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Ryshi laid his hand on his stomach. At heart he was a creature who gloried in self-indulgence. If fate hadn’t interfered, he would no doubt have spent his existence in his demon club, the Oasis, surrounded by luxury.
“It’s been a decade since I’ve had decent food,” he complained.
“You aren’t going to convince me that Styx tried to starve you.”
He hadn’t. Styx was no doubt a ruthless bastard, but he’d treated Ryshi remarkably well. And as a bonus, his mate, Darcy, was a vegetarian. Crazy for a werewolf, but crazy seemed to be an overriding theme at the Anasso’s lair. She had a chef who specialized in meals that would please any fey creature. Still, there’d been a few things missing.
“No, but my meals didn’t include ambrosia. Can you smell it?”
Sofie tilted back her head, her nostrils flaring. “I smell blood.”
Ryshi’s heart slammed against his ribs. He’d never been bitten by a vampire. Because he’d neverwantedto be bitten by a vampire.
Not until this moment. Shuddering at the unexpected craving to feel Sofie’s fangs sliding deep into his flesh, he slowed his pace.
“Do you need a sip?”
Her eyes dilated, as if she shared his aching desire for her to feed from his vein. “Are you offering?”
Ryshi traced his fingers down the side of his throat. It was a blatant invitation. “Anytime, anyplace.”
Sofie’s fangs pressed against her lower lip as the grass beneath their feet was coated in a thick layer of frost. Was her hunger for him threatening to escape her rigid control? Impossible to say. With a visible effort, she turned her head toward the approaching village and the demons who were eying them with various levels of interest.
Ryshi grimaced. It was understandable that he would have a hard time controlling his lust. He’d been so focused on his hunt that he’d neglected to seek out female companionship. But he sensed that it wasn’t abstinence that had catapulted his desire into overdrive. It was all Sofie.
Leading them directly toward the long wooden tables, Fassie waved a hand at the bench. Instantly two imps jumped to their feet to make room for them.
“Join our feast,” Fassie said. “We have plenty to share.”
“Very generous,” Ryshi said, settling on the bench and motioning for Sofie to join him.
She hesitated, her icy gaze sweeping over the large orcs who looked capable of crushing them with the massive cudgels they gripped in their hands. Then, as if realizing that refusal would give away the fact they weren’t part of the illusion, she perched stiffly on the edge of the bench.
Fassie placed two large bowls of fruit in front of them before offering a bow. “A room will be prepared while you eat.”
Ryshi grabbed a spoon off the table and dug into the fruit, licking the sticky honey from his lips.
“Mmm.” He glanced toward Sofie. She looked as if she’d been carved out of ice as she sat in motionless silence, but Ryshi could sense that she was on full alert. It wasn’t just the tension that hummed around her slender body. It actually vibrated through the bond that held his mind captive. He waved his spoon under her nose. “Are you sure you don’t want a bite?”
Her gaze continued to scan their surroundings, constantly searching for danger. “I don’t consume food.”
“A shame.” He scooped out a large fig and stuffed it in his mouth. Sweet pleasure exploded through him.
“Not really.” She appeared to ignore his sigh of satisfaction as he polished off the last of his food. Then, without warning, she pointed toward a spot that was near a line of trees. “There.”
He glanced in the direction she indicated, frowning at the sight of the nasty pile of garbage and filth that was attracting the attention of hundreds of buzzing flies.
“There what?”
“The opening.”
Ryshi sent her a startled glance. Vampires were supposedly incapable of detecting magic.
“You can see it?”
“No, but you claimed it would be a spot that an intruder would avoid,” she reminded him. “What better place than a pile of trash?”
“You’re right. It’s the only taint in the perfection of this place.” He slowly smiled, fiercely pleased that she’d paid attention to his words. “So…not just another pretty face.”
