month?”
She shook her head and returned to her gardening.
Rune sat beside her, resting an arm over his bent knee. “I am making an effort to understand you so I may court you with some degree of success.”
Faye gave him a sidelong glance and said, “I can’t explain something you have no concept of.”
“Then teach me.”
She set down her basket and knife and looked him up and down. “You’re too old to learn new tricks.”
The corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk. “I would be willing to learn a trick or two if you were to instruct me.”
