Page 87 of Caller of Crows

Like a forbidden thrill.

Altair would befurious.

He looked around himself and took stock of where they were, close to the park where he'd first met the Caller of Crows.

Sven brushed the thought away. He couldn't worry about Altair today. What he needed to do now was to get away from here as quickly as possible. Before the vampires noticed that he was gone.

He needed to say goodbye to his mother.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to Mordyn. "Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome." The vampire smiled at him and pointed across the street. "See that cab? Ask the driver to take you to a friend's place, or wherever you think is best. Maybe don't make it the first place Altair will check for you."

"Okay, that makes sense." Sven nodded. He glanced at the cab. Mordyn had really thought this through, probably more than Sven had. "I figured Altair wouldn't be able to come after me once the sun is up."

"He'll have his birds searching the city," Mordyn cautioned. "He may not be able to follow you himself, but he will figure out where you are before long."

"I don't mind that, as long as I get to attend the funeral."

Mordyn's expression softened. "So you do intend to come back."

Sven's eyebrows rose as he looked at the vampire. "You didn't think I would?"

Mordyn considered Sven's question thoughtfully. "No," he said finally. "I hoped you would, but I wasn't certain of it."

"Why did you help me then?"

"Because Alt is my best friend and I don't want him to pick a mate who will not stand by him when push comes to shove." The vampire fixed him with a knowing look.

"You're testing me," Sven surmised.

"Yes, among other things." Mordyn gestured for him to head to the cab. "You should go now," he said, glancing at the sky, which was starting to light up in the distance. "I've got to head back in."

Sven nodded again and stopped hesitating. He only had one shot at this, and he was taking it.

* * *

The morning was crisp and cold, but Cale's house was warm. His friend opened the door with a wide smile on his face. "Sven!" he exclaimed, pulling Sven into a hug. "I'm so glad you made it."

"Me too," Sven admitted as he followed the other man inside.

The truth was, he hadn't been entirely sure he could escape. He hadn't looked back once on his way from Altair's, but he'd known all along that Mordyn wasn't helping him out of the kindness of his heart.

The vampire was making a point. He was allowing Sven to prove that he really did want to become a vampire and Altair's mate. Mordyn's intervention didn't mean the guy was on Sven's side—it just meant that he believed Sven actually had a choice in this.

And that his choice mattered.

Shaking the thought from his head, Sven focused his attention on what Cale was telling him. "You made it just in time," his friend said. "Kieran's making breakfast."

Sven followed him to the kitchen where Cale's dragon-shifter mate was indeed cooking. There was bacon in a pan, two plates of scrambled eggs, toast, orange juice, coffee, and fresh fruit laid out on the table.

"Help yourself," Cale said, picking up one of the plates that was clearly meant for himself and offering it to Sven instead. "Kieran's cooking is so good I would have already gained like five pounds if he didn't help me work it off every night."

Kieran glanced over his shoulder. "Our guest doesn't need to know that, love." Then his gaze fell on Sven. "Youshouldeat, though, and sit down while you're at it. No offense, but you look like you need it."

Sven's stomach growled loudly in response, reminding him he'd barely eaten a thing since his mother's death. He still lacked the appetite, but he knew he'd need to eat more eventually if he wanted to function, so he took the plate Cale offered him and sat down at the table.

"How have you been holding up?" Kieran asked him as he slid a cup of freshly brewed coffee Sven's way.