Chapter 12 Lily
LILY
Zehemoth landed in the courtyard and allowed me to climb down his side. You okay, Zunieth?
“Not really. But someday, I will be.” It was hard to imagine that day coming any time soon, regardless of what happened between Callum and me.
Zehemoth looked past me. The vampire general has returned.
I followed his gaze and found Viper standing there, in the battle armor that depicted the kingsnake across his chest, his cape red and threatening. He watched us together from a distance, his eyes puncturing my skin like daggers. “Why is he here?”
I do not know. Zehemoth opened his wings then took off, leaving us alone in the courtyard together.
I closed the distance between us and walked up to Viper. “Why are you always here?”
The corner of his mouth rose in a smile. “Seems that way, doesn’t it?”
“You left over a week ago. How are you back so soon?”
“Your father didn’t tell you?” he asked. “He gifted me a pair of dragons, and I fused with one of them.”
My eyebrows nearly flew off my face. “No. He didn’t mention that to me.”
“Scion said he wanted to explore a new place with his mate. So they voluntarily chose to join me—and fuse with me. It’s made traveling much easier, and it’s allowed me to remain in contact with the Southern Isles.”
Scion was a dragon covered in deep purple scales. He was a really beautiful color, and his mate had scales that were pink and iridescent.
“I was afraid of what they would think of the snow. They’ve never seen it before, but they seem to have taken a liking to it,” he said. “Now we’re trying to figure out a way to keep them comfortable from the elements—”
“Sorry, why are you here?”
Another slight smile moved on to his lips. “Straight to the point, huh?”
“You’ve been away from home a long time, Viper.”
“Your father mentioned you were going through a hard time. Just wanted to check on you.”
“My father told you?” I asked in disbelief, surprised he would share my personal life with the man I didn’t choose.
“Yes. But before you get angry with him, you should know I asked him to let me know if things between you and Callum went…awry.”
“What happens between Callum and me is none of your business, Viper.”
Now he had no smile. “Callum and I had a conversation in the courtyard. He told me that he had something to share with you that could impact your relationship. He also said that if you couldn’t find your way back to each other…that I’m a worthy replacement.”
I couldn’t believe that Callum would basically give a rival his blessing, but based on the way he kept his distance from me, it seemed plausible.
“Not much of a fighter, is he?”
“He knows he doesn’t need to fight for me.”
“I don’t know a single woman who doesn’t want a man to fight for her.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t want him to. He just doesn’t need to. You really think you can just show up here and steal me away?” I asked incredulously. “That my heart can change its allegiance as quickly as a traitor betrays his king?”
“I don’t expect anything from you, Lily,” he said calmly. “I just wanted to be here for you—”
“I’m not stupid. You didn’t come here to comfort me but to try to poison me against Callum.”
“I don’t need to poison your thoughts,” he said.
“Not when he already did that work for me. He’s the only thing standing in my way to you, and yes, I’m an opportunist. I’m not ashamed of taking a shot when that shot presents itself.
But I’m not here to prey on your despair or your vulnerability.
I just want to remind you that you don’t have to continue a relationship with a man who causes you so much grief.
You have other options—like a hot, powerful vampire general who knows exactly how to fuck you. ”
I took a step back and shook my head. “You’re unbelievable—”
“In bed, yes, I know,” he said as he attempted to keep it lighthearted.
“But if all you want from me is friendship, I’m happy to be your friend.
To give you unbiased counsel. To share a glass of wine with you while you pour your heart out to me.
Maybe even be a nice rebound, if things don’t go the way you want them to. ”
“Did my father tell you what he did?”
He shook his head. “Must be pretty bad, though.”
“Viper, even if it doesn’t work out between Callum and me, I wouldn’t just jump into your bed and move on with you. Even if I can’t forgive him, it would take me a really, really long time to even consider someone new. So, regardless of how this turns out, it’s not a good use of your time.”
His slitted eyes regarded me with depth. “I think any time spent with you is a good use of my time.”
I let myself into my parents’ chambers without knocking.
My father was seated on the couch in front of the fire, reading a book, with my mother lying on him, her head resting on his thigh like she was about to take a nap. He was shirtless and dressed casually like he didn’t expect visitors in the evening. “Lily, you can’t just walk in—”
“Why did you tell Viper about my problems with Callum?”
My mother sat up and silently excused herself from our conversation since she was innocent in this.
My father held my gaze before he sighed and shut his book with a single hand.
“I thought you liked Callum, and then you’re pulling strings with Viper like some kind of puppet master.”
“Lily.” He rose to his feet and looked at me. “I gifted Viper two dragons because he came to your aid twice. But he said he didn’t want that. He wanted me to let him know if things between you and Callum ever…disintegrated. I kept my word to him, and now my obligation is completed.”
“I feel like you betrayed my privacy.”
“It’s what he wanted, and I gave it to him. But now I can ask him to leave or even cut off his head because the deal is done. Would you like me to do either of those things?”
“No.”
“Then what would you like me to do?”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I—I don’t know.”
“Lily.” He released a heavy sigh as soon as he said my name aloud. “This whole love triangle is probably the single most awkward parenting moment of my life.”
“It’s not a love triangle.”
“Whatever it is, it’s a lot,” he said. “I’d rather stay away from it as much as possible, but unfortunately, I’ve been roped into it against my will.
That was what Viper wanted in exchange for his aid, and I gave it to him.
Be angry at me if you want, but I didn’t have a choice. It’s done now, and we can move on.”
I continued to stand there with my arms crossed, wanting to burn my father with my flames even though he didn’t deserve it.
“Would you like me to remove him?”
“No.”
“Is there anything else I can do?”
“No. ”
His eyes narrowed. “Are you still angry with me?”
I hesitated as I looked into my father’s eyes. “No.”
A knock sounded on my door, and when one of my family members didn’t announce it was them, I knew it was probably Viper. It could be Callum, but I suspected he wouldn’t come to visit me after I’d asked for space.
I gave a heavy sigh before I crossed the room and opened the door.
And there he was, with the slitted pupils of a vampire. Instead of the armor and sword, he wore casual clothes, all black. Tall, muscular, the kind of guy who could bed literally any woman he wanted, but he chose to keep getting rejected by me.
He was persistent—I would give him that.
He nodded toward the courtyard. “Want to head into the village and get a drink?”
“I don’t know. It’s hard to leave my couch.”
“We can drink on your couch.”
I felt weird having Viper in my villa alone, even if my boundaries were set. Felt disrespectful to Callum, even though we weren’t technically together…but not not together. “The bar is fine. But if you try to kiss me or touch me inappropriately in any way, I’ll cut off your dick.”
The surprised look on his face quickly morphed into an amused grin. “You aren’t making it any easier, that’s for sure.” He stepped aside so I could join him outside the villa and we could walk together.
“You like it when women threaten you?”
“No, but I like it when you do it.”
I returned inside the villa and pulled on my boots and my jacket. Now that summer was at the end of its trajectory, the nights were starting to get crisp and chilly.
We walked together outside the gates that led to the castle, making small talk down the dirt pathway before we made it into the heart of the village. We picked a pub that I recommended, walked inside, and got a table in the corner.
“What’s good here?” Viper asked.
“Ale.”
He nodded, and then another busty, pretty barmaid came over to take our drink order, looking at Viper like she noticed all the same attributes I had noticed about him in the past. We ordered two ales then looked at each other as we waited.
“How are things with your brother?” I asked.
“A lot better now that I brought two dragons home. Seems to make up for my disobedience.”
“I’m glad my father found a solution for you.”
“We’re in a time of peace right now, so it’s mostly helpful for visiting our eldest brother, Aurelias.”
“Yeah, I remember him.”
“He lives so far away that it’s a two-week journey each way across the sea. With the dragons, we can make the journey in a fraction of the time, which is nice because he grows older every passing day. So we don’t have much time.”
“Do they have dragons in his kingdom?”
“There are a few,” he said. “Wild dragons.”
“If he fuses with one, he’ll be immortal like you.”
“Yes, I told Kingsnake about that. We’re going to discuss it with him when I return.”
The bar maiden came to the table and placed the two ales in front of us, took another look at Viper, and then walked away.
“She’s really hot,” I said after she had returned to the bar.
He smirked before he took a drink of his ale. “You think?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“I’m not interested in chasing tail when I’m spending time with a friend.”
“Chase much tail when you were home?”