Page 67 of Bone Year

“Have you ever...” I’m not sure how to phrase it.

“Bitten someone?” She raises an eyebrow. “I’m fourteen. My parents would kill me. But I’ve tasted real blood once. My brother let me try some of his when I was first turned, a few drops.” She gets a faraway look. “It was like the difference between a candle and the sun. The synthetic stuff keeps you alive but doesn’t make you feel alive, if that makes sense.”

I file that information away for later.

“What about the Shadowlands?” I lean back in my chair. “I’ve never been anywhere outside my village until I came here. What’s it like?”

Nella’s face lights up for the first time since I walked in.

“It’s beautiful. Dark, obviously, but not in a scary way. The sun never fully rises there, so everything is lit by moonlight and lanterns and these glowing flowers that grow wild everywhere. The cities are built into the mountains, all black stone and silver spires. My family’s estate has a view of Obsidian Falls. It’s this massive waterfall that looks like liquid night pouring off a cliff.” She catches herself, the excitement fading. “I haven’t been home in almost a year. First school, then this.”

“You’ll get back there,” I say before I can stop myself. “When you’re healed, you’ll fly over those falls again.”

She looks at me like she wants to believe it but doesn’t dare.

“You don’t know that.”

“No,” I admit, “but I’m going to do everything I can to make sure it happens.”

I think I finally put a crack in her armor, but before she can respond, I catch movement in my peripheral vision. The door’s open a crack, and someone is standing in the gap, watching us.

“Can I help you?” I call out.

The door swings open, and Draven steps through, his face arranged in that familiar mask of bored indifference.

“Malric sent me to check on the human.” His eyes look from me to Nella and back again. “Make sure you haven’t killed anyone yet.”

“As you can see, everyone’s still breathing.” I cross my arms. “You can report back to your master.”

His jaw tightens at that. “He’s not my master.”

“Could have fooled me.”

We stare at each other for a long moment. Finally he turns, glancing at Nella’s wing with an expression I can’t read.

“Fissure wound,” he says quietly.

“Riftling.” Nella’s voice is smaller now, the bravado fading in the presence of another vampire. An older, powerful one. “Three weeks ago.”

Draven nods once, and then he’s gone, the door clicking shut behind him.

Nella lets out a breath and turns to me with wide eyes.

“Oh. Now I understand why you’re asking so many questions about vampires.”

“What? No.” I shake my head quickly. “That’s not⁠—”

“He’s gorgeous.” She’s grinning wolfishly. “Like, offensively gorgeous. Those eyes? That jaw? Gods. And the man bun.”

“Nella—”

“And the way he was looking at you?” She fans herself dramatically. “You’re so lucky. I would kill to look like you. All that red hair and those curves. Guys like that probably fall all over themselves trying to get your attention.”

My face is burning. “Stop. You’re beautiful, and you’re going to be out of here in no time. I’m going to make sure of it. I’m sure there are plenty of gorgeous vampires in the Shadowlands waiting for you.”

She waves dismissively. “Please, I’m fourteen and stuck in a hospital bed with my wings pinned open like a science experiment. My dating prospects are not exactly thriving.” She tilts her head, studying me. “But you’ve got that brooding vampire eating out of your hand and don’t even see it.”

“I’m not… We’re not…” I take a breath. “I actually despise him, and he hates me. Trust me.”