Ivy
The wisps of smoke between her fingers exposed her failure. Apparently, Killian’s Gift was a short-lived exchange. Her heart jolted into a panicked rhythm when Leseldh turned around and spotted her reaching towards him.
Shit. What now?
Time to return to the original plan: get him to see reason.
She hadn’t expected him to take her revelation well, but her plan unravelled startlingly quickly. The blinding gold of Leseldh’s eyes should have been the warning sign. But he’d clamped his hand around her throat before she had a chance to retreat.
The feeling of something cracking in her throat had sent fear ripping through her body, but after he’d released her, she felt it clicking back into place. Thank fuck for Vampire healing.
She was left in Leseldh’s bedroom, her throat aching and her mind reeling. In such a short time, Leseldh had truly become a monster. His savage touch and cruel words solidified her need to get Finare and get the fuck out of Veldmoor for good.
She knocked on Finare’s door, and when it opened, his mismatched eyes dropped to her throat, widening instantly. He swept her inside, shutting the door.
“What the fuck happened?”
“Let’s just say, he didn’t take the news well.”
“Fuck.” Finare’s fingers ran through his hair, pulling the locks to the side in a messy tumble. He pulled her into a hug, and she clung to him tightly.
“He wants us downstairs. To toast my Resonance with Killian.”
Finare pulled back, a frown marring his brow. “Oh no, fuck that. We’re getting out of here.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
They made their way downstairs, heading for the front door. Leseldh was standing before it. His eyes were no longer wild, but the penetrating gaze he fixed on them told her that the monster was still lurking.
Finare tugged her towards the door at the rear of the house. But Voresta was leaning against it, his arms crossed, and lips pulled into a wicked grin.
No way out. She’d willingly walked into the spider’s web and only had herself to blame for becoming ensnared.
Voresta pushed off the door and stalked towards them. “Get in the fucking parlour.”
She looked to Finare, and the look on his face told her he’d rather go anywhere else. But they were out of options.
Ivy led the way, with Finare close behind.
Ivy’s mind blared with alarm when she realised that the two Erath were no longer atop the mantelpiece.
She called for Ozias in her mind, hoping he was near enough to receive her summons.
Leseldh swept into the room, moving around the couches to stand in front of the mantlepiece, near a bottle of wine and three glasses that took up residence in the Erath’s usual spot.
“Finare. I knew if Ivy was here that you would have scurried back as well.” The contempt she heard in Leseldh’s voice made her grit her teeth. “Well, take a seat. Let us celebrate the momentous occasion.”
Leseldh watched Ivy’s every move as she tentatively approached the couches.
She sat on the middle couch, at the opposite end to where Leseldh stood.
Finare positioned himself between her and Leseldh.
She glanced over her shoulder and saw Voresta lurking in the doorway, but he made no move to enter the room.
Leseldh opened the bottle and poured wine into each of the glasses. He handed each of them a glass and lifted the third.
Leseldh’s eyes burned into Ivy’s as he ground out the words, “To Ivy and Killian, on their successful Resonance.”
The toast sounded anything but genuine, but it was the first time he’d called her ‘Ivy’ in quite some time. Is he finally saying goodbye?
He gave her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes as he lifted the glass to his lips. He tilted it back, and the liquid hovered just before his lips as he waited for Ivy and Finare to drink.
Ivy hesitated, and watched as Finare surreptitiously sniffed the alcohol. When he drank from his glass, Ivy assumed it was safe and did the same. The liquid passed her lips, and she saw Leseldh tilt his own glass back. He emptied the glass in three swallows before returning it to the mantelpiece.
“Come, now. I know how much you pair like your drink. Bottoms up.” He looked at them expectantly.
She bristled at Leseldh’s tone but with Voresta forming a wall behind her, and her Erath nowhere to be seen, an argument seemed futile.
She drained her glass more slowly than Leseldh, savouring its rich flavour as it travelled down her throat.
Finare did the same, and they were relieved of their glasses when they were empty.
“So, I suppose you’ll be moving out of Veldmoor now that you have no use for me anymore?”
Leseldh’s question took Ivy off guard. In the whirlwind of events since she and Killian had sealed their Resonance, she hadn’t considered what came next.
Her priority was with settling whatever remained between her and Leseldh.
She turned her thoughts to the future, but Leseldh posed another question and interrupted her ruminating.
“And what about you, Finare? I don’t suppose there’s room in their relationship for you. But perhaps I shouldn’t make assumptions.”
Leseldh’s voice was full of condescension, and Ivy felt her cheeks flush. She opened her mouth to bark out a retort, but her jaw felt inexplicably heavy. While she tried to figure out what was going on, the reason for her ire slipped from her mind, and the feeling morphed into exhaustion.
She felt something press against her shoulder, and she looked over to see Finare was slumping against her. She didn’t understand why, but his body dragged her down the couch as it slipped, and she couldn’t fight back.
Movement in front of her drew her attention, but when she looked up, her vision was blurry, and blotches of black were creeping in from the edges.
A large shape moved to the side, and she heard the murmuring of voices coming from behind her, but she couldn’t make out the words.
She tried to turn around to see what was happening, but she felt sluggish, and tired. So tired.
Ivy’s eyes drifted shut and she was covered in a blanket of darkness.