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CHAPTER 20

Raindrops started to patter down on us, dampening my coat.

Even with the oncoming storm, I could hardly keep my eyes open. Now that my hunger had been sated, it was as if my body had decided it’d had enough. My eyes drifted closed, and my head nodded forward for a moment as I fell asleep. It snapped back up again as I woke with a snort.

“You need sleep,” Sion said. He sounded annoyed again.

I might have been a lethal assassin who killed with her touch, but compared to a vampire, I was basically a fragile, delicate little child. I needed food. I needed sleep. My bones could break. I needed all sorts of care.

Thunder still rumbled over the sea. The water had only grown wilder, with waves slamming down against the rocks.

“We need to get out of this storm.”

I didn’t think I’d experienced Sion in such an ill-tempered mood since the time he picked me up by the neck and threw me to the ground.

“Sion, why are you in such a dark mood now? Is it because you’re hungry, and I’m not letting you eat anyone?”

“No,” he said softly. “It’s because looking after a human is a great responsibility.”

I frowned. So, itwaslike having a child. It had been a really long time since anyone treated me like a responsibility, and not the other way around.

From across the sea, the storm rolled in with ominous speed. As we climbed the hill, a dark veil of rain seemed to be swallowing the ocean as it drew closer to us. Lightning speared the sky, striking down onto a tall, jagged rock that jutted from the sea.

A strong wind rushed over the cliffs, carrying raindrops and sea spray. Rain started to soak through my coat to my dress, after it had just started to dry.

At the top of the hill, perched on the cliff's edge, stood a stone cottage that looked awfully cozy right about then. “What are the chances we’ll find that cottage empty?” I asked.

With a pull on the reins, Sion guided Poppy to a halt. “Give me a second.”

He hitched Poppy to a post.

The raindrops were growing fatter, heavier. Shivering, I hugged myself, trying to ward off the chill that seeped into my skin.

“Don’t scare anyone this time,” I tried to shout, but it came out as more of a tired murmur.

I hunched over as I clutched the remnants of the pie, trying to keep it dry. I’d be saving this beauty for later.

Sion slipped into the cottage. I held my breath, waiting for someone to run screaming out of the house. After a few minutes, he shoved the door open and beckoned for me to join him.

I slipped off Poppy and hurried into the dry cottage in what appeared to be a single, grand stone room. On the left side was a cozy kitchen of rough-hewn wood with a stone hearth. But what truly caught my breath was the wall of glass overlooking the sea.Whoever lived there must be a glassmaker, because otherwise, it would’ve cost a fortune.

I slid the remains of the pie onto the table. Hugging myself, I crossed to the windows, staring out at the storm rushing closer, the waves crashing violently against the craggy rocks. Lightning flashed again, and the rain poured down in sheets. It felt surprisingly cozy in there, even as thunder rumbled, rattling the glass.

I turned, looking at the bed where it pressed up against the windows, where rain slid down in rivulets. I found Sion kneeling by the hearth, setting a fire. He’d pulled off his cloak and rolled up the white sleeves of his shirt. He nodded at the bed. “Get some sleep. You’re falling to pieces.”

I did feel off-kilter, as though my usual sharpness had dulled to a dreary mist.

“I’m fine.” I pulled off my cloak. “Don’t vampires need sleep? Are you sharing the bed with me?”

His gold eyes flicked to me, twinkling in the firelight. Then, they slid down, and he seemed to freeze, the air darkening around him.

When I looked down, I realized that my dress was once again transparent, soaked through from the rain.

His gaze flicked up again. “Someday, I will get into bed with you, Elowen, but I promise, you won’t be sleeping. And that is what you need right now.”

I felt a blush creep over my cheeks, and I turned away from him, crossing to the bed. I climbed in and pulled the covers up over myself, not even caring that my clothes were wet.

I flexed my fingers over the soft fabric of the blankets. As much as I complained about the vampires, I did love being able to take off my gloves around them, to let down my guard. Vampires were gloriously unbreakable.