17

~Vaela

Groaning, I let my book topple to my lap, unbothered by the loss of my page placement.

"This book is going to make me fall asleep."

Hale seems reluctant to drag his attention from his own book. It's a ritual, to sit with two chairs pulled up to the fire, indulging in quiet reading time together. We can read anywhere, and yet we have established silent agreement to be in each other's company for it.

I watch Hale's eyes scan the cover of the book as I pick it up again. "You haven't gotten to the good part, that's why."

"Is that right?" My eyes narrow.

Suddenly, my pages flutter wildly, until they still. Hale lowers his hand, magic ceasing. I note his smirk, as my attention drags down to the page he has intentionally guided me to.

A gasp get's caught in my throat as I skim over the writing.

His hands drag up my thighs, fingers winding through the lace band of my panties, drawing them down my legs, revealing my-

I look back up at Hale, whose smile suggests he's amused, although his darkened eyes are laden with ulterior meaning.

The weight of his gaze presses into me as my eyes lower again.

I've never wanted a man inside me so badly. His mouth explores me, not leaving an inch of my body untouched.

"Oh...This is graphic," I wince, attention drifting to the bottom of the page to see the woman get's what she wishes, the scene stunningly detailed.

"It's why you're reading it, isn't it?" Hale murmurs gently.

I exhale all the air from my lungs in one breath. "Not exactly..."

"Would you like to enjoy some privacy while you indulge in your romantic fantasies." He's teasing me, having the audacity to smile broadly now. I'm tempted to toss the book straight at his head, although admittedly, I'm intrigued by the story now.

I flip through some more pages. "There is nothing romantic about this."

Hale is now completely uninterested in his own book. "It's a romance book, Vae."

"I need to experience the genesis of the relationship before I can get to this part. If you skip ahead, you miss all the tension and build up that ultimately leads to the epic.." I break off, flushing with heat.

His eyes darken. "Sex scene?"

My throat tightens, making it impossible to swallow. "I was going to say it."

He leans back, resting his hands behind his head. "I suppose your right, but don't you ever read it and want them to just get to it already, that it's obvious they want each other."

"Didn't know you read romance." My accusatory tone makes him smile.

The thought of Hale laying in his bed with this particular book open, reading through the graphic scene makes my toes curl.

He watches me with hooded eyes. "I've lived in a cave for over a century. You would be surprised what I've read as a means of entertainment."

"Yet another fascinating glimpse into your private life," I muse, flipping back to my original page, deciding I am going to see this story through.

When Hale doesn't bite back with some snarky retort, I glance up, only to see him vacantly staring at the floor, frowning deeply.

"You okay-"

All of a sudden he vanishes.

His book once on his lap topples to the floor, pages fluttering. Stooping down, I retrieve it, smoothing out any creases as I look around the room, puzzled.

"Hale?" I ask into the air.

All it's takes is a single blink at least four minutes later, and he's back. A crying Eyla is clutching at him, his arm wrapped around her waist to keep her standing.

And she's covered in blood.

Shooting out of my seat, I watch Hale help her into the chair he was sitting in only moment ago, the blood on her now on him too.

"Eyla? What's going on?" I come to her side, , lifting parts of her clothing to see where the blood is coming from. It appears as though there are no major wounds that are to blame for this, and yet the blood is fresh.

Her breathing is rushed, hysterical, as she clutches my arm to the point of pain, looking at me with widened eyes.

Hale looks down at me. "I found her like this. She isn't injured."

"Eyla...Eyla, it's okay. Tell me what's going on." I grasp either side of her face, holding her gaze. If only those deep brown eyes would reveal to me what she has just seen, because by the looks of it, it's a nightmare.

Her expression crumbles into pure, unbelievable pain. "Its...Oh it's Will, Vae."

"This is Will's blood?" I question breathlessly, rearing back slightly, looking at what stains my skin now. Naseua overwhelms me for a moment, as I try to hold back from turning around to be sick all over the floor.

The tears streaming from Eyla's dark eyes mix with the blood on her face, dripping down her chin and jaw. "He's dead. Someone killed him."

"His neck was cut," Hale tells me grimly.

Dread falls over me like a thick, heavy blanket I can't kick off. Will murdered? He may not have been the most likeable person, but I've never known anyone to harbour distain toward him.

And to have his neck cut...My head spins, dizziness nearly sending me toppling to the floor.

"He was meant to meet me at yours, so Hale could bring us up here, but he never came. I went to his house and he was dead," she sobs, still clutching me.

Murder is so rare, and yet I've been confronted with it far too much in my life.

"It's okay Eyla, you need to relax now," I soothe, patting her hair down, pushing down my own emotions. Eyla's beautiful, sweet soul doesn't need corrupting by such horror. And Will did not deserve to be murdered so brutally.

Her face scrunches up as she tips her head back, breathing in deeply. "I think I might be sick."

Letting her sit forward, I look up at Hale. A frown is etched into his features as he stares at the floor, lost in thought. I'm certain he's seen far worse things than this, but he's unnerved regardless.

"How did you know she needed you?" I ask him. He disappeared without hesitation, sensing something.

He exhales slowly. "I just knew..."

I turn back to Eyla, grabbing her face in my hands. "We will find out who did this, okay?"

I'll kill whoever did this myself, if I have to. Fragments of myself are starting to break away, and retribution may be the only way I can start putting them back together. No matter our relationship before his death, I cared about him, and he was important to me.

Eyla grabs my hand. "It was brutal. It was almost exactly how you described-"

"Eyla...Don't," I say over her.

The last thing I need is for Eyla to reveal what I told her in confidence. It's not like I care about who knows, but with Hale, it feels different. I don't want him to think any differently about it me, just because of what has happened in the past.

Hale's attention sweeps to me. "Described what?"

"Nothing," I mutter, focusing on Eyla, whose panicked sobs have settled down now. She seems more invested in my avoidance now.

"You've seen this before?" he asks, his tone softening.

"Vaela was murdered. That's how she died in the mortal realm," Eyla says casually. My eyes flutter closed as my heart sinks. That's exactly what I didn't want her to admit, but I can't fault her for it. Her mind is on far more important issues.

He stares at me. "Murdered?"

"Throat slit and everything. It was all very tragic," I murmur dismissively. It happened so long ago, there's no point concerning myself with it. I've spent far too much time haunted by it.

Any softness vanishes from his expression. "Well, I suppose that's tomorrow's plans sorted then."

"What do you mean?" I question.

"I'm presuming you know who killed you." He folds his arms over his chest, a cold air about him suddenly. I shudder. Any friendliness is gone entirely. It's like I'm looking at a Sin, the Hale I know gone.

"Yes, but-"

He shakes his head slowly. "But nothing, Vae. I will go to the mortal realm tomorrow, and I will kill them myself, and ensure Death serves a vicious punishment."

His surety makes my stomach twist. He's angry. He hides it behind his cool, calm exterior, but his eyes give his intentions away. I would hate to have that ire focused on me at any time, because he looks as though he could destroy the world.

I get to my feet, frantic. "You can't do that...You can't intervene with nature like that."

As much as I hate the man who murdered me, I don't want to go back to that place when I first came to Death's realm. I was lost, confused and couldn't understand why someone could do that to me.

He holds my gaze as he comes up to me, the fire in them making me shiver. "I'm a strong believer in revenge."

"Hale..." I breathe.

"Take Eyla and help her wash up. I'll be waiting." His gaze flickers down to my lips for the briefest moments, before he brushes past me, having made his decision.

I watch him walk from the room, stunned.

Did that just happen?

"Are you okay?" Eyla asks softly. I don't think she understands what we both just witnessed either.

I look down at my hands, at the blood drying on my skin. "I don't know."