Cinn beckoned to a waiter. “Our bills and a doggie bag.” Her stare told Sparkle in no uncertain terms who the doggie was in this group. “I really can’t see any character-building aspects in this whole thing.”

Sparkle looked surprised. “I don’t see why not. You obviously need to loosen up. I was just helping with that.” Her gaze slid to Dacian, and she smiled. “I think Dacian loosened up a lot.” Her gaze drifted lower. “Or not.”

Just as the waiter brought their bills, Sparkle made her point. “The old me would try to match people who were completely different in all ways except for sexual compatibility. That led to lots of conflicts outside the bedroom.”

“Well, you’re doing it again. Dacian and I have nothing in common.” Cinn avoided Dacian’s stare.

Except for the incredible sex. Dacian figured she was way into denial if she wouldn’t even own up to that. But he was into his own denial. He didn’t want to admit that her rejection hurt, because he’d survived this long by not caring whether or not anyone accepted him.

Sparkle narrowed her gaze on Cinn. “You’re refusing to admit this in the same way you refuse to admit that what you do with your plants is beyond ordinary. Wake up and smell the truth, sister. Both you and Dacian are being threatened by a supernatural power. Both of you have lived in your own kind of isolation.” She held up her hand to stop Cinn’s denial. “Just because you’re surrounded by family doesn’t mean you’re not alone. Each of you is misunderstood by the ones closest to you.”

Okay, he took exception to that. He glanced around, noted the other diners’ avid interest, and lowered his voice. “Taurin understands me just fine.” Dacian didn’t care if he sounded defensive. “I chose to abandon him. I walked away and for two hundred years didn’t contact him. He has no brother, not in the true sense of the word.”

“Crap.” Sparkle could be succinct when she wanted to be. “You’ve defied Stephan for two hundred years to keep Taurin safe. The same way Cinn is defying Airmid to protect her plants.” She plunked her money down on the table and turned to leave the restaurant, but she threw a last shot over her shoulder. “My character rating is soaring. I’ve brought together two lonely but caring people who truly need each other.” She glanced skyward. “Put that on your spreadsheet, O Big Boss.”

Cinn avoided looking at Dacian, which just made him mad. So they had nothing in common, huh? More like she didn’t want to have anything in common with a vampire. How about what had happened on the greenhouse table? She’d seemed pretty involved with that. But maybe it was just about the sex. He immediately felt outraged.