Page 108 of Seared Fates

“And this one?”

“Sigurðr, my third son, was born so he could leave.” Vidar laughs, eyes crinkling. An expression I’ve never seen on him, and one I secret away to always keep in my memories. “That boy learnt to run before he could walk. My wife would always ask where he was in such a hurry to get to.”

He takes my cupped hand to the hollow of his neck, where a single arrow rests.

“Finally, Einarr. He’s quiet, like your Teagan, and prefers his own company, a damn fine hunter, too.”

“They all sound amazing,” I tell him truthfully. “It’s been too long since I spoke with any of my boys…”

An array of emotions flickers through him, his features becoming soft. Maybe even a little lost.

“I want to contact them.” Vidar’s voice remains strong, yet a vulnerability peeks out in a way I doubt he’s allowed many to witness.

I move so my body is pressed entirely into his front, like a shield, telling him without words that his heart is safe with me.

“I’m not good with words like you, Kai,” he says, “will you…help me?”

“Of course. Always,” I answer without reservation.

We slip into an easy embrace, like we’ve been holding each other for years, and this close, his beating heart presses against my new scar, and pushes away the hurt that pounds there harsher than my heartbeat.

Without warning, I’m lifted and perched on the edge of the sink, Vidar nudging my chin up to kiss me. His tongue slips into my mouth, going deeper when I moan around it.

“You will give me a tattoo one day.”

“Obviously that was gonna happen.”

“But now we’ll do what we came in here to do.”

My face falls, my stomach doing an uncomfortable flip.

“You wanted to do this,” Vidar says as he collects my jacket from the side.

When he hands it over, knuckles brushing against mine, I hold the worn leather in my lap like it’s more me than my actual skin. I could close my eyes and know every scratch and mark and where it came from. And even when I unknowingly painted purple demon Script across the black material, I knew deep down every line was important.

“What if I burn down Vampire Manor?” I mumble.

“You wanted more practice,” Vidar tells me, then shrugs. “Not like we own this place anyway, so burn it down for all I care. Golden burnt down the other mansion.”

“Hold on.” My chin snaps up to shoot him with a dumbstruck look. “None of you owns this mansion?”

Vidar cocks an eyebrow. “Why would we when we move so often? We just compelled the owner to leave.”

My jaw drops. All this time I thought they were rich vampires, but in reality…“You’resquatters?”

Vidar smirks. “Never mind that. Focus on your fire magic, little prince.”

I’m not sure what to say, but after a pause, I just huff. Out of everything I’ve learnt, I guess this isn’t the craziest. “Alright, but I’m not forgetting about this.”

Vidar doesn’t say anything as he moves between my thighs. Waiting patiently for me, and any humour I had drains as I attempt to tackle my fire. My fears.

But I guess I gotta start from the beginning.

“My biological dad taught me to love art.”

Chapter thirty-nine

Kai