"I really do admire your ability to curb your thirst these days." Ares muttered softly to Nikolai as he stirred his glass of blood wine.
They were positioned on a tall balcony with a perfect view of the castle's exterior, which was connected to the garden. They could see the dragon and the phoenix talking and smiling while pointing at the sky from where they were standing.
Finding them wasn't difficult. Nikolai could hear Ophelia's heartbeat with great acuity and Ares' unhealthy pull toward the phoenix was rather strong. It was quite unexpected to see them together.
"What a compassionate blood merchant." Fiddling with a little knife between his lengthy fingers, Nikolai muttered.
Ares made a small frown. "Blood merchant?"
Nikolai arched a brow, his crimson gaze casually whirling. "How should I address you?"
Ares shook his head, his blood red eyes dim with sight displeasure. "To prevent a bloodbath between us, I'd like to remain silent."