Page 121 of Hoofin’ It

I flinched, as did Marian.

“These people who helped him have tentacles?”

Quinton chuckled. “Yes. They’re the residents of these caves. They’re also the ones who help maintain the illusions over the canal and help the survivors get back into Lower Chicago. They’re friends with Papa.”

“All right. And he doesn’t need to go to the ER?”

“I’m fine, Marian. Tired, but fine.”

She shot a glare at me but sighed and touched the scar above my right eye. “You lost your eye.”

“Oh, the Babylonians took it.” I shrugged. “It’s all right.”

With wide eyes and her mouth gaping open, Marian stared at me. “Babylonians?”

“Well, I suppose there’s no use hiding it from her now.” Quinton scowled at me and sighed. “Abil Ili?”

Although I’d been able to spot the pair of Babylonians near the entry, I hadn’t noticed Abil Ili until he separated from the crystals beside us, dipping into a bow, his crest rustling while the rest of his body gleamed in rainbow hues. “I’m honored.”

Marian made a strangled noise in her throat and went limp against me. My eyes widened, and I held onto her. “Marian?”

Quinton covered his mouth with a hand, but I could hear him snickering.

“Oh dear. We were right to worry. She reacted rather poorly when we grabbed her in the water. She screamed loud enough to stir the ire of the dead below.” Abil Ili crouched in front of Marian, and the fluid covering his claws faded from black to a pale blue. The Babylonian watched his hands, waiting until the last of the black dripped away before reaching up and touching Marian’s shoulder, pricking her with a single claw. “This will help her stay calm when she awakens. It suppresses emotions—all emotions—making fear easier to handle. The effect will only last an hour or two, but long enough for her to adapt to our presence, yes? Quinton?”

“She’s tough. I don’t think she would have had a problem if she hadn’t been stressed worrying about Gibby. Gibby, I’ll carry her. Abil Ili, he’s still unsteady on his feet.”

“I will make sure he does not fall. Let’s go inside, then we will feed our guests so the storytelling may begin.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Deep within the crystal cavern complex, I discovered the glory of Rome blended with the exotic splendor of Ancient Egypt. A ziggurat, carved of shining gemstone and embraced by a sparkling river, rose from an opal floor. Most wouldn’t view its seven stories as impressive, but something about it gave the sense of looming majesty.

“A few cultures did learn from us,” Abil Ili murmured, gesturing to the archway leading into the structure. A path of pale crystal spanned the still, clear waters. “Within, you will find comforts appropriate for the humans we had once longed to teach, food to nourish your body, and peace to soothe your soul.”

Quinton sighed, shifting Marian’s weight in his arms. “She looks dainty, but this woman sure knows how to pack on the muscle, doesn’t she? She’s no wilting lily.”

“Trust me, I noticed.” I liked it, too. I appreciated that Marian was a capable woman who could protect herself—and do anything she set her mind to. “What can I say? I’m my father’s son.”

“And werewolf males get off on their women beating the snot out of them.” Throwing back his head, Quinton laughed. “She’s tough enough to handle you. You’re perfect together.”

“To handle me?”

“Gibby, you shoot innocent vampires in the kneecaps because you can.”

“Innocent?”

I had to concentrate to walk a straight line, but I didn’t need Abil Ili’s help to reach the ziggurat. The instant I stepped across the threshold, I held my breath. I knew the room; I’d stepped through it countless times in Michietti’s. The entries were identical, including the mosaic on the ceiling. “Quinton?”

“A reminder of who and what we were and who and what we’ve become,” the vampire murmured, and in his tone, I heard a plea to drop the subject.

I did, shutting my mouth with a clack of my teeth.

Abil Ili led us through an archway off the foyer to a sea of cushions awaiting us. Dipping into a bow, he gestured to the room, a riot of brilliant colors cradled in golden crystals peeking between Roman columns. “Nest to your comfort, and I shall bring sustenance for us.”

Unlike the two Babylonians I’d spotted, when Abil Ili disappeared, I couldn’t spot any sign of his presence. I stepped into the room, stepped onto a thick layer of cushions instead of solid floor, and fell on my face with a startled squawk.

Quinton laughed, took more care descending into the cushions, and lowered Marian onto them. “I should have warned you. You all right?”