Ravenfall. Narrelle M Harris

They reached the kitchen and Gabriel poured and gulped down two glasses of water. James sank onto a chair, everything as superficially normal as usual.

      The pensive moment froze.

      Gabriel broke the silence. ‘Will you still help me find out what’s going on? Despite what happened tonight? We have to find out who’s doing this. That… vampire said I was a step on the way to something else. What do vampires want with me?’ He looked suddenly young and fearful.

      James rose, but he was afraid to reach out – although it was the only thing he wanted to do. Reach out and press a comforting hand to Gabriel’s shoulder; to pull him into an embrace.

      ‘I swear to you Gabriel, we’ll find out, and we’ll stop them. I won’t let anyone hurt you.’

      Gabriel’s gaze dropped to James’s torso, where the stake had torn a hole in his body; where the mouthful of Gabriel’s blood had made that wound heal like a miracle.

      ‘Don’t let…’ Gabriel cleared his throat. ‘Don’t let any of the bastards s-stake you, either. I don’t want to lose you.’

      It seemed too early for a declaration like that. Too early, or much, much too late, James thought. He did succumb to the impulse to reach out, though, and squeezed Gabriel’s shoulder gently.

      Impulsively, Gabriel pressed a kiss to James’s cheek, and then vanished into his room.

      James pressed his fingers to the spot. He could feel the shape of Gabriel’s lips on his skin; and he felt it there, warm and tingling, all the long and wakeful night.