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I shake my head. “Still missing. Egan claims that Celine Dumont stole it from him before she died.”
Rune huffs. “Everything for the last twenty-five years has always led back to Celine and the Dumont witches.”
I scrub a hand down my face and reconsider Rune’s offer for a drink. “What about Sebastian?”
“What about him?”
“Do you think Josie could be his Unity Witch?”
Rune’s eyes widen, his usual hazel overtaken by the signature vampire red from his recent blood intake. “Bas and Josephine? You really think so?”
I shrug. “I wondered if what we feel about Josie is the by-product of a growing bond between her and Sebastian—and, in turn, our bond with him.”
“Can a vampire form a unity bond more than once?”
“I’ve never heard of it happening, but I don’t know that it isn’t a possibility. The bonds are still a relatively new thing. Celine died. Maybe that affects something… maybe it transfers the bond to an heir.”
He grunts. “There’s a lot we don’t know about the clusterfuck the witches caused. I wouldn’t mind getting closer to our new guest to test a few things out—maybe do a bit of experimenting.”
I don’t have to read emotions to know where Rune is going with that.
“I have claimed responsibility for Josie,” I remind him.
“No need for hostility,” he says, a smile still on his face as he holds his hands up in mock surrender. Everything is a joke to him. “What about a little healthy competition between brothers?”
“This is not a competition, Rune. That is not how the unity bonds work.”
“Says who?”
“Says… I don’t know. Fate?”
“Fate?” Rune snorts. “Did I just hear the level-headed, pragmatic Fintan use the word ‘fate’ without rolling his eyes? Shit, maybe the Dumont witch is yours—if fate has spoken.”
I don’t appreciate the mocking.
“And did I just hear Rune, the brash, sumph of a vampire, use the word pragmatic correctly? Impressive.”
“That was just rude.” His dejection hits hard, but the resulting guilt that swamps me is worse.
“Sorry. I’m tired and cranky.”
“Don’t you worry, blood of mine. I’ll not lay a hand on your claim.” Rune pats me on the shoulder before climbing into his king-sized bed. He gets situated under the covers as if he’s human. “Unless Josephine comes onto me first. At that point, she’s fair game and may the best vamp win.”
His head hits the plush pillow, and he’s out, leaving me standing at the edge of his bed, still reeling from our conversation.
I’m still not sure where Rune’s head is right now, but at least I’ve ensured Josephine’s safety from my brothers. Now I just need to figure out how to keep myself in check.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
JOSIE
I had all day to think of a plan of attack, but by the time Fintan returns to release me from my newest prison cell, I’m still not sure how I can escape from an entire horde of lethal vampires.
To be fair, most of that time was spent napping.
I didn’t mean to fall asleep, but as soon as I crawled onto the gaudy canopy bed, I was done for. After throwing off the heavy blanket, I laid my head down and was gone.
Vampire-induced unconsciousness must not be the same as getting a good night’s rest the old-fashioned way because, despite being out for nearly an entire day after Rune’s forced slumber, I slept for another twelve hours.
