Chapter 153

Chapter 153: Chapter 153

The rain was still falling, it was slanted now so raindrops could be heard against the closed windows. The temperature dropped further, so the fire burning in the hearth made the room cozy.

"Sit with me," Ruoxi offered a hand to Dulce when he saw that the Vampire was heading towards the bed, still disgruntled about the kiss the Shadow Demon had been generously given.

Dulce took the offered hand and lowered himself to the pillow-covered rug. As soon as he was seated, Ruoxi laid his head on his lap, his long dark lashes reflecting the fire as he closed his eyes.

"Are you cold, Asael?" He asked quietly, a golden sheen on his pale features.

Asael glanced down at the aggravating Incubus who had ruined what was supposed to be the perfect end to a lovely day. He wasn’t cold, or more like he was used to it. There was a permanent chill etched into his back, one he always carried around with him.

"You can lean on my shoulder," Dulce immediately added when it seemed like the Demon would turn him down.

Ruoxi’s brows scrunched up, his dissatisfaction only growing. Was it the sneaky assassin’s lack of proactivity? Was that also what he needed to do to get Dulce to come to him first?

Asael went quiet for a bit, considering the offer. For four Demons summoned by a single Vampire, sharing was inevitable. So he complied, getting off the bed to join them on the rug.

Dulce beamed although he was the one offering comfort. "This is far more pleasant than reading through the night." He said in a rare moment of expressing affection.

Ruoxi was soothed by this a bit, he had just wanted to keep Dulce within reach by laying on him, but he ended up drifting to sleep, his flawless skin an eye-catching gold.

Although Dulce had been the one to offer his shoulder, he ended up laying on Asael’s instead. It was still raining, the sound filling up the peaceful silence.

"Have you ever gone fishing, Asael?" Dulce broke the silence, neither of them could sleep, a conversation was needed to pass the long hours of the night.

The Vampire’s words brought back an old memory of wrestling a fish as a fledgling, it was a dim memory, shrouded in black mist. "I haven’t."

"If it doesn’t rain all day tomorrow we could go fishing in the pond," Dulce said wistfully.

Fishing was a great way to soak up sunlight, there might be minimal sunlight tomorrow but having company would more than make up for that.

-+-

It rained through the night till dawn, the three figures in the room keeping their positions till morning. It was easy to have a quiet conversation while resting against the other’s shoulders, the hearth dying in the soft light of the early morning.

It was this that Kath’tan returned to, warping directly to Dulce’s room from the mountainside his mother’s portal sent him to.

"Kath’tan, you’re back." Dulce lifted his head from Asael’s shoulder to say. He couldn’t completely ignore the worry that something would go wrong because of the restrictions he put in their summoning contract.

Kath’tan paused and stared down at the three tangled up with each other, feeling a scowl forming on his face. He found that he couldn’t sleep well in the castle in Ashford, eager to return so he could sleep next to Dulce again. Only to find that he had been immediately replaced after stepping away for less than a day.

"Good. You’re on your feet. Stoke the fire." Asael said coolly, cupping Dulce’s face to guide the Vampire to rest against his shoulder again.

Now he scowled, immediately forgetting his plans to try to be gentler to Dulce. Despite the dark expression on his face, he stomped over to replenish the fire, his silver crown gleaming from the faint illumination of the dying embers.

As Kath’tan stoked the fire, a suspiciously large amount of sparks flew in Ruoxi’s direction. Unaware of the danger, Ruoxi was blissfully asleep, his powerful arms wrapped around Dulce’s waist.

Soon there was a raging fire in the hearth, the rain slowing to a drizzle as warmth and light filled the bedroom once more.

"Was there any mishap during your visit?" Dulce asked, about to lift his head again to glance at Kath’tan when he was stopped by Asael’s hand. The Shadow Demon’s touch was light, fleeting.

His visit had gone smoothly, he had even gotten a chance to train under his mother’s tutelage despite his short stay. But he was tempted to say otherwise so he could take the Vampire with him next time.

"There wasn’t," He went with the truth, heading for the door. He wanted to change into more comfortable clothes, not to mention that there was no fun in speaking with the Vampire when they couldn’t even look at each other.

"Would you like to go fishing when it’s warmer?" Dulce offered generously.

Kath’tan lifted a hand in response, the door closing behind his tall frame.

It did get warm pretty fast, sunlight spilling down from a clear sky

As it got brighter, Ruoxi resolutely refused to rouse, burying his face in Dulce’s stomach to keep out the light.

Asael rose to his feet first, just like the morning before, Dulce would remain where he was if the Incubus didn’t move. "It’s about time for breakfast," He pointed out, pulling the Incubus up by his hair as he didn’t have a shirt to hold onto instead.

Ruoxi didn’t resist, reluctantly rising to his feet to sleepily wander off, the silk bottoms he wore hanging low on his toned waist, visible only for a moment before his hair fell.

Dulce didn’t get up right away, the servants should have already arrived for the day, breakfast was well on its way. He stretched in front of the fireplace, soaking in the warmth of the fire with a content expression.

He then rose to his feet to get dressed for the day, sunny days after a night’s rain were always such a pleasant sight.