Xi traveled through the tunnels like a whisper. Barely stirring the air, he moved from shadow to shadow, observing the numerous demons who gathered in the massive cement tunnels that had once been a part of Chicago’s reservoir plan. Logically, the vast cement passages would seem to be a perfect place to convert into lairs. They were dark and damp and well hidden from the crowded streets of the city. But most vampires preferred natural caverns. They weren’t fans of the stark industrial stench of cement and rusty iron.
That reluctance might explain why there was so much rubbish tossed around. A vampire’s meticulous habits could be damaged when they were stuck in a nasty environment. Or maybe the layers of trash were caused by the hundred or so demons that moved in and out of the tunnels. The gargoyle’s warning had indicated that there were more than just a couple of rebels living beneath Styx’s feet. Xi, however, hadn’t expected such a diversity among the demons. It wasn’t just vampires and Weres. There were fairies and brownies and several mongrels.
Why would they interest themselves in vampire business?
It was a question that Xi wasn’t going to be able to answer by lurking in the shadows.
After a full twenty-four hours of watching the various creatures who lived in the hidden liar, Xi at last went in search of the female Were who’d sent the warning. He’d easily picked her out from Levet’s description.
Watching her interact with her fellow rebels, he’d determined that she was kept at a distance by most of the demons, as if they hadn’t yet decided whether or not to trust her. Or maybe they resented her presence because of her past. It was no secret that she’d sacrificed her pack and nearly overrun the world with a tide of evil to gain power.
Whatever the case, she didn’t appear to be a beloved member of the group.
Moving in silence, he entered the side tunnel she’d claimed as her own. It was far enough from the others to offer the illusion of privacy. He glanced around the cramped space, which held a mattress tossed on the hard ground and a few clothes piled on a chair. That was it.
With his usual caution, Xi stepped into the space, already prepared for the rush of heat as the hidden Were leaped forward to press a silver dagger against his neck.
“Stop right there,” Brigette warned.
Xi turned to glance at the female, who was glaring at him with smoldering eyes. And promptly froze in shock.
He’d seen her, of course, as he’d spied on the rebels. And a part of him had been captivated. Not by her slender curves or the pale perfection of her face, which was framed by a tumble of lush, crimson curls. Or even the dark eyes that contrasted sharply against her smooth skin. He was a vampire, not a human with an obsession with surface beauty. No, he was far more intrigued with the powerful grace of her body beneath her jeans and her chunky ivory sweater. She had a bold, in-your-face attitude that gave her a swagger as she moved past the disapproving gazes. It revealed a fierce spirit that was far sexier than the shape of her slender nose or the plush softness of her lips.
But seeing her at a distance and having her up close and personal were two different things.
Two very different things.
The eyes weren’t just brown, but a rich, velvet darkness that lightened to gold at the center. And her skin wasn’t pale; it was as creamy and soft as the petals of the chrysanthemums that he remembered from his homeland. Even her hair was more vibrant, with shades of copper and bronze and gold mixed with the red.
And her scent…warm and spiced with heather.
She was a sensual wonderland of erotic temptation.
For a long moment, they simply stared at one another, as if they were both knocked off guard by the meeting. Then the spell was broken as Brigette narrowed her eyes. Obviously, she was angered by her reaction.
“Who are you?” she snapped, pressing the dagger until he felt the silver sizzle into his flesh.
Too smart to try to jerk away from the lethal blade, he instead held himself perfectly still.
“I’m Xi, one of the Ravens. Styx sent me.”
The dagger bit deep enough to draw a drop of blood before Brigette lowered her hand and stepped away.
“What took you so long?” she asked.
“I don’t rush into situations.” He glanced around to make sure that there was no one hiding in the shadows. Once assured that they were alone, he turned his attention back to the female. “The Anasso wants to speak with you.”
She held the dagger loosely in her fingers, but she didn’t put it away. A less than subtle warning.
“Then why didn’t he come?”
“He assumed it was a trap.”
She blinked, as if surprised by his blunt honesty. “If I wanted to trap him, I’d be a little more creative than mysterious rebels lurking in dark tunnels beneath his city.”
Xi shrugged. “He’ll meet with you at his lair.”
Her brows pulled together, and he assumed she was going to argue. Most demons had an independent streak. And female Weres had a streak a mile wide.
But she surprised him, by slowly nodding her head. “First, I want to get something.”
“What?”
She headed out of the side passage. “Follow me.”
He reached to grasp her arm, spinning her back to meet his frown. “Not until you tell me exactly where you’re going and why.”
Her jaw tightened as she jerked away from his touch, but with a visible effort, she maintained her temper.
“The leader of this merry band of misfits has a stack of scrolls she claims were recently sent from Styx. She has them locked in her office.”
Well, that wasn’t what Xi had been expecting. “Scrolls?”
“Pieces of parchment with writing on them and rolled into cylinders. Some even have pretty ribbons.”
“I know what they are.” He did his own share of temper maintenance. “I also know that Styx has never used a scroll in his very long existence.”
“How can you be sure?”
It was a legitimate question. It wasn’t as if he’d spent every minute of every day with the Anasso. Xi, however, was confident that his master had an aversion to communication that could be traced by an enemy. Letters, texts, emails. And most certainly scrolls.
“If Styx has something to say to someone, he does it face-to-face. It avoids any misunderstandings.”
“All the more reason to get the scrolls, so he can see them for himself.”
Xi considered her words. He didn’t think it was a trick. He’d been watching her long enough to have sensed a potential snare. But the night was swiftly passing, and as a vampire, he had a lethal aversion to the dawn. He wanted to get this female to Styx’s lair as soon as possible.
His gaze skimmed over her face, taking in the stubborn line of her jaw. She wasn’t leaving here without those damned scrolls. He waved a hand toward the opening.
“Lead the way.”
Holding the dagger in a light grip, Brigette headed out of her private space and entered the large tunnel. They traveled a short distance before she crawled through a narrow vent that opened into an annex tunnel. This one wasn’t nearly as large as the others, and worse, it had a groove running down the middle of the cement floor that was filled with stagnant water. The walls were covered with a greenish mold that filled the air with a pungent scent, and the ceiling was low enough to brush the top of his head, forcing him to walk bent over.
It was dank and cold and unpleasant, but walking directly behind Brigette, Xi found himself wrapped in the warm scent of heather. Suddenly, the tunnel wasn’t nearly as unpleasant.
A delicious shiver raced through Xi.
He’d never been so vibrantly aware of another creature.
It was oddly exhilarating.
And dangerously distracting, he sternly reminded himself.
They walked in silence, both aware that voices would echo through the long tunnel. Even through the thick cement, he could hear the sound of voices seeping from other parts of the underground maze. At last, she reached another vent, and with a gesture to follow her, Brigette squeezed through. Xi swiftly followed, finding himself in a dark space that was filled with rubble. It looked like a dump space for the humans who’d constructed the tunnels. There was also a rusty set of rebar steps leading toward a heavy hatch in the ceiling. An emergency exit? Probably.
Brigette glanced over her shoulder. “Wait here.”
“No.”
She made a sound of impatience. “This isn’t a trap.”
“I wouldn’t have followed you if I thought it was.”
“Then why are you being a pain?” she snapped.
Xi shrugged. “I don’t want you disappearing.”
“Why would I disappear?” she asked in confusion. “I called to warn you guys, remember?”
Deep inside, Xi knew he wasn’t being entirely reasonable. It wasn’t like she could evade him. Now that he had her scent, he could track her anywhere in the world. But he couldn’t shake the strange compulsion to keep her in sight.
“I’ll go with you.”
His tone was reasonable, but it was blatantly obvious he wasn’t going to compromise. Brigette clenched her teeth, looking like she wanted to throat-punch him.
“Fine.”
With a toss of her glorious hair, she turned to cautiously push open a door that had been carved into the cement. She paused, no doubt ensuring there was no one nearby before she stepped into the dark room. Xi was less than an inch behind her, his gaze quickly skimming over the large space.
There was a heavy mahogany desk in one corner, along with several file cabinets and wooden shelves that were stuffed with books. A large map of the world had been pinned to a bulletin board. There was also a heavy steel safe set next to a pile of weapons that ranged from wooden spears to AK-15s. Something for anyone, he wryly acknowledged.
“This is Maryam’s office,” Brigette absently explained, heading toward the safe. “Make yourself useful and keep watch while I open the safe.”
During his earlier sweep, Xi hadn’t managed to get this deep in the tunnels. The female vampire had been wise enough to travel with a full battalion of guards, including her pet Were, Roban. It hadn’t been worth the risk of exposure. Now he realized he should have suspected that Maryam would have a hidden exit. A leader would have to be stupid not to have a back door for a quick escape.
He curiously watched Brigette punch in a series of numbers on the electronic pad. “You know the security code?”
The female concentrated on pulling open the door of the safe. “I was in the room when Maryam opened the vault. A sloppy mistake.”
Xi arched a brow. “You memorized a key code with fifteen symbols after seeing it once?”
“I didn’t see it. I heard the beeps. They’re very distinct,” she muttered, clearly distracted. “And I remember most things. Unfortunately.”
Xi was impressed. That was the sort of talent that could come in handy. With a faint smile, he moved across the room to pull open the door that led to the main tunnel. He couldn’t sense any demons in the area, but he didn’t intend to be taken by surprise.
He heard the sound of rustling papers and caught the scent of parchment before the safe was closed with a soft click. A minute later, Brigette was standing at his side.
“I’ve got them,” she murmured in a soft voice, holding up the lacquered wooden box she held in her hands. “How did you get in here?”
“This way.”
He released his powers, muting his presence. It would also help to disguise Brigette’s scent as long as she stayed near him. Then, heading down the tunnel, he led her to a side passageway.
She touched his arm. “Are you sure?” she whispered. “I’ve searched these tunnels, and this is a dead end.”
“I have a portal waiting for us,” he assured her.
She snorted. “Handy.”
Xi continued through the labyrinth of tunnels, at last pausing as they reached the blank cement wall. There was nothing there to indicate a portal. At least not to him. Vampires had no ability to detect magic. But he’d made a precise mental note when he’d stepped out. He had no intention of fumbling to find his escape route. Not when he was in enemy territory.
Xi reached to grab Brigette’s hand, despite the fact that she could no doubt see the opening. He didn’t care. He wanted to touch her. It was that simple.
And that complicated.
Stepping forward, they were encased in darkness. Usually, traveling through the portal made Xi itchy. He hated magic. Any kind of magic. This time, he barely noticed the darkness or the weird prickle that crawled over his skin. The petty irritations were utterly overwhelmed by the explosive heat that seared through his skin and raced through his body.
He told himself that the intoxicating warmth was the result of touching a Were. They ran hotter than any other creature, including humans and fey. But that wasn’t it. He could have shoved his hand in an oven and it wouldn’t have caused such an intense reaction.
In the blink of an eye, they were stepping out of the darkness and onto the empty street in front of Styx’s lair. Brigette tugged her hand free, but the motion was slow, almost reluctant. Had she been enjoying the contact as much as he had?
He thought he detected a faint shiver race through her body, but she hastily turned away from him, inspecting their surroundings.
“Where are we?” she asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.
Xi didn’t blame her. The elegant neighborhood, with ginormous homes and yards that looked like football fields, wasn’t what most demons expected for the King of the Vampires.
Xi nodded toward the largest mansion, which rose from the surrounding gardens like a brick-and-mortar behemoth.
“That’s the Anasso’s lair.”
She sent him a startled glance. “It must be nice to be the king.”
“Not really. It’s usually a pain in the ass.”
Xi spent most evenings dealing with potential threats. Not only to Styx, but to the vampires in general. He’d recently returned from a remote island where a rare breed of sylphs were capturing vampires and sacrificing them to their god of fertility. It’d taken time, but he’d at last convinced them that the future of their small tribe depended on finding another way to have more children. But he’d been around Styx enough to know that his evenings were usually filled with tedious complaints from vampires who acted more like petulant children than masters of the night. Along with demands that he perform miracles.
Brigette shrugged. “Why are we out here? Why not open the portal inside his lair?”
“Styx doesn’t allow magic in his house.”
“Is he afraid?
“You can ask him yourself.” Xi headed toward the mansion. “Although I wouldn’t suggest it.”
* * * *
Brigette stupidly assumed nothing could shock her. Not after the savage destruction of her pack, the bleak years as a servant to the evil Beast, and then being captured and thrown into the mer-folk dungeons. That didn’t even include her last adventure traveling through various dimensions in search of a magical means to ease her guilt. But Xi had proven her wrong.
Wrong on an epic scale.
The second the tall vampire had stepped into her private space she’d been…rattled. She’d thought it was because she hadn’t been able to sense him. No scent, no icy power, not even the sound of a footstep. He’d simply appeared as if by magic.
But it wasn’t confusion or surprise that thundered through her as she’d taken in the stark perfection of his face and the fascinating tattoos on the sides of his skull. It wasn’t even lust. She’d felt her first stirring of desire when she’d encountered the male Jinn a few months ago. Kgosi had managed to remind her that she was still a young female in her prime.
Nope, it was pure stupefaction.
There’d been something about the dark eyes. There were like deep pools of mystery. Yeah, it was hokey. But they really were deep pools. The sort that made female hearts flutter. Including her own. And the way he studied her, as if he was seeing the parts of herself she kept fiercely hidden. She was being stripped bare, and yet she hadn’t felt exposed. Instead, she’d been…comforted. As if he’d seen her tainted soul and accepted her without judgment.
Then they’d stepped through the portal, and she’d been blasted by his icy power. It was like flipping a switch. One minute, there’d been nothing, and the next…bam. His energy had vibrated through her, sending shock waves of awareness detonating through her.
Suddenly, her breath had lodged in her lungs, and the most ridiculous certainty settled in her heart. It whispered that something fundamentally important had just occurred. As if her life could be divided in two. Pre-Xi and post-Xi.
Which was stupid, of course.
Nothing had happened, she sternly chided herself. The King of the Vampires had finally condescended to meet with her and sent one of his flunkies to collect her.
End. Of. Story.
She fiercely held on to that thought even as she trailed far behind Xi as he led her across the manicured lawn and through a side door into the house. No use being distracted by the searing sensation of his icy touch. Or the evocative scent of cedarwood. Right?
They moved through wide corridors with sparkling chandeliers and priceless works of art nailed to the walls. And by the time they reached the private study, Brigette was wondering if there was any marble left in Italy. There had to be acres of the stuff zigzagging through the endless hallways. Like a marble maze studded with gold.
No doubt, most creatures would find the place beautiful. And it was. But to Brigette it felt like a monstrous trap.
Life had taught her that nothing came for free. The cost this place must demand on a soul wasn’t worth paying. At least not for her.
At last, she was standing in front of the male she’d been trying to reach for the past two days.
“So you’re the King of the Vampires?” Brigette allowed her gaze to trail over the Anasso.
He was an impressive sight. His six-foot-five frame was incased in black leather, and his black hair was woven into a braid that fell to his lower back. His face was lean and bluntly carved, with eyes that held an ancient wisdom. At the moment, that face was lined with a weariness she assumed had something to do with Maryam and Roban’s constant attacks.
“I am,” he admitted in a deep voice.
She tilted back her head. At six foot, she rarely had to look up at anyone. Still, she wasn’t going to let him intimidate her.
“I thought you would be bigger,” she drawled. “With horns and a tail.”
The ground trembled as Styx released a portion of his legendary power. Behind her, Brigette thought she heard Xi mutter something about stubborn idiots in low tones.
“And I thought you would be smarter. It’s not the wisest decision to show your face after you tried to destroy the world.”
Brigette’s smile remained, although she covertly balled her hands into tight fists. She would endure endless torture before she’d reveal her raw regret for the past.
“Well, I’ve never been over-burdened with brains,” she assured him.
Styx narrowed his eyes, but before he could continue the unpleasant conversation, there was a scent of granite, and a tiny shape appeared in the open doorway.
“Mon amie.” Levet moved forward, his fairy wings shimmering and a charming smile adding a beauty to his lumpy features.
Genuine joy melted Brigette’s heart. This gargoyle was the only creature in the entire world who treated her as if she was more than a traitor who should be destroyed.
“Levet.”
The gargoyle waddled forward, gently touching her arm. “I am so delighted to see you. I feared you might never leave that moldy village.”
“So did I,” she admitted.
“So why did you?” Styx asked.
Brigette had given some thought to her reasons. Her only conclusion was that it was complicated.
A part of her had been curious, a part had been aggravated, and another part had been bored and seeking a distraction from her self-imposed exile. Why not travel to Chicago and discover what was happening?
Then, after she’d arrived, she’d become caught up in her role as a spy. For the first time in five hundred years, she was thinking about something besides herself. And it’d been…exhilarating.
She chose the easiest answer. “I don’t like people intruding into my territory and assuming they can manipulate me into using my evil powers for their benefit.”
Levet frowned. “You no longer have evil powers.”
Brigette shrugged. “That’s not the point.”
“If you were pissed, you could have run them off,” the Anasso said, his voice edge with suspicion. “Or killed them. There was no need to travel all the way to Chicago.”
“I wanted to see for myself what was happening. They claimed that the new King of the Vampires not only intended to enslave the vampires, but the Weres as well.”
Styx grunted, as if her words had caught him off guard. “Why the hell would I enslave anyone?” He waved a hand around the office, which was stripped of most of the froufrou nonsense that filled the rest of the house. “If it weren’t for Darcy, I wouldn’t even have servants. I would live alone in my caves.”
Brigette shrugged. “Roban also said you were going to send the Weres to Italy. Something about their old hunting grounds.”
“They should be so lucky,” Styx muttered. “Salvatore has done nothing but bitch and gripe about the weather in Kansas City. He would love to return to Italy, although I doubt he’d be willing to be confined to his old hunting grounds.” Styx paused, as if struck by a sudden thought. “Still, I might consider the possibility. The mangy fur-bag too often forgets that I’m at the top of the food chain.”
There was a glint in the Anasso’s dark eyes. As if he was deliberately trying to provoke her. A wasted effort. She had no loyalty to Salvatore, the King of Weres. She’d never met the male and had no interest in being part of a pack. She’d given up any right to a family.
“Maryam has proof,” she told the towering vampire.
“Show me.”
Brigette held out the wooden box. “In there.”
“Oh.” Levet’s wings fluttered. “A mystery box. Can I open it?”
Styx took the lacquered container, then, with a mocking smile, he shoved it toward the gargoyle. “Knock yourself out.”
Levet wavered, clearly torn between his insatiable curiosity and the realization that there might be something dangerous hidden inside.
Folding his hands behind his back, Levet wrinkled his snout. “On second thought, you should have the honor.”
There was a whisper of a chilled breeze as Xi stepped past her, in full Raven mode. Taking the box from his master, he flipped open the lid. Styx leaned forward, peering inside.
“Scrolls.”
Brigette rolled her eyes at his puzzled tones. “Why are vampires so baffled by scrolls? My uncle devoted endless hours to reading and creating them.”
“Only a fool writes down his private thoughts or secret plans,” Styx informed her with an arrogance that set her teeth on edge.
“Really?” Brigette drawled. “Then why do they have your signature? And your fancy-ass official seal.”
Xi took a scroll from the box and studied the wax seal before he unscrolled it. Was that what you did to scrolls? Unscroll them?
Whatever you called it, Xi handed the opened scroll to Styx. “She’s right.”
“Thanks, Captain Obvious,” Brigette mocked.
Xi merely regarded her with a steady gaze, but the Anasso released a warning growl. “You do know I could kill you and no one would care?” the king demanded.
“I would care,” Levet promptly protested.
Warmth stole through her heart even as Styx made a strangled sound of irritation. “You don’t count, you chunk of granite,” the vampire snapped.
Levet stuck out his tongue, but Brigette was already turning away. She’d finished what she’d come there to do. She didn’t have to stick around to be insulted by a leech.
“Let them burn the world to the ground, I don’t care,” she said. “Enjoy the Armageddon.”
“Stop.”
She glanced over her shoulder, her steps never slowing. “You’re not the boss of me.”
“I’m…sorry.”
The harsh words brought Brigette to an astonished halt. Slowly, she turned to confront the massive vampire.
“Excuse me?”
Styx looked as if he’d had a lemon shoved in his mouth. Or maybe up his ass. He was definitely puckering.
“I’ve been under a lot of pressure lately. It’s made me a little…”