Page 55 of Even Vampires Bleed
“Neither,” I answer when I can talk again. “But I like the way your mind works.”
“So, what are we doing now? Do we ditch the cockatoo and do the mission just the two of us? You do know that he’s here only because Christina told Elhyor there was something he wanted in that collection, right? We don’t need him to complete this task.”
“I know, but I feel bad for him. He lost his memory. His dad is the only person he has left, even if he doesn’t remember their shared past. I know that the man he used to be, loved his dad deeply and I guess that’s his way to reconnect with him. So, it all boils to something. If we ditch him, would you be able to steal the pair of wings?”
“No,” Elis answers, and I don’t know what I expected, but surely it wasn’t that.
“No?” I ask in disbelief. “But you said you were only taking a fish. Surely, even with the tank, it wouldn’t be so big that you can’t carry something else.”
Elis casts me a dark glare.
“Why don’t you carry the wings yourself and let me deal with my fish?” He growls.
Oh, I think I struck a nerve.
“I can’t carry that, but okay,” I say half-heartedly.
I guess our friendship only goes so far, and that I’ll have to survive a week with Léandre if I want him to get his father’s wings.
28
Cassiopé
We’ve planned for a week.
Everything is ready—the way we go in, the number of doors with locks, those that could have some but that we couldn’t reckon, and the way out.
Everything.
But I’m an antsy mess.
I’ve avoided Léandre as much as I could. I’ve even avoided talking to him when it wasn’t necessary.
I’ve been a pile of nerves the whole week, but I didn’t cry. I didn’t try to hug or kiss Léandre. I didn’t even try to smell him.
And as much as I could, I tried not to look at him.
By now, he must truly think I hate him. Or that I’m disgusted by him.
He couldn’t be further from the truth.
Because I definitely changed.
I’m not the sunny person he first met, and I’m not even sure the person he used to be would like what I became.
But that’s not the problem.
It might be easier if Iknewhe didn’t like the new me.
Because Léandre didn’t change.
He’s still the same at his core—nice, even when I’m rude, and trying to help when he can. I mean, he’s trying to collect his father’s wings when he doesn’t even remember the man. Who does that?
He’s still the same, and it makes it even worse.
Well, he’s not completely the same, if I’m honest. He put on some muscle, and he seems cockier.
But that doesn’t change the fact I’m recognizing the man I was falling for, while all he sees is the crying girl he met just after losing his memory.
