Page 135 of Bonds of Starfall

Vesperin’s hand covered Cyrus’s, where it rested on his lap. "Stay here. I’ll go up and make sure Xara isn’t in." With that, she opened the door and left.

Cyrus followed, the door slamming too loudly in the night. The crisp air burned his nose; he’d missed it after a week trapped underground. A week spent in an empty room, wishing for the moment the lock would click and he’d be escorted to the lab to see Vesperin.

Over the top of the car, Vesperin met his eyes. "What are you doing? I told you to stay in the car."

Cyrus rounded the car to stand by her side. He couldn’t see Valkar’s face behind the visor, but smugness radiated off him. Prick.

"We saw how that turned out last time, doll." Cyrus wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his side. "I’m staying."

"Fine," she sighed, and was Cyrus dreaming, or did she sound pleased?

The incubus smiled.

"Are you going to be good from here?" Valkar’s words were muffled by his helmet.

"You’re not coming in?" Vesperin paused, eyes narrowing on the vampire.

Valkar laughed, the sound ominous through his helmet, like a great, unnatural puff of air. "You clearly don’t need me, wife. I have some things to take care of while I’m here in Solar City."

Vesperin shrugged off Cyrus’s touch, and his hand fell to his side.

She stepped close to the vampire, and Cyrus held his breath. It was dark, past curfew. He glanced up to the windows of the nearest building, not one flicker of a curtain or blind. Good little hunters would already be fast asleep by now.

"If you think of deceiving me, Rhyden, I’ll call in the information of your base to the hotline on an anonymous tip. It would cause you a great deal of pain if your illegal, Aether-infused guns were apprehended, hm?" Vesperin goaded lowly.

In a flash, one of the vampire’s hands shot out, and he gripped Vesperin’s hand, lifting it between them. "I don’t need your threats, but nice try, wife. I have my own ways around the law, even here in your sweet little Solar City. Besides, I bet you couldn’t pinpoint my base on a map." He released her wrist.

Water lingered on Cyrus’s fingertips, swirling in the air and splashing his cheeks.

That drew the vampire’s attention. "You won’t use your Stella on me, Cyrus. You don’t want to hurt her, and we both know that would."

"I don’t know if Ves was cursed with you as a Soulbond, or if you were just blessed," Cyrus retorted, flicking water at Valkar’s leather jacket.

A soft hissing noise filtered beneath Valkar’s helmet, and he wiped the back of his hand over the water. Droplets flung to the pavement. "I’ll be back for you, wife, and before you think of leaving to Nova Zone 21 without me"—he stepped forward, looming over Vesperin, and Cyrus curled around her back, eyes narrowing on the vampire—"ninth floor, Solar City General Hospital."

"That’s…" Cyrus trailed off as Vesperin growled:

"Leave Lucien out of this."

"Youbrought Doctor Lucien Quenlan into this when you came to me. He’s collateral. Think of it as security." Valkar stepped back from them. "I’ll come back for you. Twenty-four hours," he warned, throwing a leg over his motorcycle and revving the engine, the rumble piercing the night.

With that, the vampire sped away, tires screeching over the pavement.

The night was quiet in his absence, and Vesperin turned, fists thumping on Cyrus’s chest. "I hate him," she seethed.

Cyrus touched her shoulder, bending until his nose pressed into the top of her hair. "I know, I’m sorry."

At least you don’t hate me anymore,he thought.

Cyrus watchedVesperin swallow her pills, chasing them with a gulp of water.

She’d made him wait in the emergency stairwell while she made sure Xara was gone. Now, they stood in the dorm’s quiet, empty kitchen.

The clink of the glass on the countertop made him flinch.

"Cyrus," Vesperin started, "why didn’t you wither him?"

He had known this was coming, and still?—