CHAPTER 12

Water brokeover Faye, cascading down and pulling hair across her face. Hot needles burned her lungs, as she spasmed for breath. She lurched forward, coughing up the water she inhaled before she could right herself. Faye blew out a breath as she searched her surroundings for that poaching dick to appear and drown her until she managed to wake up.

Her sister hunched over her toppled lounge chair. Her blonde curls obscuring her face.

"Did you throw me in the water?" Which admittingly was better than being drowned by fangs, but did she have to overreact so much? Faye splashed her sister when she continued to ignore her.

Faye's lips parted. "Hooker?"

Her sister's feet swayed, turning in her direction. She wore a blank expression, staring off in the distance. A thin trickle of blood ran from her nose, past her lips.

"Sparrow!" Faye screamed, lifting herself out of the hot spring. Her heartbeat drummed in her ears as she grabbed Sparrow's face, searching for her gaze. "Hey. Look at me. Come on."

The Familiar magic controlling Faye's dream wouldn't have hurt Sparrow. Was fangs here while she slept, and Sparrow chased him off?

Faye's brow came down when she touched something wet and tacky. She dragged a red smear with her thumb. The source of the blood is still trickling from her sister's ear.

No, no, no. Faye's hands shook as she wiped it away. "Sparrow, come on. Please."

Sparrow's lethargic gaze shifted. Lowering her brow with a grimace, she said, "You just gave me the worst. Fucking. Hangover."

Faye threw her arms around her sister, squeezing her tight, fisting her hair as tears welled. "Are you okay? Does anything hurt?"

"Just you bitch." Sparrow squirmed, but Faye wouldn't let go. "Get your wet ass off me." She wrinkled her nose. "Are you…" Sparrow slapped her hands away. "Are you fucking crying?"

Faye took a calming breath and wiped her eyes. "You need a healer. Tell Vash to get here now."

Her sister snorted at her. "Yourass needs the healer."

"You're bleeding." Faye swiped her finger across the trickle now on Sparrow's chin, showing her proof with widened eyes.

Sparrow frowned as she wiped her hand beneath her nose, but after several swipes it still refused to come back clean. "It's fine," Sparrow muttered, wiping her hands on her pants. "When I came back to check on you, black mist was rolling off you. It was fuck-you level magic. I had to wake you up before you melted my brain."

"You're bleeding, I'm not. Tell Vash to poof his ass over here. Now."

Sparrow fluttered her hand at Faye.

Faye pulled on her robe and roughly tugged on her boots, not bothering to dry off. Her sister made a series of facial expressions while talking with her hands. All of which, Faye guessed, matched whatever she was saying telepathically to Vash.

Sparrow shifted her weight to her back foot and faintly quirked her lip. "He's coming, now spill. What happened? I couldn't wake you up. I tried to use my power to throw your ass in the pool. It didn't work so I had to magic your chair instead, bitch."

Faye's cheeks flamed in a burning rush as the memory of her dream surfaced— She should have seen through him. He was too good to be true. She let herself get caught up in the moment, and now she felt like a fucking idiot. How could she put Sparrow in danger like that?

Faye lowered her gaze, unable to look her sister in the eyes. "Fangs are real. He's poaching me. You must have felt his magic bleeding over, past the dream."

"Fangs the Shadow Prince?"

"It had to be glamorous. Some Familiar's idea of a sick joke."One that hurt her sister."Why is Vash taking so long?" Faye needed to know for certain Sparrow was okay. She would never forgive herself if Sparrow was hurt because she had stupidly let her guard down.

"Darkness, the man is running a business. Give him a fucking minute— He said he's coming. If anything, we need to take your stubborn ass to get a mental shield put in. If Silver Leaves is poaching you, I'm about to fuck his life," Sparrow said, cracking her knuckles.

Faye rolled her eyes. "He can't poach me unless I'm sleeping. Yourfaceis bleeding. You're going to the healer first."

A figure appeared in the corner of Faye's vision. "Vash, I need you to—"

Faye's breath seized, and her eyes widened. A man stood beside them. His long white-blonde hair shifted with the breeze, a stark contrast against his black garments. Every muscle in her body tensed when her gaze fell to his throat at the trail of blood on either side.

Where I dug in my claws.

Faye stepped between him and her sister. "Sparrow run."

"Fuck that," Sparrow said from behind her as the man stepped closer.

He stood more than half a foot taller than her. The expensive cut of his clothes molded over his impressive frame. A flood of black swept through his pale blue gaze for a moment, like ink in water. Then it was gone, revealing a mask of indifference.

He grasped her arm, parting his lips. Faye glimpsed his canines seemingly lengthening before her eyes. This wasn't glamorous. Her heart pounded as she twisted away from him, but he held fast.

"Sparrow run!" Faye's cry became a shriek.

Sparrow ignored her, stalking toward her captor. Her dark shard blazing to life. "Fuck this poaching ass bitch."

Sparrow raised her hand, in a sharp motion. The dark mist surrounding her shard coated her hands. A ball of dark swirling mist swelled between her palms before firing into the man's chest.

The sizzling crack of magic struck, filling the clearing. Sparrow's ball crashed against a black light that covered the man. Faye's hair whipped in the backlash of power as Sparrow's magic failed to crack his shielding and dissipated.

Sparrow had thrown multiple men across rooms with the same flare of power. Faye stared up at the man who seemed completely unconcerned her sister had attacked him.

He glanced down at her, arching a brow. "Is she your pet? Familiar? It explains a lot."

His accented words that had been kind in her dreams were now harsh and biting. His pale blue gaze bore into hers. Challenging her.

Faye jerked frightened by his sudden movement. His hand shot out in a blur, catching Sparrow by the neck. The corner of his mouth tilted up as he lifted Sparrow to his height. Her sister choked. Legs kicking for purchase

"No. I'm sorry!" Faye frantically grabbed at his arm trying to lower it. Sparrow's face reddened as ugly wet choking sounds filled the space between them.

"I'm sorry. Please, don't hurt her." Tears spilled over Faye's cheeks. She gazed up at him, cupping the side of his face. "Please."

A crimson so dark it looked black poured through his gaze, covering the entirety of his eye. Veined misted shadows crept from beneath his eyes and swayed over the tops of his cheekbones.

His expression softened as he leaned into her touch, closing his eyes. She smoothed her thumb over the edge of his cheekbone. "Let her go. I'll accept your advances."

A muscle ticked in his jaw, and the shadows receded. He pulled away from her touch, glaring down at her with clear blue eyes.

Faye glanced at her sister, who was running out of time. Faye stepped into him, pressing her body into his as she met his gaze. "You can have me, just put her down." Faye glanced at her sister. Her choking sounds were slowing, and she wasn't kicking anymore. Faye stared up at him, eyes pleading. "Please."

He said nothing. Holding her gaze for a heartbeat. He then shifted his attention to Sparrow. Her sister went limp, arms and legs dangling lifelessly.