Page 11

NICHOLAS

"Just get rid of it," he muttered, rotating the stone fragment. It depicted what might have been a fierce-eyed cat, though the damage made it impossible to be certain. The piece had an unsettling weight, cooler than it should be after hours in his palm.

Promises meant something. He'd told Sylvie he'd return it to Echo Woods, not bring it to the oldest vampire in Shadow Falls for appraisal.

But the memory of that dream still smoldered in his thoughts.

Of course he had the same one she had last night, that's how he knew her reaction.

That was dreamwalking at its finest. The way she'd looked at him across that candle flame.

The tiger leaping through her with raw hunger.

He pocketed the relic and stepped out of his truck.

The Gilded Fang's ornate facade stood empty at this hour, but the back entrance would be open. Cassian kept vampire hours, after all. Nicholas rapped his knuckles against the service door, three short taps.

"Punctuality," Cassian Drake called from inside. "How deliciously unexpected."

The door swung open on silent hinges. The vampire hadn't physically moved to open it, it was just one of his little parlor tricks. Cassian lounged at a corner table counting receipts, hair artfully tousled despite the early hour, a brocade dressing gown draped over his lean frame.

"Nicholas Whitmore. To what do I owe the pleasure of disrupting my morning accounting?"

Nicholas straddled a chair across from him. "Need your expertise."

"Everyone does, eventually." Cassian smiled, teeth gleaming just a touch too white. "Though usually they buy me a drink first."

"It's eight in the morning."

"A criminal hour to be conscious." Cassian set his ledger aside and propped his chin on steepled fingers. "You look different. More... vibrant. Found your mate, perhaps?"

Nicholas tensed. "How?—"

"I've walked this earth for centuries. I recognize the glow." Cassian's gaze slid to the violet band at Nicholas's wrist. "Though I'll admit, that's new. Binding spells aren't usually so... obvious."

"It's temporary," Nicholas growled.

"Is it?" The vampire chuckled. "Show me what you've brought."

Nicholas hesitated, then placed the stone fragment on the table between them. The second it left his fingers, his tiger settled, like a weight lifting. How had he not noticed that pressure until it was gone?

Cassian went utterly still. He made no move to touch the object, but his eyes darkened to bottomless black.

"Where did you find this?" The vampire's voice had lost its playful lilt.

"Antique shop in Riverdale," Nicholas lied.

"Lie better, shifter." Cassian's fingertip hovered an inch above the stone. "This hasn't been in a shop. It still reeks of earth and anguish."

Nicholas tapped fingers against the table. "Found it buried. Does it matter where?"

"It might." Cassian's eyes narrowed. "This is a nasty piece of work. Sixteenth-century, if I'm not mistaken. From a cult that specialized in breaking mate bonds."

A chill crawled up Nicholas's spine. "Breaking bonds how?"

"Violently." Cassian wrinkled his nose. "The cult believed true mates were an abomination against natural order. This relic absorbed the... aftermath when they forced separations."

The word 'aftermath' hung between them, heavy with unspoken implications.

"Why would anyone keep this?" Nicholas's throat felt suddenly dry.

"Collectors of dark artifacts. Or those who want insurance against fate." Cassian tilted his head. "The question is, why did you dig it up? And why bring it to me rather than your witch?"

"She's not my witch."

"The band around your wrist suggests otherwise." Cassian sat back, expression bemused. "If you're afraid of commitment, there are less dramatic ways to sabotage yourself."

Nicholas stood abruptly. "I'm getting rid of it."

"Are you?"

The question pierced deeper than it should have. Nicholas snatched the relic, ignoring how his tiger bristled as contact resumed.

"Call me sentimental," Cassian said, "but I've rarely seen mate-bonds survive centuries. Yet I've witnessed firsthand what happens when they're broken by force rather than choice." A shadow crossed his face. "It's not worth whatever you're trying to prevent, Nicholas."

"Thanks for the history lesson."

Cassian laughed, the sound brittle. "Keep it, then. Though I'd suggest not mentioning this little chat to your charming witch. She strikes me as the type who'd be displeased by deception."

Nicholas stuffed the relic back into his pocket. "I'll toss it in the river on my way out."

"Of course you will." Cassian picked up his ledger. "Don't be a stranger, tiger. Next visit, I'll expect payment for my expertise. Perhaps a night with that ravishing red wolf from Crescent Valley?"

"She's seeing someone."

"Pity." Cassian waved dismissively. "The fox twins then."

Nicholas left without responding, sunlight hitting him with sudden harshness. The relic felt heavier than before.

He should drive straight to the bridge and drop the damn thing in the deepest part of Shadow River. His hand even turned the ignition with that intent. Yet when he reached the turnoff, he found himself continuing past it, the piece still nestled in his pocket.

Just until he understood it better, he told himself. Just until he was sure it had nothing to do with the binding spell connecting him to Sylvie.

The violet band at his wrist pulsed once, like a silent rebuke.