cast a longing glance at the laptop. “I’ll be up in a few minutes. Promise.”
Arys’s gaze strayed warily to the computer. “Alright. Don’t be long. Or, I’ll come down here and carry you off over my shoulder. Caveman style.”
I waited until he’d gone up to my bedroom to grab the laptop off the table and slip out onto the patio. Settling myself in a chair where I could watch the birds, I opened up a file and began to read about Kale’s sadistic mental state when Veryl first recruited him. It hit too close for comfort, so I put it away for another day and opened a different folder instead.
I shielded my eyes from the bright morning rays. The sun didn’t burn me as it would a vampire, but I was incredibly sensitive to it. Though I genuinely enjoyed its brightness and warmth, I couldn’t handle it for long.
Veryl had done an impressive job compiling info on all of us. I was a little awed by his collection of tidbits on people who had outlived me by centuries. It would take time to peruse it all thoroughly. Since Arys was waiting for me, I skimmed through, marking parts to return to later.
I would have loved to spend all day reading the dirt Veryl kept on everybody, but fatigue was setting in. The events of my night caught up to me, and I yawned, exhausted. I had places to be later, and if I wanted to be of any use to Gabriel, I needed to sleep.
* * * *
A restless slumber had me tossing and turning. Every time I started to slip beneath the surface into unconsciousness, I would feel Kale’s hands on me again. I’d awake with a jolt, safe in the confines of my darkened bedroom.
I lay there with Arys stretched out beside me. If the frown etched on his face was an indication, Arys’s dreams were also less than pleasant. Closing my eyes, I snuggled in against him.
My thoughts strayed to Veryl’s files. There was a lot to go through yet. So far, I had learned that Shya had promised Lilah protection if she would help him keep his demons in line. What I wanted to know was protection from whom?
The night she had given me the Dragon Claw, she told me Veryl was blackmailing her. His threats to expose her to someone had fueled her need to see him dead. That was where I came in. I had been the one to kill Veryl, and I wondered if I would regret it.
If I kill him, everything he has on me leaks to the people I want it kept from. That’s what she said, her reason why I had to kill Veryl. So, Lilah did have a weakness. I just had to find out who it was. There’s no time like the present. I started to sit up, and Arys’s arms went around me, his grip tight.
“Don’t even think about it,” he muttered into his pillow. “There’s at least three hours until sunset. Go back to sleep.”
“I can’t. I was just going to do some reading.”
“No.”
I lay back down and huffed, a dramatic exhalation of breath. “It’s important. About Lilah.”
“No.” Arys pulled me closer, burying his face in my neck. “It can wait a few more hours.”
“Fine.” I didn’t really want to argue. I was happy to stay put beside him. He was right. I needed to let things go for a while, at least long enough to get a decent sleep.
In Arys’s arms I drifted back to sleep, finding peaceful rest this time instead of fitful dreams. When I woke again after sunset, I was just starting to feel rested. With a groan, I hugged my pillow closer. Would a sleep-in day be so wrong?
Against my will, I dragged myself out of bed and into the shower. I had time to peruse the files further before heading to the city.
“Come back to bed for a bit, Alexa.” Arys beckoned me with a finger. “It’s a wonder you even slept at all.”
“I’m not tired. Besides, I want to read through the rest of those files before we go.” I stood in the en suite bathroom dragging a brush through my long, wet hair.
“The files can wait. They’ve waited this long.” The weight of his gaze was heavy upon me.
“No, they can’t wait. The FPA used Raoul’s affair with my mom to murder my parents. That’s why they have Juliet. They would have me, too, if Veryl and Shya