We went silent and Marco flew closer. Faris leaned over. “We need to do an exchange. Before we land.”

I nodded, then stopped. “Wait, you want to do an exchange in the air?”

“Yes. We’re getting close and the sun is coming. We may not have time if we land first.”

Berget stood. “We’ll just leap across.”

Like it was nothing. The two vampires did just that, jumping between the two Harpies and landing like there wasn’t a couple hundred feet of open air under us. Like they did it every day. Marco swung away and Faris settled in behind me.

“Not a lot. I only need a mouthful from you, but you are going to need more from me.”

My jaw twitched as he pulled me against his chest and ever so gently pressed my head to one side. A part of me wished he’d be mean and rough. My muscles tensed at the thought and I knew that wasn’t the answer, either. I liked it rough, damn it.

He bit into me and I couldn’t stop the flush of pleasure trembling through me. I couldn’t think about anything but how good it felt, how much I wished this wouldn’t end.

Damn him. I felt like I was being unfaithful to Liam. Strike that, I was being unfaithful. I pulled away from him. “Enough. You said a mouthful.”

“I got carried away. You taste like everything I’ve searched for my entire life. Love, home, a place to be safe.”

I didn’t look at him, couldn’t. Because that was pretty much my own list of things. I understood it all too well. “Yeah, well, sucks to be you.”

He snorted, bit the inside of his wrist and stuck it in my face. “Drink up, sweetheart.”

I clamped my mouth over the wound, surprised again that I wasn’t more bothered by the fact I was drinking a vampire’s blood. Then again, it didn’t taste like blood. And it didn’t taste like vanilla as before. I couldn’t quite pin down the flavor, sweet and addictive, like something rare and fleeting.

It tasted like Faris’s kiss.

I jerked away from him. “Enough.”

“Got a bad taste?” He asked and I just shook my head, unable to find the fighting words I wanted.

I didn’t want to feel like this. I loved Liam, he was my soul mate, the one I was bound to. The only one I wanted to be with.

Yet here I was, fantasizing about Faris of all people. What the fuck was wrong with me? Had I somehow turned into the fickle slut that I’d always accused Milly of being? I scooted away from him, confusion rocketing through me.

“It’s his fault, you know. For both of us,” Faris said the words quietly enough that I wasn’t sure Eve would hear him. “If he had been able to stay away from you, his feelings never would have influenced my own. And if you hadn’t been able to sense his soul, you wouldn’t be drawn to me like you are.”

I closed my eyes. I did not want to agree with Faris on this, not for one fucking second.

But . . . he was right. “It’s not a matter of fault. It just is, and sooner or later the price will have to be paid.”

Faris grunted and the air between us stirred like he’d lifted his hand. “I will try to stay away from you, if that’s what you want.”

Now that shocked the shit out of me. I twisted in my seat.

His blue eyes didn’t waver and he shrugged. “You don’t want me near you. I know. And whatever this is between us is growing stronger. Better that I keep my distance, for now.”

He was right again, damn. I turned my back to him. “Good.”

What the hell is this? You can’t keep her safe and stay away from her.

Faris didn’t answer him. But Liam felt the tension in his muscles. He meant what he’d said to her. He was going to keep his distance. Why now? What the hell had changed?

He searched around, poking into Faris’s memories, his thoughts, his feelings. And there it was.

Faris had fallen in love with her. Not a fickle, silly crush. Not a desire to fuck her or possess her.

He’d fallen head over heels in love. He wanted her to be happy, even if that meant it cost him.

Liam groaned and if he’d had control over the body they shared he would have grabbed his hair and pulled. Son of a bitch, this was going to complicate things. He laughed to himself. As if they weren’t already complicated enough.

He watched from behind Faris eyes, felt the vampire’s desire to simply touch her. Faris was right. From the minute Liam had been in this body, he’d thought of nothing but Rylee. Of being with her, of protecting her and helping her through this last fight coming her way.

His feelings had leached into Faris, infecting him as surely as if he’d given him the pox. Maybe in some ways it was just as deadly.

You will protect her still?

Faris snorted and nodded.

That is the most important thing. I died for her, and I see it in you now. You would lay down your life for her, no matter what you said before.

Teeth clenched, Faris stared at the small spot of skin showing along Rylee’s neck, where her hair parted, giving a glimpse of creamy smooth perfection.

“Yes.”

Rylee turned around. “Yes?”

Faris shrugged. “Nothing.”

She obviously wasn’t convinced, but she said nothing more as they slowly circled their destination.

The mineshaft.

CHAPTER 23

Rylee

We were well above the mineshaft when the first glimmer of dawn kissed the horizon. “Drop,” I yelled.

Eve and Marco plummeted, as if their wings had broken. At the last possible second they banked, but still crashed hard to the ground. I leapt from Eve’s back.