A Meet of Tribes (A Shade of Vampire #45)(38)

“Did you kiss?” Aida grinned.

“Wow. How old are you? Twelve?” I smirked, and Aida nudged me again, this time with a little bit more strength.

We joked around for a while, teasing and questioning each other about the creatures that seemed to have taken hold of our emotions. Aida was coy when I asked her about Field, side-skirting my questions, but the glint in her eyes and the color that rose to her cheeks spoke more than words could.

For a few minutes, as we stood in the cold basement beneath a mansion protected by ancient magic, Vita, Aida, and I felt entitled to laugh everything off. Just for a few minutes.

Soon enough, the harsh reality would crawl back into focus and remind us of our possible fates. Soon enough, the thought of Draven dying would stab my heart over and over.

I quietly relied on Vita’s visions of the future to help me save him. To help me keep him safe and fighting the good fight.

Every single creature in Eritopia needed him. Every blade of grass and every sunset. Even the last Daughter needed him. Most importantly, I needed Draven. He annoyed and enchanted me at the same time, and I was once again convinced that while I might get to experience sheer bliss if I lost myself in him, Draven might also end up being my undoing.





Jovi





I sat with Field and Phoenix on his bed for a while. None of us felt like moving around much, and the cool basement seemed to comfort us. We’d all heard Vita’s vision of the future, and it had landed heavily on each of us.

My gaze wandered around the chamber before it settled on Aida with Vita and Serena engaged in conversation. Then I looked at the Daughter sitting on the floor, close to Phoenix’s leg. She quietly looked over all the pages of scribbled charcoal runes. I wondered if she would be the one to save us or if she’d be the reason why the Daughters would eventually abandon Eritopia. I had so many questions that no one could answer. So many possible scenarios that could lead to that devastating outcome Vita had described.

I let a heavy sigh out of my chest, feeling a small amount of pressure leaving my back muscles along with it.

“I think you speak for all of us,” Field said to me, the shadow of a smile passing over his face.

“Well, it’s not looking all that great right now,” I replied.

“You know what the worst part is?” Phoenix joined the conversation, while occasionally glancing down at the Daughter. “Before Azazel even gets to that point where he takes his Destroyers into our world, he will destroy Eritopia first if we don’t stop him. I can’t help thinking about the millions of creatures that will suffer and die here because of him. It just isn’t right, man.”

“Yeah, I feel the same way,” I said slowly. “I mean, the succubi alone are extraordinary creatures. I don’t know nearly enough about them, but what I do know is mind-blowing. I’ve only had a little time to spend with the Red Tribe, but they’re something else.”

“What’s with that grin on your face?” Field asked, and I realized I was beaming like the Cheshire cat.

In my defense, I had just remembered Anjani pulling me into her tent that night after claiming me in front of her sisters. The way her skin glowed when she blushed heated me up from the inside. I wanted to feel that again.

“I was just remembering something from that night with the tribe,” I said.

The guys and I hadn’t caught up in a while. Not that we made a habit of discussing our feelings, but we had been raised together and were comfortable enough around each other to talk about stuff.

“I think I’m interested in Anjani,” I continued and took a deep breath. “There’s something about her that I’ve never come across before. She fascinates me.”

“The succubi do seem extraordinary,” Phoenix nodded in agreement. “But they’re also genetically engineered to seduce, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, good point,” said Field. “Are you sure that what you’re experiencing is real?”

“She keeps her nature suppressed around me,” I replied. “She hates being a succubus because she wants genuine interest toward her, real affection, not nature-mandated drooling over her stunning body. I think it’s one of the things I like about her the most.”

“That and her stunning body,” Field quipped, and I gave him a sideways glance meant to curb the imminent jokes.

“She was made to enslave and break men down, there’s no doubt about it,” I said. “But there’s something more to her that interests me. Like a challenge of sorts. I want to find out all I can about her, but she keeps her guard up most of the time. She’s not used to getting a man’s attention, funny enough.”

The silence that followed made me turn my head to find Field and Phoenix grinning at me like immature dweebs. I sighed, loudly enough for them to register my fake discomfort with their childish reaction.

“What?”

“You’ve got a crush, Jovi,” Field announced.

“I’d do the Jovi-and-Anjani-sitting-in-a-tree thing, but I’m trying very hard to be an adult right now,” added Phoenix.

“Yeah, I’m guessing you’re trying to make a good impression in front of the ladies here,” I shot back with a smirk. “Or shall I say one lady in particular?”

The look he gave me was priceless. His face turned red, and he quickly glanced down to check if the Daughter had heard us. She was deeply immersed in her reading of the runes, and I could almost see the relief wash over him.