Roke glared at his king. Traitor. “I’m glad you can find humor in this.”
Styx shrugged. “Imagine my reaction when I found myself mated to a pure-blooded Were.”
An emotion he refused to identify darted through Roke at the thought of this powerful vampire with Darcy. There was no mistaking the fact that the two adored one another and had no embarrassment in displaying their love whenever they were together.
Not that he wanted that sort of mating, he hastily reassured himself. His heart and loyalty belonged to his clan.
“It’s not the same,” he said roughly.
“No, I don’t suppose it is.” With a grimace Styx reached to grasp Roke’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, my brother, we’ll figure this out.”
Roke avoided glancing at the woman who had turned his life upside down. “We damned well better,” he muttered.
There was an awkward silence as Roke felt Sally take a deliberate step away, shaking off his clinging hand.
“Now tell me about this book,” Styx commanded.
Resisting the urge to wrap his arm around the female and tuck her back against his side, Roke rigidly concentrated on Styx’s abrupt change in conversation.
“It was hidden in a safe that was bricked over in an abandoned warehouse ten miles north of here.”
Styx nodded, not bothering to ask how Roke had managed to knock through the bricks to expose the safe. “And why do we need a witch?”
“Because it’s protected by black magic,” Sally answered. “Deadly to anyone foolish enough to touch it.”
Styx curled his lips in the typical vampire reaction to magic. “Can you get rid of it?”
Sally hesitated before giving a wary nod. “I think so, but the magic was more potent than any I’ve tried to deal with before. It will take time and specific ingredients to prepare a counterspell with enough punch to break through.”
Styx was speaking before Roke could protest. “Darcy will get what you need.”
“Fine, but I’m not returning to the dungeons,” she warned. “If you want my help, then you can’t treat me like a prisoner.”
The Anasso studied her with a narrowed gaze. “I have your word that you won’t try to escape?”
She blinked in surprise. “You trust the word of a witch?”
“Do I have your word?” Styx repeated, his voice as hard as granite.
Sally shrugged, lifting her arm to reveal the mating mark. “I swear I’m not leaving until you get rid of this. Good enough?”
Styx gave a rueful nod. “Good enough. You’ll find Darcy in the kitchen. Just tell her what you need.”
Clearly thinking it had to be a trap, the tiny witch backed her way out of the door, never taking her gaze off the massive Aztec warrior.
Roke watched her wary departure with gritted teeth, telling himself to let her go. The more space between them the better.
But the instant she was out of sight, his good intentions shattered. With a muttered curse he was heading out of the room, catching his fleeing prey just as she was turning the corner.
“Sally.”
Coming to a grudging halt, the witch turned to send him a sullen frown. “What do you want? I already gave my word I wouldn’t escape.”
“You don’t have to,” he said, grabbing her wrist to study the delicate tattoo with a brooding gaze. Mate. “There’s nowhere in the world you could go where I wouldn’t find you.”
It took a minute for her to realize that their connection meant he would always know where she was. Hell, he would know what she was feeling, and if he truly concentrated, he would know what she was doing.
The blush faded to a sickly white, her eyes velvet dark. “Then what do you want?”
Want? His fangs lengthened. What he wanted was to yank her into his arms and sink his aching fangs deep into her throat. His body wasn’t conflicted. It accepted this woman was now his and it wanted to indulge in all the benefits of a mate.
But, Styx was right, as much as he hated to agree with the oversized mother hen.
Besides, he had a more pressing reason for charging after her.
“Is this spell dangerous?”
“It can be if I make a mistake in mixing the ingredients or when I cast the actual spell.” She frowned, clearly baffled by his question. “But you don’t have to worry, I’ll create a protective circle before I begin. You won’t be in any danger.”
He took a step forward, standing close enough to be drenched in her peach-scented warmth. “And you?”
She licked her dry lips. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s simple. Will you be at risk?”
“The caster is always at risk. Why?”
His thumb rubbed her inner wrist, lingering on the feel of her racing pulse as his gaze rested on her damp lips.
Oh . . . hell.
He was in trouble.
Ass-deep, never-be-the-same-again trouble.
“For better or worse you’re my mate,” he rasped.
“So . . .” Her eyes widened in sudden horror. “Oh. Do vampires die if something happens to their mates?”
He shuddered, unable to even imagine the devastating sense of loss.
“No, but I’ll wish I was dead.”
Chapter 20
Outside the dragon lair
Nefri ignored Santiago’s bristling annoyance as she stepped toward the small female demon.
“Yannah. Did your mother send you?”
Yannah gave a sniff, waving her hand toward the scowling vampire and sulking gargoyle. “I’m not allowed to say in front of them.”
“Ah.” Nefri wisely hid her smile as she pointed toward the small copse of trees. “Perhaps we can step over here?”
Santiago made a strangled sound. “Nefri, we don’t have time for this.”
Yannah widened her black eyes, the heavy pressure of her magic beginning to swirl through the air. “I’m a messenger from the Commission,” she announced. “Everyone has time for me.”
Without warning Levet tossed his hands in the air. “There. You see? How is a man supposed to live with such a bossy creature?”
Nefri sent a warning glance toward Santiago, who had a sudden glint of amusement in his eyes. “Careful.”
“Hey, I’m not saying a word,” he said, an exaggerated expression of innocence on his handsome face.
“Good choice,” she murmured, turning back to the female demon. “Shall we, Yannah?”
Together they moved over the uneven ground, not halting until they were far enough away to avoid being overheard by even a vampire.