Page 38 of Brimstone

Hah! Well,thatwas a turn up for the books. How many times had I disappeared from a female’s bed before she’d woken? Honestly, not that many. Not as many times as Lorreth, that was for sure. The women I’d taken to bed had always known that fucking me was not a pathway toward anything meaningful. They’d known that it would be a one-off, and most of the time they were happy to proceed with that knowledge in mind. That’s what they said, anyway. There had been plenty of females who had been surprised when I had taken my leave of them the next morning, shocked thattheyhadn’t been the one to change me.

And they had been sweet.

Beautiful.

Breathtaking, even.

But they hadn’t beenher. And when armed or cursed with the knowledge that one day your mate would show up and change everything, no one else could ever come close. So mostly I hadn’t bothered with the distraction of sex. Mostly I’d busied myself with the business of killing. And now she was here, my Little Osha, and she was more than I could have hoped for.

And her side of the bed was empty.

I couldn’t blame her for it. Vampires slept, it was true. When the sun was high in the sky, it was virtually impossible for the newly turned to remain conscious. Most of them had to rest at that point, but not Saeris. She’d tried to hide it from me, but from what I could tell, she hadn’t sleptat allsince she’d awoken in this strange new form she occupied. The past three nights, she had paced her rooms at Ammontraíeth, waiting for the court she ruled over to come back to life, waiting for me to return to her, but she hadn’t slept.

She didn’t want me to worry. I knew that. The God Binding was still so new between us. She hadn’t learned yet that she could tell me anything and I would be there for her, no matterwhat. It wasn’t my job to fix all her problems or shield her from this new existence, though. There was plenty she had to figure out by herself. And when the time came, I would be ready and waiting if she needed help.

In the meantime, she could explore the estate where I had spent the early years of my life and explore what this new life of hers had to offer at the same time. I wouldn’t stop her. I stretched, enjoying the bright scent of her that still clung to the pillows and the sheets for a second, and then I got out of bed and went to hunt down some food.

“What kind of grown male bypassesbaconand goes straight for the pastries? You’re not right in the head.”

I found Renfis perusing the breakfast feast that Archer had laid out in the dining room. His sandy brown hair was loose for once, unbound from his war braids. It hung down his back, still wet from his morning dip in the lake by the orchard, the strands soaking through his shirt. We pocketed two or three items from the steaming platters, and then I opened a shadow gate to transport us back to camp.

We were halfway back to his tent—and I was halfway through a custard tart—when he started in with the teasing. “I’ve never met another warrior with such a sweet tooth. It’s a miracle you even have any teeth left in that head of yours.”

I grinned, flashing every single one of the teeth in question at him. “Blame Everlayne. She was the one who fed me her sweet treats when she was little.”

As always, the mention of my half sister made my friend’s back straighten a little. As always, I didn’t mention his reaction.

Renfis rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes skipping over the steep hill that still stood between us and camp. “Ah yes.Speaking of your sister, I checked in on her briefly this morning. As I was leaving, I ran into Saeris. She was looking a little . . .disheveled.”

I understood his meaning perfectly well, but I feigned ignorance. “Oh, really? She must have had a restless night.”

Renfis snorted. “Averyrestless night.”

He would never bring up the fact that she must have smelled like a brothel. He hadn’t mentioned that I did, either. It wasn’t polite.

“How are things going between you two, then? Well, I take it.”

I shrugged, playing coy. “Ah, y’know. I like her well enough.”

“Well enough?”A hint of frustration colored his tone. “What do you mean, well enough? You’re God-Bound to her. Doesn’t that mean that—Well, aren’t you—Gods and martyrs, are youlaughing?”

He hit me squarely in the arm, so hard that I dropped the last of my custard tart in the mud. I considered it morosely for a second before I carried on walking. “Yes, Renfis,” I said, finally giving in. “Things are going very well. More than well. They’re amazing.”

“And you’re in love with her?”

I scowled darkly at him out of the corner of my eye, pulling a face. “Yes,” I admitted. It wasn’t that I begrudged the feelings I had for my mate. I just hated admitting it out loud to someone to whom I had repeatedly sworn I would never fall in love. It was more than a little embarrassing.

Renfis beamed, his smile monopolizing most of his face. “I knew it!”

“Don’t breathe another word,” I growled. “I’m not going to gossip about my romantic life with you like some sort of sheep herder.”

He frowned. “Are sheep herders gossipmongers?”

“Yes. You’d be surprised by the scandalous things bored sheep herders are privy to. Especially the ones in the foothills of the Shallow Mountains.”

“Huh. Who knew. You learn something new every day. So, you and Saeris. In love. That’s exciting.”

“Fuck off, Ren,” I grumbled. “Why don’t we talk about your little outburst over Tal instead, huh?”