His fangs ached. Vampires didn’t typically drink from each other unless they were Bound Partners, a ceremony which rarely took place thanks to its eternal consequences, but he wanted to taste her. He bet she was delicious.
The woman moved slowly, as if she knew sudden movements were a bad idea, and reached into her pocket.
She pulled out a small black button. “You dropped this at the lake.”
Emery had been wondering where he’d lost that. It hadn’t overly concerned him—he wasn’t a dragon, hoarding his possessions and snarling at anyone who came near—but he hadn’t anticipated this particular turn of events.
“Ah.” He nodded. “You scented me.”
Not a question.
“Yes.” She inched closer. “I’m Jelisette.”
Her name hung between them, an offering. Of friendship. Of something more. He wasn’t certain, but either way, he would play along.
It had been too long since anything had intrigued him.
“Emery,” he supplied.
“Hello, Emery,” she said, drawing out the vowels in his name as she tasted the sounds.
Gods, he loved the way his name sounded in her mouth.
Jelisette’s black eyes rose slowly, locking onto his. The inches between them suddenly seemed like far too great a distance. Emery’s breath caught in his throat. His shadows sang a resounding symphony in his veins. His heart stuttered, his lungs tightened, and everything else seemed to fade away.
He only knew her name—and that she didn’t mind a little bloodletting—but suddenly, he wanted to know everything about her.
Shadows slipped from Emery’s hands unbidden, swathing them in darkness. He stepped towards her, closing the gap. Lowering his head, he cupped her cheek with one hand. Smooth, unblemished, cold skin. She didn’t pull away.
“Have a drink with me?” he breathed, unwilling to break whatever spell surrounded them by speaking too loudly.
All of a sudden, the only thing that mattered was staying with her a while longer.
Her lips tilted up. “I’d love to.”
Ignoring the bloody scene behind him, Emery gave into the call of desire pulsing through him. He bent, brushing his lips over hers. Thiswasn’t a kiss because it was barely more than a breath, but it left him wanting more.
Lacing their fingers together, he drew on his shadows and pulled them into the Void. The dark, empty space allowed vampires to traverse from one location to another in the blink of an eye. “Hold on. I know the perfect place.”
CHAPTER 3
Her Dream Come True
Jelisette gripped Emery’s hand as he pulled them through the Void. This was reckless and, quite possibly, stupid. It was so far out of character that she didn't even recognize herself. And yet, her shadows were quiet, and she felt… safe.
Strange.
If things changed, she could always just rip out his throat and divest him of his head. Vampires could survive many things, but even they couldn’t live after that. One didn't become a four-hundred-year-old vampire without picking up a few self-preservation tricks along the way.
More than a few men with wandering hands had died when they tried to touch Jelisette without her consent. No one did that. Not since the events that had led to her Making.
The black shadows cleared as they stepped out of the Void. Jelisette’s eyes widened, and she stared at their new location. When Emery had suggested they get a drink, she’d assumed he would shadow them to one of the many blood bars that catered to vampires. She’d never expected this.
Jelisette turned in a slow circle, her fingers still laced with Emery’s, as she took in the space.
Glowing sky blue and emerald crystals hung from a cavernousceiling high above their heads. Clusters of luminescent mushrooms added their light to the space. A massive wooden bed covered in furs was pushed against one wall, and stacks of books were piled throughout the cave on top of every available surface.
How was it possible that Emery was both a skilled killer and a lover of literature?