A Ride of Peril (A Shade of Vampire #46)(22)

“I know. Azazel needs to go,” he mumbled, then tightened his hold on me again.

“We have to get Sverik,” I added.

“We’ll get him. We’ll destroy Azazel. There’s nothing I can’t do with you by my side, Serena.”

I let out a tortuous sigh, struggling with the notion of leaving that bed. I wanted to stay there forever and take everything to another level with Draven.

But I also wanted to see Azazel burn.

“We need to get up,” I moaned.

He kissed me again, setting off another chain reaction in my core. I quivered in his arms. He lifted his head and put on a playful smile to match the twinkle in his steely eyes.

“We’ll continue this later. I promise,” he said, then got up.

I stretched my whole body to relieve some of the tension. Draven stood by the bed and watched, before taking a deep breath and disappearing into the bathroom.

“I need a cold shower,” I heard him say before he closed the door behind him.





Vita





We all met in the banquet hall for breakfast, one of the few occasions we were all in the same room. I enjoyed these meetings, as it gave me the opportunity to observe how the relationships were evolving between all of us.

After the conversation I’d had with Serena and Aida before we fell asleep the night before, I was delighted to notice the subtle differences. Serena sat next to Draven, as he poured her coffee and quietly watched her eat. The tender look on his face said it all. The Druid had fallen for Serena and was unable to take his eyes off her. He stole glances whenever Hansa wasn’t talking to him about the swamp witches and the journey to Mount Zur.

On the other side of the table, Field was seated next to Aida. His gaze softened every time their eyes met, and he made sure that our wolf-girl ate well, filling her plate with proteins. They were still getting used to each other being so close. I could tell from the way Aida hesitated before she offered him another cup of coffee or the way in which Field took what felt like forever to place his hand over hers on the table. The moment they touched, however, it all seemed to fall into place. Aida blushed like a rose, and Field whispered something in her ear, making her smile and press her lips together.

Next to them, Phoenix sat quietly, watching the Daughter go through several pancakes. He occasionally added another drizzle of syrup to his plate without bothering to eat anything. Sitting next to me, Jovi and Anjani seemed as awkward as ever. Jovi appeared to be focused on his plate, while the succubus kept poking a large piece of fruit with her fork, occasionally giving him a sideways glance.

In all fairness, we’d all been through enough, and there was more waiting for us down the line as the showdown with Azazel drew closer. Each of us deserved to at least feel something, to find refuge in the arms of those we wanted. There was no telling what tomorrow would bring, so why waste today?

As far as I was concerned, I was still processing my first kiss. I poured myself a second cup of coffee and glanced at Bijarki sitting on the other side of the table. His silvery eyes were hooded, his gaze fixed on me. His nostrils flared as I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear.

I replayed the scene in my mind, and heat expanded through my body. I remembered the intensity of our kiss and the speed with which we’d turned a simple peck on the lips into a merger of flesh and souls. His incubus nature was truly extraordinary, taking everything I was already feeling and amplifying it to the point where I was close to touching ecstasy in his arms.

I took a sip from my coffee and popped a small red berry in my mouth, chewing slowly. I felt lightheaded. I relaxed in my chair while my heart fluttered and my limbs tingled. I looked up and saw Bijarki watching me, a peculiar glimmer in his eyes. His skin was a lighter shade, shimmering more than usual. I realized then that he was channeling his incubus nature in my direction, opening up to me and intensifying my feelings.

I wanted to reach out and touch him. I wanted to jump over the table and lose myself in his kiss. My body trembled. My core tightened. But the only intimacy we could have in that moment was an exchange of glances. Still, I told myself that I would experience that bliss all over again, and more, as soon as I got the chance. He nodded once, then cocked his head to one side, as if reading my mind.

Draven’s voice broke me out of my reverie. “We now have a plan going forward.”

Bijarki sat up straight, shifting his attention to the Druid, who stood up, hands in his pockets. We all listened, while digging into our breakfast.

“The Daughter was kind enough to find the fire protection spell we needed to reach Mount Zur through Mount Inon,” Draven continued. “She also deciphered a couple more useful tricks, including a concealment spell, which will come in handy when we get to Mount Zur. We can now go and get Sverik out, hopefully without getting ourselves killed in the process.”

“I have to say, I love your optimism,” Phoenix interjected with a sarcastic grin.

Draven nodded and gave him a friendly smirk.

“That being said, there is absolutely no point in all of us being focused on the same thing. Due to the high-risk nature of this mission, we will split into three groups to gain maximum efficiency and cover more ground. Serena, Hansa, and I will go to Mount Zur and retrieve Sverik,” Draven said.

“What about us? Me?” Jovi asked, his mouth full.

“You, Anjani, and Bijarki will reach out to the Lamias on the western bank of the River Pyros, where a large settlement of these creatures is rumored to exist,” Draven replied. “Lamias are solitary by nature, and the Pyros settlement is considered to be the only organized group since they were first banished from the Druid society thousands of years ago.”