Page 54 of Bitten & Burned

“Drop it.” My voice cracked sharply, cutting through them both. They fell silent, Quil’s jaw working, Vael’s eyes narrowing. I pressed a hand to my temple, suddenly too tired to keep arguing. “I need to sleep. We’ll revisit this tomorrow evening.”

Neither of them looked pleased, but neither argued. Quil turned back to the window, jaw still tight. Vael muttered something under his breath, a low growl of frustration as he rose from the chair.

It was only when he followed my gaze toward the hallway that he stopped short. His eyes flicked back to me, then to Quil, then to the closed door of my bedroom.

“There’s only one bed.”

“Yes,” I said. “But it’s big. You remember.”

Vael shook his head. “No, I meant, you want me and Quil in there? Together?”

“And me as well. I’m not sleeping on my sofa,” I said primly. “I’ll be between you. It’ll be fine. You won’t accidentally wake up spooning one another.”

“You must be joking,” he said flatly.

“No. I truly believe that if I’m between you, you won’t spoon each other. Unless you believe you’ll be drawn inexplicably to one another throughout the day.”

“Rowena…” Vael groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Quil gave him a hard look, then nodded toward the door. “It’s the only room that’s light-proofed, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” I admitted. “So unless you’d rather risk the dawn in my washroom, that’s where you’ll both be sleeping.”

Vael exhaled sharply through his nose, muttering, “Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.”

He cast a baleful glance at Quil. “If I wake up with your elbow in my ribs, I’m staking you myself.”

Quil snorted. “Try it.”

I went in first and made sure all the sun-blocking curtains were tacked down, so not a bit of sunlight would leak through. It was pitch black in here, so I turned on a light.

Quil stood in the doorway. “So we’re all sleeping in here?”

“Unless you want to spend the day crouching in my laundry room while Fig brings you every toy mouse he owns.”

“But you’ll be in here with us?” he asked.

“For the most part. I think I’m going to get up and go to Blackthorn to borrow some books. But I’ll be back and we’ll go see Silas tomorrow evening.”

He sighed. “I’m not sure you should even leave the apartment without me,” he said softly, walking to the bed and pulling off his shirt.

Vael leaned against the doorframe, arms folded. “For once, I agree with him. You shouldn’t be wandering Caer Voss alone right now. Every errand can wait. Every book at Blackthorn will still be there when this is finished.”

“I’ll be fine. Blackthorn is like home to me.

The wards there are very complex; Silas would have a hard time getting around them.

Besides, it’s neutral territory. Silas values his standing in the academic community too much to risk it by coming and kidnapping me from the Blackthorn Institute in broad daylight. ”

Quil hummed, but didn’t sound convinced. He kicked off his boots and socks.

“Please trust me?” I asked. Vael grumbled under his breath. Something about me being stubborn.

“Fine, but don’t go anywhere else,” Quil said, climbing into bed.

“Well, I mean, I’m going to go see Thalia…”

“Rowena!” He sat up. “I mean it. Nowhere else.”

“Fine, I’ll tell Thalia to come meet me at Blackthorn, better?”

“Gods,” he grumbled. “You are the most infuriating witch in Verdune.”

“I’m fairly certain I’m not.”

“I’m fairly certain I’m not.”

Vael snorted from the doorway. “Sure, you’re not. And I’m Inera’s chosen moonmaiden.”

Quil huffed a laugh into his hand, though his eyes stayed hard on me.“Just… go get ready for bed and come over here.”

I smirked and started undressing, pulling on a nightgown before climbing into bed with him.

Vael blinked. “So you’re still doing that, I see…”

I arched a brow. “Doing what?”

“Leaving a breadcrumb trail of garments through every room you touch,” he said, voice mild but edged.

“I’ll go pick them all up for her,” Quil said, smiling. “Strip away, sweetheart.”

“You’re enabling her bad behavior. You’re a bad influence, Ashborne.”

“You’re genuinely trying to stop our girl from taking her clothes off?”

Vael paused before speaking again. “Not sure I can still call her ‘my girl’.”

“You can,” I said softly. “You just… don’t.”

Vael’s mouth tightened. “Rowena, I…”

“Not here,” I cut him off, shaking my head. “Not now. Let’s just… stick a pin in it. Come back to it later.”

I left the clothes where they fell, and Vael smirked, walking around to scoop them all up and leave them in one place.

I looked around to make sure I had everything, frowning because something was missing. I had my pillows, my pajamas… oh right. Pip.

I hadn’t fully unpacked yet, but he was in my bag, so I hurried out to the living room, grabbing him from the front pocket of my bag, and went just as quickly back to bed.

Quil looked at me quizzically, and I wiggled Pip in front of me. His face split into a soft grin. “You’re adorable, you know that?”

I climbed into bed with Quil, who automatically slid closer. I tucked Pip up on one of the pillows.

His arm curled around me, slow and heavy, pulling me closer like I was a blanket he could wrap himself in.

“I could get used to sleeping like this,” he murmured. “With someone beside me.”

“You’re not asleep yet,” I whispered.

“I’m getting there.”

I felt the slow drift of his breath. The gradual slackening of his grip. His heart was slowing. His body settling into that in-between place—the edge of dreams, the moment before sleep claimed him completely.

He nuzzled into my hair. Murmured something too soft to catch.

And then he stilled.

Quil Ashborne. Hunter. Killer. Monster.

Fast asleep in my bed, wrapped around me like I was the safest thing in the world.

A soft scoff broke the silence. I opened my eyes just enough to see Vael standing at the foot of the bed, shaking his head. “Unbelievable. Out cold already,” he muttered, though his voice was gentler than the words. He doused the lamp, then slipped onto the mattress at my other side.

I lay there a while. Long enough to memorize Quil’s weight, the curve of his arm around my waist, the way his breath warmed the back of my neck in slow, even pulses. And long enough to feel the faint shift of the mattress as Vael finally settled, turned just enough that his shoulder brushed mine.

I let myself drift as well. For at least a few hours. It was so warm. And I was exhausted.