Page 138 of Claimed By Fangs and Darkness

Kylo reached around to grip my throat, and I nestled in even deeper.

Warm and floaty, I gasped when he entered me from behind, his strokes slow. He whispered praise in my ear, telling me how well I did today, how safe and loved I was.

All the while, he used my pussy, feeling my body beneath his shirt.

No magick. Kylo’s shadows rested with mine. It was just me and him, two puzzle pieces that had always fit perfectly together. Since I first told him nihilism was intellectually lazy, and he encouraged me to stop hiding from the world.

The sick bastard coaxed me to a blissful half-asleep state, pumping in and out, lips skating across my ear.

“You’ve been mine since the beginning of it all, baby,” he whispered. “Since we were stars, and the world was a quiet landscape of darkness and light.”

Warmth spilled deep inside me, and I fell blissfully into the light.

44

EVIE

Tomorrow I would see Aster. My new recruits were successfully beginning basic training, and more prospective recruits were already moving into the queue for the next turning, whenever that may be. So much depended on the battle for Etherdale—how quickly we’d be able to take back the city and push the born out.

Aster continued to write to me, a few times a day. Or at least, that was how often I responded. I showed or told Kylo about every message.

This morning, the enchanted paper was tucked under a book on the outdoor coffee table, where Vesper and I enjoyed our coffee and reading ritual.

“I hate his guts,” I said with a sip of my coffee.

“What did he say today?” Vesper asked.

“He asked me what I was reading, so I told him. And now he’s mansplaining and rambling on and on about the author and the historical period he came from. It’s painful to keep acting impressed and intrigued, but he eats it up every time.” I rolled my eyes.

Vesper made a gagging gesture, drawing out a laugh from me. “I love when men are pathetically desperate for us to seehow very worldly and intelligent they are. None worse than the narcissistic born.”

“This author would quite literally spit in Aster’s face,” I added.

“The truly wise and insightful people I’ve met in my life did not have to say so,” Vesper murmured. “It was something that was felt. Intellect without empathy and awareness is useless.”

“When I write back, it’s like he’s not even reading what I’m saying—he’s just searching for the parts that are relevant tohim. It’s exactly how my ex used to communicate. We’d have these conversations where it felt like every time I spoke, he was merely waiting for me to stop so it could be his turn. Then when he did speak, it was often in these long, self-absorbed monologues.”

“He only wanted to see himself reflected back in you. Men like him desire a beautiful ego-stroker with enough intelligence to understand his mind, but far too little self-respect to dare question it,” Vesper said. “I know that type well.”

“You must understand a lot about human nature and psychology after your time as a courtesan.”

I hoped I wasn’t overstepping. I found Vesper’s life fascinating, especially the time before Conrad entered the scene.

Instead of closing herself off, Vesper’s eyes lit up like they had when she’d first began telling her story.

“I hope this is okay to ask, but… do you miss it?”

Vesper smiled. “Yes, I do. I think a part of me will always miss the life I had. Before my sense of reality was forever changed. I’m not sure I could go back to the profession, even in a free world, not as the woman I am now. But I miss it, still, I really do. The glamour, the excitement, the endless adventure and exploration. The art of a successful seduction and the thrill of keeping the spark of desire alive. It was a life that required a certain level of naivety and ignorance in some ways. But it was also a time of immense growth, deep self-knowledge, andlearning about the world and the varied people who inhabit it. I read widely, was able to speak to esteemed philosophers, playwrights, authors, artists, and politicians. A life rich in ideas was just as valuable to me as a life surrounded by luxury.”

“I can see it in your aura,” I said. “You come alive when you talk about that side of yourself.”

Vesper’s smile was tinged with sadness now. “You can’t pull back the veil of ignorance. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. I hold no shame, not for any of it. But I know now that the structures that built the life of my dreams were the same oppressive entities that stifled so many others. Courtesans will always exist, no matter who’s in power. As long as I’m alive, I will always fight for my brothers and sisters to work not only safely but also damn joyously if they so choose.”

I smiled. “I will too.”

Vesper’s smile was crooked, the sunlight illuminating the golden undertones of her skin. She asked me more about my ex, and how Kylo and I met.

I finally worked up enough courage to say what I really wanted to say.