“How?” Her hands cling to the fabric of my suit and I hear her heart flutter.
“Let me show you,” I breathe. I nuzzle her jugular and open my mouth, urging my fangs to appear. When I feel them descend, I press them into the soft flesh of Briar’s neck. She gasps when I pierce her jugular. I don’t bite hard enough to draw blood, though I wonder how such a sweet-smelling woman would taste. I pull away just enough to run my tongue over the shallow wound.
Briar’s eyes are heavy, and she sways on her feet, a giddy smile visible behind the mask. I steady her, my venom-tainted saliva visible on her neck. “What?” She whispers breathlessly.
“How do you feel?” I ask, brushing her wild hair back.
“Very relaxed.” She drags the words out, giggling. “What was that?”
I chuckle. “Good. That was vampire venom. When a vampire bites you, they inject some venom into the wound to help their partner relax. It makes the experience more pleasurable for both.”
“So, you’re a vampire?” Briar asks giddily.
“The dopey-ness will wear off soon,” I say, grinning. “But, yes, my father was a vampire and I carry some traits.”
Briar’s eyes are wide, her mouth forming a small o. “Why would the Goddess of Life sleep with a vampire?”
I shrug, leading Briar off the dance floor. She walks unsteadily and I wonder if my venom is too potent for her small frame. “Desona has had many lovers, as have many of the Gods.”
“Have you?” Briar’s voice is sober and serious.
I furrow my brows, looking at her with surprise. “Does it matter?”
“Ah.” Briar tosses her head back, shoulders sagging. “Of course you have. You’re a God—you’re Death himself. I’m sure you’ve had more than just Lilith.”
“Lilith?” I purse my lips, feeling a tendril of irritation strike my good mood. From the corner of my eye I see Desona watching.
“I know about her,” Briar snaps. “I know all about her. But were there others? Were they all as beautiful as her?”
“Is everything alright?” Willem drawls, striding towards us.
Briar eyes him suspiciously for a moment before she wags a finger at him. “And you—you still haven’t returned my things.” Willem cocks a brow and Briar sighs dramatically. “When you were in my room alone with me, remember?”
“Willem,” I growl, eyes darting towards him. Briar is my bride and mine alone. Willem shouldn’t be so close to her; he shouldn’t be in her private chambers. The thought of him in the room I selected for Briar makes my blood thrum.
“It was nothing, Kane,” Willem says, never taking his eyes from Briar.
“It was nothing, Kane,” Briar says in a deep tone, mimicking Willem. She spins towards me. “He almost pinned me down on the bed, Kane.”
My blood roars in my ears, and I feel the shadows streaking towards me. They coil at my feet, lapping at my anger. “We will discuss this, Willem,” I say, my voice low and dangerous. I place a hand on Briar’s shoulder, but she dances out of reach. “We need to get you some water, something to flush the venom from your system.”
“You dosed her?” Willem shakes his head.
I curl my lip at him. “It’s none of your concern.”
“I don’t feel so good,” Briar mutters, leaning against one of the columns.
Her hands are trembling as she moves them to her stomach, swaying lightly on her feet. Willem reaches her before I do. He wraps an arm around her, supporting her. “I’ll get her somewhere quiet,” he says as Briar turns her head into his long, blonde hair.
I grab his wrist, stopping him mid-stride and glower. “She is my bride.”
“Why does it matter when you could have any woman in this room?” Briar says, her voice trembling. The giddiness of the venom has worn off, leaving her body too relaxed and weak. Too much venom. “Who knows; maybe you already had them.”
Willem pulls away from me and I don’t stop him. Briar’s words have struck me hard. I’ve never shied from the pleasures of life; eternity is boring without them. Only mortals abide by silly traditions of purity. It never occurred to me that Briar might be affected by my past—even if she knows little of it. I start after her. Even though my mind is telling me that this is a perfect opportunity to inflict cruelty, I want to console her, to assure her. I feel my mother’s eyes on me as I push through the crowd. They don’t part for me, I’m just an anonymous face in the mix.
I spot Willem over the crowd, guiding Briar towards the balcony doors behind the throne. She’s leaning into him heavily, sagging against his lean figure. One of his wings curls around her protectively and it feels as if my blood is on fire. I call my shadows to me, using them to urge noblemen and women out of my path.
“Hello, Kane. I hear a sultry voice murmur just above the pulsing of the music. I pause, fists clenched at my sides. “Long time no see.”
Chapter 11
Briar
My head pounds and my mind feels fuzzy, like I can’t focus on a single thought for more than a few seconds. I groan, pressing a hand to my temple. Willem tuts softly, guiding me through the pulsing crowd towards the solitude of the balcony. Cool air brushes over me when he opens the doors and I take a long, deep breath. I lift heavy, aching eyes and see that the balcony overlooks the city. Tall, willowy trees brush up against the dark stone railing, but I can still see the lights of the city through the trees.
Music floats towards me, joyful and light—nothing like the intense bass of the music inside the throne room. I lean on the railing, the stone cooling my feverish skin. Willem lounges back beside me, letting his wings slip over the railing to hang in the open air. He catches me studying the feathers and
