Page 56
He blanched at my tone. “My apologies.”
With a glare, I turned around, scanning the other occupants. Voices that lowered rose again with multiple faces sneaking furtive glances. I had no doubt Annalise had immediately utilized her slave to spread dissent the moment I left her chambers. Simon had used diplomacy with his questioning, but the underlying message was there.
I needed to do something, and soon.
Chatter near the door caught my attention, along with a familiar voice. In a blink, Kiam stood before me—but he wasn’t alone.
A young vampire had the back of his neck clutched in my friend’s fist, his extremely long, dark hair swinging about as he wrestled against him.
“This is Zaynan,” Kiam announced. “A bit feral, I might add.”
Quickly, I sized the newcomer up. His chestnut brown eyes were shaded and lined as was customary for our kind; his skin was nearly blemish-free other than a couple of small scars. He’d met a cursed blade or fingernail at some point in his wanderings.
His hair was another matter. He wasn’t pure blood and the liquid in my veins ran cold. The sheen of his hair suggested demon, however that wasn’t quite it.
“Where did you find him?” I circled the tall, flailing man. He was nearly as tall as I was.
Kiam yanked him back as if he was corralling a dog. “Napping in a penthouse.”
“Alexander will kill you for this,” Zaynan snarled at him, snapping at him with his teeth.
“No, he won’t,” Kiam stated, shaking him.
Zaynan’s nails flashed through the air and Kiam gave them a quick glance. The fingernails shattered, transforming into dust. “Perhaps Josiah will have his way with you,” Zaynan threatened.
Kiam didn’t even look at him. “I’ll be seeing him soon for tea, thank you for the reminder.”
The man calmed, narrowing his eyes at my friend. “Why did you bring him here so soon?” I asked.
The entire space was watching us. Some were horrified and others were overly curious. Annalise would be furious with the messy display of poor manners.
“Several alarms were tripped. I didn’t have enough time to investigate,” he wrapped a thick wad of hair around his wrist, “due to this fucking baby.”
“Your crows?” He had a massive flock that, from what I’d seen, kept trespassers far away from his home.
“Useless.” He glanced at me. “Have fun with your new charge.”
He thrust the man at me and Zaynan spun around, intending to run. “Kiam,” I snarled, shoving a finger toward his face, “this is your responsibility, not mine.”
“Annalise’s orders,” he replied, walking away. He stopped and turned around again. “Lukas?”
I switched my gaze from Zaynan to Kiam, my mind blank.
Kiam smirked and lifted dual middle fingers. Several gasps rose around me. “You can go fuck yourself.”
Then, he disappeared.
CHAPTER 18
Lukas
“What are you?” I asked Zaynan. Several people had moved closer to us, conveniently needing drink refills.
I dragged the man several feet from the bar. “Vampire, but more. You’re not demon,” I said.
Zaynan laughed. “As if I would tell you.”
I pressed a finger to his forehead, trying to see what I could pick up. When I told Cassia I couldn’t read minds, I wasn’t lying. Thoughts were transient, ephemeral things. But biological processes such as age, health, and visuals were another matter. The practice took exorbitant amounts of energy and was used sparingly.
