Page 45

POLARIS

S leep clings to me despite the feather-light kisses that are sprinkled over my face. Only when the kisses turn heavier, drifting down my neck, do I shiver, the little shudder bringing me back to the present.

Prying my eyes open, I notice the light drifting in through the window, but my focus is entirely on the man hovering above me.

Blaze.

He looks down at me with an almost whimsical smile on his face.

It looks completely out of place on the dark and edgy vampire that has done nothing but taunt me since the day I arrived on campus, but now I seem to have the luxury of watching him slowly expose another side to him that I didn’t think could exist.

A side that feels like it’s just for me?

“What time is it?” I ask, wiping at my eyes, my vision still slightly blurry as I try to recall when I even fell asleep.

My last fleeting memory is giggling about the broken bed, but after that, nothing else comes to mind. He stares down at me, amusement in his gaze, as I try to glance around him to check if it’s still broken, but it’s impossible to tell because he continues to reposition himself in front of me.

His smile grows wider until his cell phone vibrates, then he sighs. “I have to go, Amica Mea.”

“Already?” I rasp groggily with a frown, but his grin stays strong.

“You say already like it isn’t a new day.” My frown deepens and he shakes his head, nodding toward the window behind me. “It's morning.”

“Morning,” I repeat, as if the light coming through the window isn't enough of a hint.

He nods. “Yes, and I really have to go, but Asher is on his way over,” he states before climbing from the bed. I shuffle back to lean against the headboard, only to find it missing, lying in broken pieces on the floor, along with the legs that gave out beneath us.

Wow, that should be embarrassing, but it's way hotter than I can even process.

Adjusting my pajama shirt, which I don’t even recall putting back on, I sit up in the center of the bed, rearranging the sheets over my lap as I peer at the vampire watching me intently.

“Who coordinated that?” I ask, and he shrugs, a smirk on his lips.

“Don't worry about it. We want you safe. Okay?” His head tilts to the side, eyebrows rising as though he expects me to push further, but hearing that they’re working together and not throttling each other feels like a lot of progress, so I’m not going to intervene.

Instead, I nod, and a little of the tension bunching his shoulders together eases.

“He’s also going to catch you up on something I forgot to mention,” he adds, taking two more steps toward the door as his cell phone vibrates again.

My eyebrows gather slightly in confusion, but I offer a tight smile. “That sounds… ominous,” I murmur, and he waves me off.

“It’s fine, but before I leave, I want to make a wager with you. A deal, just me and you.”

Uncertainty vibrates through my body as I slip from beneath the sheets and rise from the bed, meeting him by the door.

“Deals don't usually bode well for me,” I admit, and he rolls his eyes.

“Humor me,” he says, taking my hands in his as I sweep my tongue over my lips, offering a subtle nod.

“Okay.”

He adjusts his hands to capture both of mine in one of his while the other ghosts over my stomach. “Use your magic now. Take the pain and everything else away. But the first day of every month is mine. Deal?”

My thighs clench, excitement pooling in my gut after last night, but I can’t help but sigh, the truth rearing its ugly head.

“I might not be alive for the next one,” I admit, aware of the numbness settling inside of me as I acknowledge the fact out loud, but the onslaught of desperation and preemptive grief doesn’t come.

Blaze shrugs, an easy smile on his lips. “Promise me anyway,” he murmurs, making my heart flip as my pulse quickens, pounding in my ears.

“I promise.”

He presses a kiss to my forehead, a delicate touch before he's suddenly gone, nothing more than a figment of my imagination as the door closes, leaving me alone.

With a contented sigh, I turn to take in the state of my room, or more specifically, the remains of my bed. Raking my teeth over my bottom lip, my cheeks heat as I recall last night’s adventures.

As much as I want to stare at the aftermath for the rest of my life, I definitely need to fix the bed. What did I say last night? That’s what magic is for? I better put my money where my mouth is and figure it out.

Ushering over to my desk, I dig into my bag, retrieving my pouch of sand and the huge grimoire that takes up most of the space. I move over to the broken bed with my two necessities and immediately begin flicking through the pages until I find something that should work.

With a good pinch of sand in my hand, I sprinkle it over the bed as instructed before reaching for a few more grains as I repeat the words noted in the grimoire. “Redintengro. Configo. Destino.”

In a blink of an eye, the bed is repaired, headboard and all, and I giggle, impressed with myself, as I quickly tuck my grimoire and sand away so I can slide back into bed.

I hunker down under the sheets, humming with contentment as I hide my head under the pillows, shielding the light from my eyes as I consider whether I could drift back off to sleep.

My thoughts are short-lived when I hear the bedroom door creak open behind me, and I smile, recalling the visitor Blaze said I would be getting.

“Hey,” I call out, the chirpiness to my voice catching me off-guard as I roll over. “Blaze said—Ahh!”

I scream, horror and fear coiling up my spine as I come face to face with my guest. I expected Asher, but instead, I’m greeted by a man draped in black.

Raking my eyes over him from the bottom up, terror clings to me.

Black boots, black pants, and a black shirt are all mostly hidden behind a long, black leather coat that looks wet to the touch.

The hood is over his head, with only a sneer visible on his face as the rest remains hidden behind a creepy black mask.

The skin around his eyes is stained black, making the mask look even more daunting, but the most harrowing part is the elongated nose that protrudes in my direction.

“Polaris Beauchamp, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person.” His voice is dark, raspy, and scary.

I quickly twist in the bed, firmly leaning against the headboard that is now back in place as fear takes hold, clawing at my throat.

“I-I?—”

He waves a single hand, shutting off anything I have to say.

“I’ll be doing the talking for both of us today.

You'll speak when I say,” he orders, and my chest grows tight, panic brewing in my stomach.

“I offered you the chalice. I'm sure you figured it out,” he states, nodding toward the armoire where I hid it.

He even knows that. My pulse quickens. “That means my end of a bargain has been upheld. Now you must do your part,” he adds, and I gulp.

He tilts his head at me and I take that as a sign that I'm allowed to speak.

“And if I say no?” I murmur, my voice weak and pitiful in his presence, and I hate myself. As much as I knew it would come, nothing could have prepared me for his presence.

“You're not going to want to say no,” he states, his mouth lifting at the corner with a sure grin as his eyes darken.

“You're so sure?” I challenge, and he slips his hand into his long leather coat, pulling out a piece of folded paper. He holds it out between us, but I don't move a muscle toward him. Instead, I shake my head in refusal.

I make sure I keep my gaze focused on his as I speak. “I don't want it.”

He tsks at me, almost humored. “Take it.”

I shake my head again, which I quickly realize is the wrong move when he's in my face a moment later.

The tip of his elongated nose scratches against my cheek, sharp enough to draw blood as he snarls, eyes burning into mine.

“Don't make me demand it twice, Polaris. That never fares well for others,” he warns, but it feels more like a promise.

Refusing to meet his stare, I look down at the piece of paper that is still folded between us. My pulse pounds in my ears, rendering me helpless, but I still manage to stand firm and keep my hands balled in my lap.

“Tell me what it is first,” I state, words firmer than I expect, and he leans back, almost a chuckle on his lips, as though he finds me amusing.

“Feisty. I like it. Since this is your first time, I'll give you a little leeway.

It's the location of what you're searching for,” he states, and I frown in confusion as I try to think of what it is I’m searching for.

He quickly grows tired of my silence, sighing heavily as he narrows his eyes at me. “The remaining coins you seek.”

He says it so casually, as if it doesn’t make my entire body stiffen in panic and disbelief.

“How?” I breathe, and he shakes his head.

“It doesn't matter,” he insists, and I shake my head, my mind spinning a mile a minute, completely overwhelmed by the possibilities of what this could mean. To have all of the coins together, that’s…

“And if I find them?” I ask, genuinely considering his offer, even though I wish I weren’t.

“Then you get to keep them. It's as simple as that.” A satisfied grin takes over his mouth like he knows he’s got me exactly where he wants me.

“Nothing is as simple as that with you,” I retort, and he snickers.

“You're learning fast. I like it,” he muses before his face becomes serious. “Now, take the paper.”

The demand in his eyes tells me I don't have any more chances—any more pushbacks—he’s done being humored by me, and he's ready to take action if necessary.

I don't want to know what that is. I'd rather never find out. But with trembling fingers, I extend my hand, my fingers curling around the parchment of paper as my bedroom door swings open once again.

“What the fuck is going on in here?” My eyelids fall closed at the sound of Asher’s voice as The Crow releases his hold on the paper and my arm falls lax at my side.

The deal is now in my hands, and I can't lift my head to see the disappointment on Asher’s face.

“I was just leaving,” The Crow says, and Asher grunts.

“Whatever you gave her, take it back,” he demands, and The Crow chuckles in amusement.

“Polaris,” Asher breathes, the desperation evident as he tries to be the voice of reason, but I shake my head, forcing myself to lift my gaze to meet his.

“No.”

One word and I’ve set my fate in motion, watching as the color drains from his face.

There's no coming back for this. We all know it. I've seen it myself.

Asher gapes at me in disbelief as The Crow flees from the room in a whoosh of black leather, disappearing from sight like he was never here to begin with.

Silently, Asher closes the door behind him, the thud vibrating around the room as he lingers by it. His fingers splayed against the wood, he takes a breath before finding the strength to turn and look at me.

Pain is etched into every inch of his face. “Fuck, Polaris. What have you done?”

I shrug helplessly, letting the tightening in my chest settle all the way into my gut, my soul. I offer a tight smile. “I don't know, but it's like you said, he was never gonna let me say no.”