Page 56 of Slaying the Vampire Conqueror

I was so caught off-guard that a choked laugh escaped me without my permission, and maybe I imagined the glimmer of satisfaction that slipped from between the walls of Atrius’s ever-guarded presence.

No, he wasn’t the blind one.

I was, and yet I still was very conscious of his bare skin as he led me to the door.

“I noticedyou didn’t come back to your room yesterday.”

It was a long, busy night. Atrius was preparing to march out again soon, leaving behind a skeleton force to keep control of Alka, which meant there was a lot to do here and not very much time to do it.

What I had done to help Atrius was outside of my usual abilities, and stretching myself like that had exhausted me thoroughly. My head ached for the rest of the day, and I was unusually clumsy because the threads around me were fuzzier and more difficult to grasp.

By the time I collapsed into the armchair in my bedchamber, I was more than ready to sleep. But at Erekkus’s comment, my head snapped up. I arched my brows.

“You noticed?”

“It’s my job to keep track of your comings and goings, actually.” He narrowed his eyes at me as he slumped into the chair across from mine. “Was wondering all night why you’re so tired.”

“When Atrius told you to keep track of my comings and goings, I don’t think he was telling you to keep track of that kind of coming.”

Erekkus snorted, then leaned forward. “So therewascoming.”

Weaver help me. That’s what I got for stupid jokes.

“No. There was not.”

“I’m not sure I believe you.”

“He’s your friend. If you want to hear the tantalizing details of his sex life, go ask him. He’ll tell you the same thing I did.”

Erekkus let out a bark of a laugh. “Friend. Goddess, you think I’m Atrius’sfriend. As if Atrius hasfriends.”

That snagged my interest. “You two seem to get along. He talks to you more than the others.”

“Perhaps, but it’s like…” He frowned, searching for the right word. “Do you have stray cats here?”

“Not many anymore, but I’m familiar.”

One of the first animals to go in the famines. Anything in the cities with meat on its bones was captured and eaten by starving families. Domestic animals never made much of a return after that.

“Well,” Erekkus said, “he’s like a cat. He doesn’t have friends. He just tolerates your presence.”

I said, with exaggerated disbelief, “Andyoursis the one most tolerable to him?”

He scowled at me. “I could say the same about you, Sister. Apparently he managed to ‘tolerate’ youall day long.”

“Nothing salacious. I swear.” I raised my hands and barely managed to stop myself before I addedon the Weaverto that statement. “He just needed my help with something.”

“I’m sure he did. I imagine the dress helped. If one could call it a dress.”

I scoffed. “Not like that.”

“Told you,” Erekkus grumbled. “Just his type. Beautiful trouble.”

That was a little flattering.

I found myself wondering if whomever Atrius had been dreaming about had been beautiful trouble.

Erekkus rose with a series of grunts and groans. He made his way to the door and paused there.

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