Steal the Light (Thieves #1)(75)

“When will Daniel rise?” Sarah asked as though she hadn’t been avidly listening to Dev and I argue.

Neil looked at her curiously. “Sunset, of course. I think it’s eight-something tonight.”

“So he’s out of the picture for another hour or so.” Sarah seemed to be talking to herself. I wondered if she’d seen more than she let on. The cameras had probably been active when Neil and Daniel dealt with our attackers. I wondered if the violence had affected her.

“It’s all right, Sarah.” Neil gave her a half hug, and I realized he was worried about her, too. “Everything will happen after the sun goes down. It always does. Daniel will be back in fighting shape, thanks to our girl. If we have to leave, I’ll go get the body bag, and we’ll shove his hot bod in the trunk and take him with us. We won’t leave our badass vampire behind, I promise.”

“Why don’t you get him ready while Dev and I have this conversation he seems intent on having with me,” I said through clenched teeth as I walked into the bathroom. “And don’t forget to put the car seat in.”

Dev followed me and shut the door behind him. The minute I turned to look at him, he sighed. “Did he force you?”

“Of course not.” Baby Girl tried to pat my face, and I hugged her. There was something infinitely lovable about the child. She calmed me. “I love him, Dev. I’ve loved him since I was a girl. You just don’t understand what it’s like between us. He would never force me.”

Dev rolled his eyes. “I didn’t mean the sex. Did he force you to take his blood? It’s the only explanation for your neck being soft and smooth after an evening’s romp with a dying vampire. Now that I really look at you, I can tell. You look healthier. It’s from the damn blood you drank. Don’t try to deny it.”

I felt myself blush. Somehow the exchange of blood seemed more intimate than the sex. “He took too much, and I needed it.”

“Oh, I bet that’s what he told you, that bastard.” Dev laughed, a bitter little sound.

“It wasn’t like that.” I didn’t owe him any explanations, but I seemed compelled to give them. Or maybe I felt the need to explain it to myself. Even as I spoke to Dev, some small part of me said it was all too good to be true. “Being that close to death made Daniel realize how stupid it is to keep us apart. He loves me. He wants to be with me, and I want to be with him. I’m sorry if I hurt you, but I can’t help how I feel. I never meant to…”

“Shut up, Zoey.” There was at least a small bit of maliciousness in his voice. “Everything you say right now is just the ranting of an addict.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked, indignant.

Dev shook his head and looked at me with what I could only interpret as pity. “Was it good? His blood, I mean? Did it make you feel good? Was it just as good as the sex?”

“Yes, and I’m not ashamed of it. He’s a vampire. There’s always going to be blood involved.”

Dev ignored me and went on with his point. “However good his blood felt to you, magnify that a thousand times and that’s what you taste like to him. One taste is all it takes. I bet it took him years to detox from the first time he tasted you. He’s stayed away from you because he was on the wagon. He’s not in love with you, Zoey. He’s addicted to you.”

“He told me he loved me. He told me he was wrong to have left me,” I said, but inside I was thinking different thoughts. He begged me not to do this to him. He fought so hard to not let me feed him, and at the time, I hadn’t understood. He hadn’t said it was wrong to leave me. He’d said he was wrong to deny us.

“He was high, Zoey,” Dev said.

“That’s not true.” I tried to believe my own words. My hand caressed the baby’s soft back, and I was the one taking comfort.

“You made love for hours and hours in this room without ever thinking to call your friends.” Dev spoke more quietly now. “We thought you were dead. Your soul is on the line and you screwed for hours. You don’t even remember when the box was primed. It wouldn’t have been quiet. You were not yourself. You were drugged. His blood lets you feel a small piece of what he feels. You’re an obsession to him, Zoey. In the end, that’s what a companion is. I don’t understand everything about it, but I know a true companion is very rare. I don’t know who sold you the story about a companion being a vampire’s pure love, but it’s a lie. A companion is a vampire’s addiction. I’m sorry to be the one who has to tell you this, but my god, Zoey, he has you so far in you made a baby. Do you know what that says about you?”

“How did I make a baby?” I was shocked at the suggestion.

Dev shoved his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t recognize the name of the artifact, and maybe the name changes depending on the tribe, but I know that box. A faery tribe uses it as a gift to another tribe, probably a tribe on another plane. The faery tribe fills the box with pieces of their personal magics and sends it to another friendly tribe. The tribe receiving the gift then ruminates on what form the magic will take. Usually it’s a tree or a domestic animal, and the magic brings luck and keeps the tribes together. When you made love to Daniel, you had to have wished for a baby with him. You had to have put your heart and soul into the wish. That desire had to be overwhelming to work on the box. He’s pulled you in so far, all you want to do is have his baby.”