Page 84 of The Vampire Court
“I didn’tletyou land your hits out of pity.”
“Then what was it—trying to get on my good side or trying to make me feel better?”
“When have I ever given a shit about your feelings, little bird?” He raises a brow. “That was your own doing. As I said earlier, you are getting faster.”
He stops talking, but there’s a heavy weight to the air around us, and I have the feeling that, as usual, there is more that remains unsaid.
I tug on my arm when he refuses to let go. His hand cups the back of my neck and drags my head closer.
“I’ve never noticed the gold flecks in your eyes before.”
I groan at the terrible line. It’s close to the things boys back in Littlemire would say when they wanted to flatter the girls they wanted to court. Cassius is an idiot if he thinks terrible flirting will work on me.
His gaze flicks to my mouth then back up. My heart stutters.
“They are the same as they’ve always been.” I roll my eyes and squeeze his wrist, prying it from my neck. When he releases me, I stand and retreat several paces.
Watching him sit on the floor with that childlike expression unnerves me. I brush off invisible dust from my clothes in an attempt to busy my hands.
“I’m hungry,” I say even though I’m the furthest thing from it right now.
“You are getting better, markedly so over the past week,” he says again.
I round on him, a little surprised to find him standing so close.
“Stop that.” I jab a finger into his cheek. “I know you hate him, but you don’t need to point out that he hasn’t wanted anything to do with me for at least as long. I don’t need your reminders.”
Cassius walks over to the poles, still leaning against the wall from the beginning of our session.
“You should stay with me,” he offers as he moves about, putting the room back the way it was.
I press my hand to my forehead, thrown off by his constant subject changes. “Why would I? In case you forgot, I’m already claimed.”
Cassius is back in front of me in a blink, a gust of air sipping around us from his lightning-fast movements. “Has he forgotten? Because it seems as though he’s finally accepted his roll as the queen’s consort and doesn’t give two demon shits about what becomes of you. You need to stop dwelling and move on.”
The words sting and somehow ring true. They are the words I spent hours thinking about as I lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. My face burns with anger.
“You go too far,” I say, meaning to bite out, but my voice is barely more than a whisper.
“No, little bird, I haven’t gone far enough. You need to wake up to the reality of your situation before you get yourself killed because you can’t stop thinking about a man who is lost to you.” He bares his fangs.
What he says echoes Varin’s words.
“Go fuck a demon,” I snap and turn on my heel, storming out of the training room.
I storm through the hall and into the servants’ quarters. Passing the door to my room, I keep going, wending through the corridors, putting more space between me and that insufferable vampire. I want to hide, to find a place where no one can find me.
A little too late, I slow down and take in my surroundings. Not paying attention was careless. Both Alaric and Cassius have drilled the need to be aware into me.
This wing of the castle is empty. Cream curtains frame the windows that have the same decretive diamond-shaped panes. Occasional paintings decorate the walls, the paint faded and chipping. I wonder when the last time this area was used. Dust particles dance and swirl in the last of the afternoon light shining in through the windows.
A cold hand wraps around my wrist. I know without looking that it’s a vampire. I twist my arm and jerk. The hand lets go.
I open my mouth to snap at Cassius to stop following me like I need to be watched or have my training tested every second. I’ve had enough of him for one day. I spin around and come face to face with someone I don’t expect.
“Mother?” I croak out.
Chapter Thirty