He had been right not to expose the fact that he knew about her powers. She never would have thought that way if she was aware; she would think he was using her like her aunt and uncle wanted to.

He had been furious that idiotic bank elf reminded him of what he lost but Ruby somehow sensed he was upset and did her best to distract him. She stayed up far later than she normally did playing that silly constellation game with him…and then slunk off into the forest claiming she needed to find a bathroom.

Ash had a feeling that wasn't it at all because it took her a rather long time to come back. Was she using her powers to make more money for the next day?

He was curious enough to check the trunk shortly before going to bed the next morning—simply to confirm whether or not Jezebel's theory was right—and found a large burlap sack inside. When he opened the flap he was greeting by a blinding sight.

Jewels of every color, size, and shape imaginable glinted at him under the light of the parking structure. There were large chunks of gold and silver as well.

Ash quickly shut the flap and the trunk, desperately hoping n.o.body broke into the trunk of the car and found that. Ruby would be in for a lot of questions from the humans if that happened.

She truly was an endless fount of wealth. If anyone else ever found out about her power she would be in real danger. The very thought twisted his insides with unease. She wasn't even safe from her own family.

He had a hard time imagining someone willingly betraying their own flesh and blood. Then again, he never would have imagined any of his coven members bringing the enemy straight to their castle to save their own pathetic life either.

It had all been for naught in the end. The captured vampire was killed alongside everyone else.

Dorian Cromwell didn't have an ounce of mercy in his entire body. He had been a thorn in his father's side for centuries before Ash was forced to take over during the vampire hunts. The Mayhews purposely settled hundreds of miles from the Cromwells so there wouldn't be any trouble.

Yet trouble found them anyway. He had no idea why that snake decided to strike now after all these centuries of grudge-holding.

The reason didn't matter anyway; the result did. He had slaughtered a bunch of innocent vampires who were doing nothing to harm him or his coven and he would pay dearly for it.

With Ruby's financial a.s.sistance, Ash had no doubt he would be able to hire an army of werewolf mercenaries. They were the only other race of fae that would stand a chance against vampires. As long as he told them the location of the cores they should be able to help him kill them no problem provided he was able to find their castle.

He might be seen as a traitor to vampire-kind by doing this but he didn't care. He had absolutely no intention of interacting with other members of his race ever again after his revenge was complete.

Ash hadn't decided what he wanted to do after it was all over yet. Originally he had planned to either kill himself immediately or languish alone for a few centuries before doing it but now…

As far as he knew, there were only four people aware of Ruby's dangerous secret aside from her. Her aunt and uncle, Jezebel, and him. He and the witch would keep their mouths shut but there was no guarantee those fairies hadn't blabbed to anyone.

Would he truly be able to leave this world peacefully if she was out there unprotected? He couldn't compare the weight of thirty-six lives against one but in the wrong hands her power could affect a lot more than thirty-six people.

Ash was the last being on earth that should be in charge of protecting anyone but it wasn't as if anyone else was going to do it. Perhaps he could make up for his mistakes in some small way by protecting the world from her and her from the world at the same time.

Of course, this was entirely dependent on whether or not Ruby would even allow him to keep traveling with her. A vampire's life was a sedentary one and she seemed like she would go wherever the wind took her.

Everything he knew had already been taken from him. He could deal with the inconvenience and ongoing humiliation of becoming a nomad if it meant the only friend he had left was safe.

When he gave up on poker for the night—he had been too distracted to win anything this time—he found Ruby fast asleep on the bed. She was curled up on her side with her fists tucked up near her face. Her invisible wings fluttered now and then creating a tiny breeze.

A vampire's heart couldn't beat yet Ash felt a strange sort of tightness in his chest as he looked down at her peaceful expression. If she knew how abominably stupid he had been in failing to protect his coven she probably wouldn't want him within a hundred miles of her, let alone accept his measly protection.

And if she knew that he was aware of her powers she would think he didn't care about her at all when nothing could be further from the truth. He cared a lot more than he wanted to.

Ash lay down on the bed and leaned in slightly so their foreheads barely touched. He closed his eyes and chastised himself for daring to care about another fae at all after what happened, let alone such a complicated one.

Ruby was perhaps the kindest creature he had ever encountered. He did not deserve a friend like her.

Unfortunately for her, he appeared to be the only friend she had. She would have to make do with him; he had no intention of letting her down too.

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