The Vampire of Tinkerfall (Elysium #3)

Chapter Twenty-Four

 The snake was thrashing about inside the catcher and had knocked the device over, causing it to roll under the kitchen table. Booker scooped it up and turned a knob on the side to extinguish the flame within.

"Stupid animal nearly set itself on fire," he said, sitting on the floor as he peeked inside the catcher.

Trinket crouched down beside him. "What are you going to do with it now?"

"Put it back in the jar?"

"With the lid nailed down, I hope."

Letting out a long sigh, he smiled over at her. "I'm sorry for all this trouble."

She shrugged. "Occupational hazard."

He continued to gaze at her and then lifted his hand to gently tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I think it's finally safe for you to get some rest."

His hand remained on her cheek, and it took everything for her not to sink further into his touch. "And you, Mr. Larkin? You're not indefatigable, you know."

Chuckling softly, he let his hand fall away. "You are very right. Come, let's both retire to bed."

She rose to her feet and held her hand out to him. He accepted it and pulled himself up. With the snake catcher in one hand and his free arm around her shoulders, he led her back to the hallway.

"Should we wake up Daphne?" Trinket asked.

They peered into the parlour where Daphne was still sleeping soundly in the armchair. "She seems rather comfortable where she is. Maybe toss another blanket on her and light the fire?" Booker said.

"I'll go fetch one now."

He pulled her back before she could go far. "I'll do it."

"It's really not—"

"Go sleep. You've done more than enough tonight. You deserve to rest."

Giving him a soft smile, she nodded. "Very well. Thank you."

"No, thank you."

He bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. It was a simple gesture, quick and without any warning or fanfare. But it completely threw her. She stared up at him stupidly as he smiled and gave a short nod before bringing the snake down into the laboratory.

Too stunned to fully comprehend what had just happened, she made her way up the stairs in a daze. When she reached her room, she fell face-first onto her bed. It didn't take long for sleep to claim her, but she did have enough time to replay that kiss.

And it set her entire body aflame.

~

Trinket awoke from a deep sleep with a groan. The sun was shining through the windows. She shielded her eyes against its glare with her pillow. Her body ached, and she was covered in mud and filth. She had been too tired to change into her nightgown and was still wearing her dress from the night before. In fact, she hadn't even had the strength to crawl under the covers, but had instead fallen asleep on top of them.

Letting out another long groan, she tossed the pillow aside and braced herself for movement. Her joints cracked as she lifted herself into an upright position and eased her legs over the side of the bed. As she rubbed the sleep from her tired eyes, she caught a glimpse of someone sitting beside her. She turned to see what new annoyance her mind had created and gasped.

Tory.

The blonde girl flashed her a manic smile. "Seems we lost each other yesterday, eh?"

Trinket's eyes darted about the room, trying to figure out how the girl had gotten inside. But when her attention returned to Tory, she was gone. There was nothing but empty space where she had been only seconds ago.