Page 118 of A Study of Blood and Ichor

EPILOGUE

Rory

Vain’s right hand was warm in mine. He gave it a small squeeze after shifting me and Ava to a cliffside outside of Edinburgh where his tall and ominous castle loomed above us. I don’t think I had ever seen a structure so magnificent up close. The pale granite stones rose up and up, imposing and breathtaking like a palace set against the edge of the world with the sea stretching out to the horizon beyond. The breeze whipped up from the ocean and tousled my dark hair into my eyes and I fought to keep it back.

Ava breathed in deeply on the other side of Vain and smiled.

“It’s perfect,” she said to him.

“This place was in ruins when I found it,” Vain said. “I rebuilt it from the rubble centuries ago.”

Vain spoke of centuries the way a human might speak of days. It was a stark reminder of what he was, though it didn’t bother Ava or me in the slightest.

He led us up a small hill toward the front gate, the long grass brushing against our legs as the three of us walked hand in hand. Scottish roses lined the narrow dirt pathway, eventually turning to cobblestones the closer we approached.

Entering the keep felt like stumbling into a different era. Vain lit the sconces with a snap of his fingers, every torch jumping to life and revealing a grand, gothic interior.

My gaze roamed up to the high ceiling and the intricate gold chandelier hanging in the cavernous foyer. Crimson rugs ran along the hallways like rivers of blood and enormous crushed velvet curtains cascaded from the tall windows. Dark furniture decorated nearly every wall and corner. A large skull that hung from one of the arched doorways caught my eye, and it was impossible to tell if it was from an animal or a demon.

Everything was so tastefully macabre.

“Cozy,” I muttered, my voice echoing off the stones.

Vain swung his attention to me, his gaze settling on mine like a burning ember that warmed me from the inside out. My attention trailed along the sharp planes of his face, the fall of his platinum hair, which shadowed his dark eyes, and his sensuous, hard mouth. As if noticing where my focus had wandered to, Vain offered me a slight smile before leading us deeper into his castle.

He gave us a tour of the dozens of rooms and discouraged us from getting lost. “There are ghosts that roam this keep, and I can’t promise that all of them are as benevolent as I am.” Whether Vain was teasing or not, I couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran down my spine.

Ava pumped her eyebrows as she passed me. “Scared, Masters?” Her smirk was sinful, tempting me to clamp a hand around her wrist and pull her against me.

“Careful. Don’t be so quick to taunt me, sweetheart. I know just how to shut you up if I need to.”

Ava’s lips parted expectantly as her eyes flicked down to my mouth. I teased my thumb across her bottom lip and kissed the top of her forehead before following Vain into the drawing room where a great fire roared in the hearth, bathing the room in warm golden light. From the large bay windows looking out over the coast, the last remnants of dusk were drifting low on the horizon. Vain had already poured a decanter of red wine into three crystal glasses and set soft music to play on an old turntable.

When I took my first sip, heavy notes of cherry and oak bloomed on my tongue. Sinking low into the couch cushions, I swirled my glass in one hand, content to watch Ava fall into Vain’s touch. She twirled around him, a laugh playing at the corners of her mouth, and I caught myself hypnotized in the movement of the hem of her dress—how it swished above her knees and flashed tempting glimpses of her thighs. Vain held her close, his hands dancing along her lower back, her arms, her wrists, as he spun her expertly around him.

The more wine I drank, the more I felt as if I were dancing with them. My body tingled with warmth from the alcohol, and the fire, and the happiness brimming in my chest. The room swam as I tilted my head up to the shadowed ceiling and stared into the darkened corners. For once, I no longer felt afraid at what might be staring back.

A small hand pressed against my sternum.

“Dance with me,” Ava said, her voice low and husky. She curled her fingers into the fabric of my shirt as she leaned in close.

Reaching for her hips, I pulled her on top of me. I hummed at the weight of her in my lap and traced my fingertips along her jaw. Her cheeks were flushed, and her lips brushed mine with the softest caress.

“If I try to stand right now, you’re going to have to hold me up.”

Ava sank her fingers into my hair at the back of my head and pressed her lips firmly to mine. I parted her mouth with my tongue, tasting the wine and drinking in her moan.

“You’re so drunk,” she said when she drew back.

The way she bit her bottom lip between her teeth had me straining against the front of my jeans. “You taste incredible.”

A smile lit up her face, her eyes sparkling in the firelight. “You do too.” And then her mouth was on mine again.

“Rorrryyyy.” I jolted awake to the hoarse rasp of my name snaking through the drawing room.

Ava jerked up from my chest at the same time, the ends of her hair brushing against my face as she scanned around us.

“Did you say my name?” I asked her. My tongue felt heavy in my mouth from the wine.

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