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Either way, I was mortified. “Mark,” I hissed.

“Apologies for the delay. Alphonse took some time to settle, but I’m here now and ready for a meal.” His gaze was fixed squarely on Thomas, menace radiating off him.

“Of… of course,” Thomas stammered. “I’ll go and get that for you.”

Raphael slid into the seat next to me. “Excellent. Then you can join me and Sam.”

Sitting pressed between Thomas and Raphael sounded worse than anything Greymere had come up with. I stood, clutching the blanket around me as if to save me from the awkwardness. “Actually, I’m exhausted,brother. I’ll just head up to rest.”

Raphael nodded. Too easily. “Of course. Have a tray sent upstairs,” he ordered Thomas, before turning to me. “Let’s head to bed.”

Chapter Twelve

The room was justlarge enough to fit a small table and chair, along with a freshly made bed. A bright fire roared in the corner, heating the space. The room was a palace compared to where I’d stayed at Greymere. The only issue with the space was that Raphael and I both were in it, alone.

“It’d be worth the gold for a second room,” I groused. “You can always just enthrall someone into giving you more.”

“How quickly you’ve changed your mind about my powers,” Raphael mused.

I was willing to throw away a lot of morals if it meant not spending the night locked in the same four walls witha vampire. Yes, we’d slept near each other in the forest, by necessity. But spending the night in a tiny room with him?

“I’d rather spend the night with Alphonse.”

Raphael snorted. “And I’m sure the stable boys who are sipping spirits in the empty stall would love your company. But that’s not going to happen.”

“Then you should be the one to leave. You’re a creature of the night.” I hated the way fear turned my voice petulant. I sounded like a whining child.

“I could go out and hunt for a more suitable dinner, if you prefer.” He gestured to the tray that had been sent up shortly after. It was the worst looking goat leg I’d ever seen, courtesy of Thomas. Of course, Raphael had no intention of eating it. He’d planned to sit with us just to torture me, I was certain.

At my silence he arched a brow. “You’re even considering it. You find sharing a bed with me so distasteful?”

There was another reason I didn’t want to sleep in the bed, but I couldn’t make myself voice it. Couldn’t make myself admit how scared I felt.

“So be it.”

I tensed, but Raphael simply moved to the window and unlocked it, letting an icy chill into the room. In a single leap, he jumped from the window.

I sped over to the open window to see for myself, but he’d disappeared into the night. I relatched the window. On the table by the spot where Raphael stood was a dry, folded tunic. I glanced towards the latched window oncemore before changing and adjusting the fireplace, setting my original clothing to dry. Then I stripped the bed of the largest blanket and pillow and slipped under the frame.

My sleep was fitful. Red eyes haunted it, twisting into blue ones. I woke just after dawn and crawled out from my hiding spot, mussing the bed so no one would know where I’d slept.

No sign of Raphael. I heated the food from last night over the low flames of the fire and ate it as breakfast before heading down. The inn was quiet. No sign of the staff, aside from an older woman who swept the main floor. I wandered outside, looking for the vampire.Surely he wouldn’t have taken off on his own. The thought caused me more distress than I expected. I resolved to check the stables. To make sure he hadn’t slipped away on our single horse.

Instead of Raphael, I found Thomas.

Kissing a girl.

I must’ve made a sound, because both broke apart. Her blouse was unlaced slightly, and she hastily tied it while giggling at Thomas. Vaguely, I recalled her from the night before. Now, she darted past me and out of the barn.

I avoided Thomas’s eyes, moving over to Alphonse, who was still in his paddock. My chest unclenched at the sightof the horse. Why I was so shocked to see Thomas kissing another, I wasn’t quite sure. Was it because he’d flirted with me in town and last night? Had I thought it meant more? Not really. I knew there couldn’t be more. But I also only knew what “more” was in vague terms. There had been no affection in Greymere, no pretty words, no soft lips against my own. It was a world apart from how Tom lived.

I expected Thomas to disappear like the girl had, but instead he came closer, crowding me as I petted the horse.

“Err, good morning.”

“Morning, Sam.” He grinned at me, the dimple appearing the same as it had last night when he’d flirted with me.

The dimple annoyed me just a bit more than it had yesterday.