A Tangle of Hearts (A Shade of Vampire #44)(53)

“I think there’s another one coming our way,” he mused, sniffing the air. He seemed amused, which only added more wood to the fire of my internal struggle.

“I think it’s time we take you to bed now,” I replied with a faux-friendly tone, as if announcing the weather during a news segment on TV.

“I think you’re right.”

I didn’t expect that. I’d figured he’d contradict me, purely by instinct. We’d become experts at butting heads. But I welcomed his approval and quickly stood up. I took his hand, and he rose to his feet with a wobble. My hands automatically gripped his arms, and he stilled, his body barely an inch from mine.

My mind was fuzzy from all the amplified sounds and scents around me, but I managed to give the approaching succubus a sideways glance; she’d stopped and was watching us intently, her sapphire eyes narrowed into thin lines.

“You smell good,” Draven muttered to me under his breath, his chest rising with each deep breath he took.

My cheeks heated, but my mind tried to take a rational approach. He wasn’t very steady on his feet, and he was oversharing. The succubi were definitely having an effect on the Druid, and something told me the rose potion had played a part in this.

“Yeah, we definitely need to take you to bed,” I replied bluntly and walked him toward one of the tents that had been prepared for us.

He went in first, and I looked over my shoulder to see the succubus still standing there, watching us. I quickly followed Draven inside and pulled the large fur cover over the entrance.

A lamp had been lit and set on a metal box in the middle. Layer upon layer of animal skins and soft furs formed the most comfortable floor I had ever seen. I quickly moved around Draven, despite my own mild lightheadedness, and pulled a few pillows and furs into one spot to fashion a makeshift bed.

I then took Draven by his hand and helped him lie down, as he still wasn’t very steady. He was heavier than I remembered, and I lost my grip on him. He landed with a thud and laughed, leaving me embarrassed and befuddled.

“What’s so funny?” I croaked while he took off his boots and lay on his back, his head resting against a few pillows.

“The effect that these succubi have on us. I’ve never been so close to one…to so many, for that matter, in my entire life,” he replied.

I sat down next to him and removed my own boots. Only then did I feel the tension in my muscles and realize how badly my feet hurt from the trip. I looked over to Draven. He looked relaxed. A smile was imprinted on his face, and his forearm covered the top half of his head.

“You promised you’d tell me more about the sleeping Daughter,” I gently reminded him. I realized that his current state of mind might help him answer some of my questions about her.

He shushed me, bringing a finger to his lips.

“Don’t mention her here,” he whispered. “No other creature in this area can know about her existence. She’s extremely fragile while still in her egg. We can’t risk anyone finding out.”

“But the succubi are helping us,” I replied, frowning.

“The succubi are helping themselves, and we are useful to them. Just like we are helping ourselves, and they are useful to us. Don’t be fooled, Serena. This is still war, and these are still political alliances. They can’t know about her for now. Once she awakens, it won’t matter anymore.”

“Why won’t it matter?”

“I get the feeling that the Daughters were right. She may be our secret weapon against Azazel, so we can’t reveal her existence to anyone. It’s part of the pact I made with them when she first appeared, and they brought her to me.” His voice was low.

“Where did she come from?”

“Where they all came from. The top of Mount Agrith, the tallest mountain of Eritopia. But she was found much, much later. Shortly after I was born, to be precise. Which was strange but, since we don’t know who lays these eggs, all we can do is guess.”

“The Daughters really don’t know?”

“No, they do not. Now enough with the questions, Serena. I told you it’s not safe to talk about this here,” he quietly reprimanded me.

I let out a breath and lay down next to him, my lips pursed while I stared at the ceiling. A huge, coffee-colored animal hide stretched neatly over the thick wooden skeleton of the tent. I couldn’t help but wonder what creature it came from. It was enormous.

“In the meantime, however, we need to get more out of the Oracles,” Draven said, breaking the silence that had briefly settled between us. “Their visions hold the key to stopping Azazel’s bloodbath before we bring out the sleeping nightmare...”

“I’m well aware of that,” I replied and instantly thought of Phoenix, lying in that bed in the basement back at the mansion, unconscious and helpless. I thought of Aida and Vita as well, unwilling participants in a game in which only Azazel and Draven seemed to know all the rules.

Draven must have sensed the change in my demeanor as I thought of my brother. His hand settled gently over mine, and my breath faltered.

“He’ll be okay, Serena. I assure you. The herbs we gave him have awakened others from far more dangerous states.” His voice was soothing, resonating in my chest. His fingers brushed up the length of my forearm, igniting my skin inch by inch.

I pulled my arm away and rolled over to the side, my back to him. I took deep breaths and closed my eyes, trying to regain some form of control over my senses. The rose drink still lingered in my bloodstream, making me hear and smell everything that was so fascinating about him—his heartbeat, the scent of musk—and midnight in the forest. I needed to keep a clear head with Draven still recovering from the succubi’s influence.