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One of the women behind them snickers, but Maddy doesn’t care. It’s been so long since she’s seenthatglow in his eyes, and warmth spreads through her. It’s a lightning strike, and now she doesn’t want anything more than spending a night with Caleb, but there’s nowhere they can go. Veritas is the safest place for them. She takes a breath as desire snakes through her, tickling and tripping as it burns through her undead veins.
“You really are feeling better.” Maddy chews her bottom lip, contemplating what she thinks he means.
He chuckles, the sound low and growly. “Maybe the ‘power’ rune has some side effects of its own.”
The sound of his laughter does something to Maddy’s feelings, and moisture obscures her vision. She blinks rapidly to clear them, finally squeezing her eyes closed, forcing the hot tears to slip over her cheeks. When she opens them again, Caleb’s staring up at her.
He reaches for her cheek and uses his thumb to brush away the drops. “It’s been hard on you.”
“Not just me,” she says, and her chin quivers as she swallows a sob. “All of us.”
Caleb nods, climbs to his feet, and pulls her close. He drapes his arms over her shoulders, and she tucks herself against him. The rune necklace seems to be glowing slightly, as though the magic inside it is working overtime to make Caleb better.
He turns to her. “It has, but we have to focus on the small successes. If we don’t, then we’ll get so overwhelmed we won’t do anything.”
Cora steps forward with the book bag held up. “He’s right. We have the book, and that’s something. It gives us a chance to beat Orion, and we’ll keep it safe so you can get some rest.”
Sierra glances from Maddy to Caleb and back to Maddy. “I’m sure you two are tired. And we’ll need some time to translate the book to find the location of the weapon to kill Orion.”
Cora arches an eyebrow and jerks her thumb toward the corridor. “We have guest accommodations here.”
Caleb takes a step toward the hallway and tries to pull Maddy along with him. “That sounds lovely.”
Maddy frowns and tugs Caleb back toward her. “Isn’t Nim in there?”
Cora whirls to face Sierra, and Sierra grins. “No, we’ve converted another room and moved her to that location for the time being.” She pauses and leans closer. “Blaise wanted her closer to her, so you two can spend the night in the guest accommodations. You should be comfortable.”
At that moment, Caleb’s stomach growls, and he presses a hand to his middle. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Cora says. “We’ll bring some food by…for both of you in a couple of hours. Do you remember where the room is?”
“I think so,” Caleb says.
Maddy ducks her head, and her cheeks heat…or they would be heating if she had blood rushing around her body, but her embarrassment doesn’t stop her from hurrying after Caleb. They haven’t had any time alone in ages.
Once they’re inside, Maddy studies the bed. Then she turns to Caleb with a bright smile. “I already feel better. Less…”
“Overwhelmed?” he asks, moving close enough to smooth his hand down her arm. He laces his fingers through hers.
She nods, glad he understands without her having to explain everything and every word, and she squeezes his hand. Then she presses her forehead to his, basking in the closeness of him.
“Caleb,” she breathes, trembling in the tsunami of anticipation crashing over her. “Kiss me.”
Tonight, at least for a little while, they’re able to forget the world around them.
Chapter18
Caleb
The next morning, Caleb slips out of the bed before Maddy does, re-situating the stone necklace over his chest. Instead of leaving the guest room, he makes his way back to where she sleeps. He strokes her cheek, loving the way the light illuminates her skin. She’s the most gorgeous woman he’s ever met, and being a vampire hasn’t changed how he feels about her. She takes a deep breath, sighs, and rolls over so the light sparkles in her eyelashes.
Caleb makes his way into the bathroom adjacent to the guest bedroom as images from the previous night flood his thoughts, and his mouth stretches in a smile. Last night was a welcome respite in the middle of the hell of the last few weeks.
Maddy’s chest rises and falls beneath the cover they were both tangled in, and his emotions swell in his chest. She means everything to him and protecting their plane of existence isn’t about everyone else. It’s about her. Keeping Maddy safe amplifies the strength of his power somehow. He isn’t sure how, but he’s certain it’s true.
An ocean of energy surges inside him, and he’s shocked it’s not seeping out of him the way it did in the council hall. It seems his energy reacts to the size of his emotions. Reconnecting with her meant everything to him.
The Archivists had even brought a platter of food and two large bags of blood for Maddy. One of these days, Maddy will need to learn how to drink from a willing human, but she isn’t yet mentally ready for something like that, and he doesn’t plan on pushing her to be anything other than she is. Caleb doesn’t know if she’ll ever be ready, not after dealing with blood lust and becoming a threat.
