Chapter 21 #2
“I’d love to, but alas, I need to get back to the library. I’ve been neglecting my evening duties, and it’s not fair to expect Benji to keep doing everything.”
“How is Benji?” I asked, wagging my eyebrows.
Lysandro tutted and walked past me. “None of that now. He’s my donor.” He stopped and checked the time. “I’m concerned about how late Ego’s rising. If he seems off when he wakes up, call me.”
“Okay,” I promised, not overly concerned.
The last couple of days had been big for Ego.
He’d been making tremendous progress since I’d officially become his anchor.
It kind of sucked that all I’d had to do was acknowledge it and move in.
I wouldn’t have been mad if there’d been some kind of cool ritual.
“By the way, you did amazing last night.”
I waved him off. “All I did was set things out on trays. Harry and Buck made most of it.”
He smiled fondly, and I couldn’t help but grin back. “That’s not what I’m talking about. Although, you did a wonderful job of arranging everything and inviting all the right people. I mean, you did a great job with Ego.”
“It’s my job to keep him calm, right? Not leaving his side seems like the least I can do.”
“That’s true. But, Scotty”—he came back over to me and placed his hands on my shoulders—“he never lost control, and he wasn’t wearing his amulet.
With all of those people here, and as new to this as he is, I would’ve expected him to trip up a little.
In fact, once I saw him come back down without his amulet, I was prepared to stop him from attacking anyone. ”
He squeezed my shoulders lightly. “But I didn’t have to because he had you by his side. Whatever it is you’re doing, keep it up.”
I forced a smile, hoping it didn’t look like a grimace, while I racked my brain trying to figure out what I was doing to help Ego.
Since I didn’t feel like I was doing anything exceptional, I lived in terror that I’d drop the ball and unintentionally stop doing it one day, and he’d end up hurting someone—mostly himself.
Hopefully, all that soul and blood stuff were right, and I didn’t need to do more than exist.
After Lysandro blurred out of sight, I headed to the bar and picked up the goblet.
Since Ego wouldn’t have training tonight, I’d surprise him with nourishment in bed.
It would be a nice surprise that he could take it easy tonight.
Between the torture and having a houseful of people, he’d been wiped out when I sent him off to bed right before sunrise.
As I got closer to his bedroom, I heard noises behind his door, so I knocked. “Ego, are you hungry? Lysandro just left. He’ll be happy to know you’re already awake.” When he didn’t respond, I tried again. “Ego. Can I come in?”
Cracking the door open, I peeked inside and found him with one leg out from under his sheet, half-lying on his side, and his head moving minutely as he mumbled to himself.
He didn’t appear to be awake yet, which was strange, since Lysandro had explained that a vampire’s internal cycles were set by the sun.
Even more odd was the fact that he was sleeping almost naturally.
I’d peeked in on him many times since I’d moved in, just wanting to make sure that I was fulfilling my function of anchor—which still didn’t seem like that big a deal—and I’d always found him lying stiff as a board on his back and hands laced across his chest like he was… well, like he was dead.
This was unusual.
Tip-toeing in so as not to alarm him, though he’d probably hear my heartbeat the minute he woke up, I set the goblet on his bedside table and sat on the side of the bed. He moaned.
“Ego,” I whispered.
His eyelids popped open. “Scotty,” he rasped past his descended fangs. “What…what time is it?”
“The sun’s been down a while.”
“Okay, wow. Sorry.” He sat up and leaned against the headboard. I’d have to let Lysandro know that something was definitely off because Ego seemed almost hungover.
I pressed the goblet into his hands. “Drink up, buttercup,” I said, trying to tease a smile out of him.
His lips tipped up at the sides, but it definitely didn’t reach his eyes. When he was done with his cup, I took it from him and set it back down. “So, Lysandro’s been here and gone. He said you have the night completely off.”
His shoulders slumped in relief, and I realized how much tension he’d been carrying since he woke up. “I have an idea.”
His distracted gaze wandered toward me, and I was tempted to ask him what was wrong, but stopped myself. Weren’t we all allowed to have off-days?
He’s spent his life as Ego, the pop star, having to be on all the time. He’d been better lately, since I’d moved in and his training began, but maybe he just needed a lazy, no-pressure night.
“Why don’t we go into that ridiculous, oversized media room, snuggle into a couple of recliners, and watch movies until dawn?”
He stared at me for a moment, then a smile spread slowly across his face. “Really?” This one reached his beautiful green eyes.
“Yes. You get up and around, and I’ll go get everything set up. But, Ego, first one there gets to pick the movie.” Then I broke for the door at a flat-out run.
As a breeze passed me when I got closer to the theater room, I patted myself on the back. I guess he had training today after all.