A Meet of Tribes (A Shade of Vampire #45)(10)

My mind zoned in on the bed waiting for me on the other side of the door, and I came out of the bathroom with the sole intention of collapsing under the covers and fading out for a day or so.

I stilled at the sight of Field in one of the armchairs facing the bed. He was still there. My nakedness suddenly became my biggest problem, as only a towel stood between us. My cheeks burned, and my heart jumped into my throat and refused to back down no matter how much I swallowed.

He sprang to his feet. His eyes darkened as his gaze ran all over me, lingering here and there quietly. Our eyes met, and I felt my knees preparing for an even greater betrayal.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice raspy and low. “I just wanted to make sure you came out of there okay. You weren’t too steady on your feet.”

I couldn’t say anything. I wanted to say everything that was going through my mind in this moment and ask him to stay with me. But my lips were sealed, and my words were stuck somewhere in the back of my head where I couldn’t reach them.

All I could do was nod, while he stood there, motionless, watching me. He took a deep breath and headed for the door, running a hand through his long black hair.

“I…I should let you sleep,” he said.

He shifted his gaze to the floor, walked out, and closed the door behind him.

My legs finally gave in, and I slumped on the bed, catching my breath and clutching the corners of the towel above my chest. I lay on my back and closed my eyes, counting each inhale while the image of Field lingered in my mind. I drifted away.





Vita





I was in the dining room when the rain started pouring outside, tapping against the windows. It had taken me a while to leave the garden, and Bijarki had quietly waited on the porch steps, occasionally glancing my way, as if making sure I was okay. He kept his distance, as I’d asked before, but he stuck around. I couldn’t help feeling thankful for his presence.

We ate in silence on opposite sides of the table. I occasionally looked at him, but not once did our eyes meet. When one of us looked up, the other looked away.

“How was the trip?” I eventually asked, no longer comfortable with the absence of words between us.

Bijarki’s gaze rose from his place and settled on mine. A familiar warmth enveloped me, and I welcomed the feeling. After this wretched morning, it was very much needed.

“The succubi’s poisoned arrows were excellent deterrents for the shape-shifters along the way,” he replied and poured himself a glass of water from one of the pitchers on the table.

“What’s the Red Tribe like?”

He took a deep breath before he answered, as if choosing his words carefully. The shadow of a smile passed over his face. There was a story there I didn’t know, and I found myself intrigued.

“They’re quite fiery,” Bijarki said. “They live freely at the base of one of the northern mountains, hunting and gathering their food, enjoying everything that life has to offer without adhering to any citadel laws. I sort of envy them for it.”

“For their freedom, you mean?”

He nodded, then smiled at me, setting off a fire in the pit of my stomach.

“They get to do what they want, whenever they want, and they account to no one for it. Sure, they have their rules and traditions, but they’re happy and wild and make no concession. I’ve never been so deep inside a succubi tribe before. It was fascinating. Our society doesn’t treat them kindly, and they’re often ill-spoken about.”

“Ill-spoken?” I asked, suddenly thinking of Anjani in a whole new light.

The warrior succubus was someone I deeply admired, and I’d expected the rest of the world to appreciate creatures like her as well.

“They’re considered promiscuous, lustful, and unattached,” he replied, his gaze drilling a hole straight into my soul.

I couldn’t help but draw some parallels between the succubi and incubi based on what I knew and what he told me. They didn’t seem so different at all.

“But lust is sort of in your nature, isn’t it?”

“In a way, yes. But at the end of the day, most of the incubi adhere to stricter, monogamous rules. Most are fine with wives, which is more of a title, a contract between a male and a female. The majority of these are arranged by society; some of us search for a soulmate, a partner for life. That is a much deeper, more intense bond that transcends any piece of parchment. It focuses on the emotion, rather than the company.

“There are succubi raised in the cities, but the majority of them live in free tribes, away from the males. We only meet when it’s time to reproduce and give birth to incubus heirs. Some succubi tribes have long-term agreements with neighboring cities, where they agree to mate for the purpose of continuing an incubus line. They get treated with gold and other riches in return.

“There’s maybe a handful of succubi who leave their tribes to live with the males of our species out of pure love. We’ve been separated like this for millennia now, long before I was even born. Lust is in our genes, and it’s what keeps our species going. Marriage is a contract of convenience. Love is rare and precious,” Bijarki explained.

“So, you do look for love.” I heard my conclusion roll off my tongue and felt myself blush when his gaze softened and his lips stretched lazily into a smile.

“Lust is common in Eritopia. Love is a foreign concept. But when it does happen, it consumes, and it takes hold of one’s soul. When an incubus falls in love, it’s equal parts extraordinary and painful. It’s intense but worth it. At least that’s what I’m told,” he said slowly.