Page 109 of Sold to the Dark Vampire Prince

Sera shot him an exasperated look. “Do you have to flirt with everything female with legs?”

“I wasn’t, actually.” He raised an eyebrow. “Interesting that it seems to bother you, though.”

Sera’s cheeks darkened ever so slightly, her eyes narrowing.

“Any word on Ava?” Dani asked.

“She’s here,” Sera said. “Evan picked her up from the room where she was staying with Nadine. They’re sleeping in the next room.”

“Oh, thank goodness. Lara never had her?”

“She was with Nadine the entire time. Apparently, Nadine contacted Lara, told her about the mating marks, and said she could get you back to the apartment at a prearranged time for the right price.”

“I was so stupid. Evan kept telling me she couldn’t be trusted. She wanted to kick her out. I said we needed to give her more time for Ava’s sake.” Dani hesitated, the sick, shaky fear of how close she’d almost come to dying making her suddenly queasy. “And I think, when I had to make the decision to go to the auction house, when I saw how easily you could get lost down that path towards blood addiction and never come back, every time I heard Evan say we should give up, go no contact—”

“You imagined her saying the same things to Ava about you one day,” Sera finished quietly. “I’m so sorry, Dani. Not only for how terrible the last few weeks have been for you, but because I know that despite everything else she’s done, Nadine was like a mother to you and Evan once.”

Needing to change the subject, she said, “Do you think I’m strong enough to dematerialize now? Dante said Lara was searching for me. I don’t want to put you or my sisters in danger.”

“I still think we should go.” Sera turned to where Finneas leaned against the wall, hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans. “Alex knew where this location was. Chances are, he’s talked by now.”

Dani pressed a hand to her throat, asking the question she’d been dreading. “Have we heard anything?”

She just needed to know Alex was alive. Anything else, they could survive.

Please, she prayed. Please let him be okay.

“Nothing that we’ve heard,” Sera said gently. “Obviously, I know this won’t make you feel any better, and I’m sick with worry, too, but I don’t think he’s in immediate danger.”

“I can’t feel him anymore.” Dani traced the mark at her wrist. “It’s like he’s gone silent through our bond.”

“That could be from the shackles,” Finneas said mildly. “They drain your magic.”

“Alex is too important for our father to risk hurting him,” Sera continued. “The Cavalieris want Lara on the throne. For that, they need Alex alive.”

“And that gives us time to figure out how to rescue him.”

“Exactly.” Sera turned to Finneas. “You’re sure the glamour will mask this location from outsiders?”

“As of right now, it’s undiscoverable by anyone but the six of us who are currently here.”

“You’re certain there’s no way around it?”

“Wards and glamours can be broken, of course, but in this case, they would both need to know our precise location and have one of our kind working for them who could break through a glamour I cast.”

“Whatever dark fae sold them the shackles couldn’t do that?” Sera raised an eyebrow.

“They might try.” Finneas shrugged. “But the dagger I gave you easily broke through their spell, even when wielded by someone who wasn’t faerie. I wouldn’t lose sleep over this.”

“Forgive me if I don’t exactly trust fae magic right now.”

He laughed softly. “You called me, Serafina. And you’re welcome, by the way.” He pushed away from the wall. “I should get back. My team will be meeting about the events of earlier tonight and I expect my presence is long overdue.”

“You didn’t have to come all the way out here in the middle of a snowstorm, especially when you have your own set of problems.” Sera rubbed her arms. “And I know you could have simply left us to sort out our own political problems and allowed Lara and her father to claim the throne.”

“I’m not sure that particular outcome is in either of our best interests.” His lips curved into the barest of smiles. “You have my number. Text if you need anything.”

He disappeared a moment later, gone back to the fae realm.