A Tangle of Hearts (A Shade of Vampire #44)(8)

“What are you doing?” I asked, alarm flaring in my voice.

“I’m pretty sure I’m the blind one in this room, but in case you can’t see what I’m doing, I’ll explain. I am getting out of bed,” he said.

“Draven, you’ve just been through a major ordeal, you’re injured, and, as you so clearly put it yourself, you are blind,” I interjected. “You should rest some more and let your body recover. You’re of no use to anyone like this, not even yourself!”

His feet touched the floor. I shifted in the armchair, wanting to help him.

“You don’t know me very well, Serena, but I’m sure you’ll understand soon enough. I’m not useless, and I’m not out of the game. I need to move. I need to do whatever I can to keep everyone safe,” he said, then his voice dropped. “Especially you.”

I frowned. I wasn’t exactly sure what to make of his last statement, so I decided not to directly address it. “Don’t be stubborn,” I countered. “You’re still injured. Just stay in bed until the Daughters give you your eyesight back. We’re safe here for now!”

“I’m not going to wait for anything. I was quite specific when I said that we’re running out of time. Whether I can see or not, that isn’t going to change. Time moves on.” Draven stood up.

“Draven, don’t!” I darted away from my chair and reached him in a split second with the intention of pushing him back on the bed and nagging him until he stayed put. I expected some kind of opposition when I pushed him, so I added some extra strength to my motion, but he didn’t resist.

He fell back on the bed, and I was too late to stop myself. I landed on top of him. My palms pressed against his shoulders, and millions of little jolts charged from my fingertips to my core. The feeling of him beneath me was electric, dangerous.

We both reacted like the opposing forces we were supposed to be. We scrambled away from each other. I jumped back and tried to catch my breath. He moved his head around, as if trying to hear me, to figure out where I’d gone.

I cleared my throat again and decided to plead with him instead. Anything to get our minds off of what had just happened.

“Draven, please…take it easy.”

My whole body trembled from having been so close to his. Then, it hit me.

“I’ll help you. I owe you this much,” I said and softened my voice. “I’ll stay by your side, I’ll get you whatever you need, I’ll do everything I can, just…don’t rush into it.”

He seemed to process my request. He moved his head, as if looking to his side, enough for the morning sun to touch his face. The corner of his mouth moved upwards, while his ribcage still struggled with his ragged breath.

I couldn’t have been that heavy.

“You won’t leave my side?” he asked and, for a brief moment, I felt like I was talking to the little boy who had stolen Elissa’s diary so she would play with him.

I couldn’t help the sigh of surrender that tumbled out of me.

“Whatever I can do to help, Draven. I owe you this much,” I honey glazed my voice. I had to stay close, I had to get him to open up and spill what he knew, and I had to prepare myself for the whole truth, no matter how unpleasant or downright horrifying it was.

He took his time with a resolution. I cursed him in my mind, since he wasn’t making this any easier. To be fair, his entire presence wasn’t making it easier for me. My gaze kept running over his features, his wounded chest, his hair, his lips.

At least he can’t see me looking.

And just then, as if having read my freaking mind, he straightened his back, and moved his head to fully face me. I mirrored his movements almost out of instinct and stood straight, holding my breath.

“I can’t stay in bed,” he concluded, almost deflating my resolve, “but I’ll accept your help.”

Good. I further cemented my argument. “I’ll be your eyes, until you get yours back.”

“Oh, you’ll be so much more than that.” He almost laughed when he said that, showing me a side of him that I’d only glimpsed once. “You’ll have to put up with me. I’ll lean on you. I’ll need to feel you near me at all times.”

Where is he going with this? Annoyingly, my cheeks warmed again.

“And, most importantly, you’ll have to listen to my every word, obey my every command, and—”

“Okay, I get the picture,” I cut him off, unwilling to give him any more satisfaction. “All right, I’ll let you get out of bed and—”

A massive bang ripped through the house downstairs and interrupted our little back and forth.

Glass shattered. Heavy objects smashed against the wood, like someone had thrown a dresser, a piano, and a sofa down the stairs all at once.

The rumble echoed and froze my senses. Draven stilled.

Then Field’s tortured voice cried out like an alarm.





Serena





[Hazel and Tejus’s daughter]





Draven instantly stood up. Without asking for permission, I grabbed his hand and placed it on my shoulder to guide him out of the bedroom. Grunts and moans coming from the foyer made me want to run. I tried hard to keep myself under control, at least until I reached the source of the ruckus.