Free Life's Blood (The Cordelia Chronicles) by Heather C. Hudak

off the table, and he knew it. He’d hit below the belt with that comment. I grabbed my pillow and tossed back the blankets.

“Where are you going?” he shouted as I took off down the stairs.
    I didn’t respond. If he wanted to talk, he’d find me sleeping on the couch.
     
    ***
     
    Morning came, and I awoke to the sound of bacon frying on the grill. The events of the night before came back to me in a rush. I was still angry. Chaseyn’s words were harsh, but he was right. I had driven a wedge between us. When we were alone together, all I talked about was finding the cure. I was obsessed. And he’d supported me in every way possible--we’d passed on at least three parties so I could spend the time in the library instead. But it still bothered me that he wasn’t working harder to help me find what we needed.
    I laid still a while longer with my eyes close. I wasn’t sure what would happen when I rose, so I held on to the silence a little longer. I contemplated what I would say and how Chaseyn would react. I also wondered how he would greet me. When I could no longer lay still, I twisted free from the throw that was keeping me warm, and stretched my arms over my head.
    “Good morning,” Chaseyn said, his voice was raspy.
    “Good morning,” I replied coldly.
    Silence. Neither one of us knew what to say. I sat looking out the window at the fresh snowfall, while Chaseyn went about his business in the kitchen. I had yet to face him, and I wasn’t ready to just yet. And that’s when I felt his presence come up behind me. A second later, his arm slipped over my shoulder, passing me a steaming cup of coffee.
    “Peace offering,” he said.
    “Thank you,” I replied.
    “I hate fighting with you,” he said, leaning over the back of the couch to wrap his arms around my shoulders. “Don’t ever leave me alone in bed again, okay?”
    “Only if you promise me something in return,” I said, turning so my knees were touching the back of the couch. I was gazing up into Chaseyn’s jade green eyes.
    “Anything if it means everything will be okay.”
    “Make me French toast,” I said, batting my eyelashes flirtatiously. “You know, the kind you stuff with mixed berries and cream cheese.”
    “Your wish is my command,” he replied.
    “Oh, and one more thing,” I added before he could take more than a few steps back toward the kitchen. He turned to face me again.
    “After breakfast, you’ll help me scan the stack of books I brought home from the library last night to look for any clues about the cure.”
    “I knew there was a catch,” he chuckled. “I suppose I could agree to that.”
    Chaseyn went to work preparing my favorite of the meals Mina had taught him how to make over the past few months. I watched the muscles in his arms flex as he cut the berries, and I longed to run my fingers along his smooth skin.
    Regardless of how he had been behaving, I loved him more than any one person should be allowed to love another, and I knew in no uncertain terms that he felt every bit the same way about me. The electricity that sparked between us--even from across the room--was palpable. Chaseyn looked up at me then through his lashes and flashed a toothy grin without missing a beat. My eyes connected with his for a brief moment before he turned to grab a loaf of bread from the pantry.
    I was reluctant to let up on my research because I had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that we had less time left than Chaseyn had anticipated. I would just have to take another approach. I would find a more positive way to get him onside with my plans. It was the only way to make this work.
    “We’ll be okay,” I said quietly, but I knew Chaseyn wouldn’t be able to hear over the sound of the French toast frying. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Chapter 10 - Holidays
     
    “So grams, Cordelia tells me you’ve been helping her and Mina research potential cures for my condition ,” Chaseyn said, popping a fresh-baked