Vampire Debt - Supernatural Battle (Vampire Towers #2) - Kelly St. Clare Page 0,93
session in his lair. Perhaps he was studying the new development between us as well. I wasn’t sure what to make of it—in that I sure as fuck didn’t want to be emotionally dependent on anyone, including him.
Lionel slid a blindfold from his pocket, circling Kyros. “I have a surprise. You need to put this on, please.”
Kyros arched a brow but did as bidden, an indulgent half smile on his lips. My heart squeezed as he allowed his brothers and sisters to shove him into place in front of the windows.
I snapped another few photos and stood aside to get into a better spot for the big reveal.
Lionel fired off a text, and the lights surrounding a billboard just below and opposite us flared to life. I groaned at the sight of Lionel and I tangled around each other between two towering haystacks.
Not everything has to be horizontal.
Vertical farming. A new position. A better ending.
A throaty chuckle slipped between my lips. That was actually pretty funny, the problem being that it was about me. Damn Lionel for being mostly likeable.
“What is it?” Kyros said, grinning at our quiet laughter.
Lionel winked at me and snatched the blindfold off his brother.
I wasn’t alone in holding my breath as he looked.
And looked.
His siblings whooped after a few seconds, thumping Lionel on the back. Kyros smiled. But I didn’t.
Not when I could feel he didn’t find it amusing one bit. In fact, the vampire was unaccountably sad as he stood grinning at the billboard and shaking his head ruefully. He even snapped a few times at Lionel in false anger.
“Look how much she wants me,” Lionel crowed.
The photographer had asked if I needed alcohol to loosen up.
“You know I was thinking of Kyros.” I winced as the words left my mouth. That sounded pathetic. No matter how true it was.
Kyros’s sadness didn’t abate.
Okay, so it wasn’t the nature of the photos that upset him.
“So you say,” Lionel crowed. “Basilia and I spent the day getting to know each other.”
The loneliness in his eldest brother surged.
I stared at the huge vampire. There was no way Kyros was upset because I’d spent time with Lionel and not him.
We rarely spent time together outside of this tower.
That surely couldn’t be why he was sad. Whatever the reason behind his heartache, it was important to Kyros that his siblings didn’t guess his real sentiment.
I glanced down at my phone, spotting a message from Tommy.
She sent it a while ago, but I’d been here since 11:00 p.m., catching up with Angelica on the sharp decline in my acquisition rate that was giving her cause for concern. I’d made a passable effort at reassuring her that it was fatigue affecting me, knowing the excuse would filter back to King Julius.
I opened the message.
YOU’RE IN FUCKING SHIT. YOU PAID OFF MY POP’S BILLS?
Wtf, Basi!!
I am SO angry at you.
Whoa, what?
I read the message again. Her pop’s bill had been paid? That wasn’t me! I wasn’t stupid enough to mess with Tommy and money—that was a lesson learned the hard way at six years old.
I frantically typed back:
I swear it wasn’t me, Tom
<3 <3 <3
My thumb hovered over the Send button, but I paused, realisation dawning on me. I lifted my head to study Kyros, where he still played the part of annoyed older brother in the midst of his siblings.
That. Fucker.
The timing was too coincidental after the episode with the white roses and him demanding to know what I appreciated. I almost groaned, remembering that I’d mentioned appreciating my friends.
That wasn’t a hint to ply Tommy with money. I powered off my tablet and slipped my phone in my pocket.
He was already looking at me warily when I reached his end of the table.
“Kyros, could I have a word?”
Lionel and the others chorused a loud ooooh.
“Sorry if I got you in trouble, bro,” Lionel said, leaving the room.
The others followed, smirking my way.
Yeah, whatever.
Kyros toyed with his tablet, not meeting my gaze. His sadness was still rampant, and yet a very clear line needed to be drawn in regards to Tommy.
“The list,” he said as I opened my mouth.
What?
A list was slid across to me.
“Fyrlia’s properties that you promised not to enter without me.”
I stared at it, scanning the top few. “What do the nine addresses in red mean?”
“Those are the personal properties of Fyrlia royals. You must never enter them. If my family or I, or any of our people enter them, it’s considered an act of war.”