Page 32 of Lifeblood

“Lance.”

“No,” he argued. “There’s much to share with the others, and then even more to prepare. We need stronger wards. Stronger—”

I lifted a hand to cup Lance’s warm cheek. He immediately melted into the touch. “We need to focus on reviving you four with my blood, not attacking or anything else just yet. Get Gareth and Tristan my blood so they’re as powerful as you and Mordred right now. Then we can worry about the other things, including stopping her.”

Lance forced himself to take a deep breath. When he exhaled, it was with a sigh so strong, it shook his entire body. “You’re right, Ava. I’m sorry. I’m a bit… perplexed that demon fae managed to getherein the palace.”

“It’s okay.”

He shook his head and took off toward the palace doors again. “It’s not. I’ll send someone to escort you back to your quarters, where you’ll be safe. I’ll find the others. Like you said, you need to be with Tristan and Gareth—now.”

One would probably blush at the merementionof my skin touching his. And the other one was a demon king who had wanted to kill me on sight.

Great.

“It was a fun date while it lasted,” I said just before Lance rounded a corner and disappeared down a corridor.

Lance paused in the doorway and grinned. “It was. Until next time.”

He winked and disappeared.

CHAPTER13

“Anotherattack?” Gareth bellowed. His voice nearly shook the walls, which seemed to not exist for how loud he still was. A roar undercut the yelling, too, and I wondered if Gareth was maybe closer to breaking his curse than the others. He certainly seemed to be more dragon than man sometimes.

I cringed and shot Tristan a look. He’d taken a seat next to me at a banquet table tucked to the side of the room. Away from windows. Closer to the door to the great hall than anything. I was surprised Mordred and Gareth had allowed us even this much privacy. Lance had me tucked away in my chambers for safety, but when the others had learned of the fae attack, I’d been brought into the great hall with all four of them.

Tristan paid the door to the great hall a single glance before returning his concentrated expression on the wall before him. “I understand his anger. This palace is supposed to be protected.”

“It is.” I could sense the protection runes from here. Hadn’t been able to even discern the magical illusion around it until it’d been removed in front of me. “Seems like it’s an inside job, though.”

Tristan pressed his lips together into a thin line. “It would appear so. I suppose it was only a matter of time before demons began siding with Morgan. Our grasp on the Demon Courts has been loosening for a while. And the fact that we’re not immediately draining you for power doesn’t help our image.”

“Except that doing so allows you all prolonged access,” I pointed out. Mate bond aside, one couldn’t argue the benefit of that.

Tristan nodded grimly. “Our courts grow restless. It’s been a while since the treaty with humans. Since change of any kind, except for the threat the Blackthorn Court poses. This gives them something to talk about.”

“Talkingabout it isn’t the issue.”

“No.” He lifted his brown eyes to me, but they still seemed focused elsewhere. How hard was it to be here and to be listening to the spirit world at the same time? “How did you administer your blood to Mordred and Lance?”

My cheeks flushed despite that being a rather to-the-point way of asking what had happened. I couldn’t help but think of Mordred’s lips on mine. His moonlight and dusk scent. The way Lance might have kissed me too had we not been interrupted.

I bit my lip. “Dripped into a glass to be drunk.”

Tristan raised an eyebrow. “That seems… crude.”

I’d admit watching them both drink my blood from a wineglass had been an experience. But unless one of the demon kings suddenly sprouted vampire fangs, I didn’t see another way. “Do you have any other ideas?”

Tristan’s focus was far away for a moment. Then he nodded. “One.”

I propped my jaw on my hand, elbow in the table, and studied him. “Are the spirits giving you pointers?”

A small smile ghosted his face. “Not on that, no.”

“Then whatarethey saying?” I asked. “If they’re going to always be around, can I be in on the conversation?”

Tristan chuckled dryly. “You don’t want to hear it. Most of the time, it’s small talk or wants and asks I can’t fulfill. But right now, they just keep sayingfate is coming.”

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