Unlike Louisiana, northern Wisconsin was already in the grip of late autumn. The night air was edged with frost and the countryside filled with sugar maples that were in full glory, painting the dark sky in shades of gold and crimson.
Locating a remote cabin in the middle of a thick patch of woods, Gaius made swift work of the elderly couple, draining them dry before burying them deep in the rocky ground. Then, ensuring his beloved Dara was comfortable in the upstairs loft, he spent the remainder of the night covering the windows with heavy shutters and reinforcing the doors, belatedly thankful that his essence had been destroyed weeks ago by the witch. No one would be able to follow his trail.
Still it was only when he was certain that he’d made the place as safe as possible that he climbed the narrow stairs and crossed the wood-planked floor to the bed covered by a handstitched quilt.
His feet briefly faltered as the body in the center of the bed faded to a black mist, as if it were as insubstantial as a cloud. Then, the darkness coalesced into a slender female form that was covered in a short skirt and halter top he’d found in his previous lair.
A figment of his imagination, he assured himself, ignoring the fact that it wasn’t the first time his mate had appeared less than . . . corporeal.
Continuing forward, he gazed down at the perfect oval of Dara’s honey-tinted face framed by a curtain of straight, blue-black hair. She was so beautiful, he acknowledged with a pang of longing.
Exquisite.
A daughter of the desert.
Carefully, he perched on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his black hair he kept short and slicked back from his lean face, which had once been considered handsome with a wide brow and prominent nose. Although now it was covered with dirt and blood, making him look more like a savage than the proud Roman general he’d once been.
Even his black chinos and silk shirt that had once been pristine were wrinkled and torn and so filthy they were impossible to recognize.
He needed to remember something, he thought in confusion. Something important. But what?
Almost as if sensing his growing confusion, Dara lifted her lashes to reveal eyes as dark as the night sky. “Gaius.”
He leaned forward, unconsciously careful not to touch her. “Yes, beloved?”
“I need to feed.”
He frowned at the soft words. “Again?”
“I’m still weak.”
Gaius shuddered. He was a vampire who had more than a passing acquaintance with violence. During his years with the Dark Lord he’d committed atrocities that would once have sickened him.
But Dara’s uncharacteristic lust for feedings that were as depraved as they were bloody was more than disturbing. They were dangerous.
“Yes, but—”
“Is something troubling you, habibi?”
“The humans become annoyingly agitated when their families begin to disappear.”
“So?”
“We just got settled here.”
A pleading expression touched her beautiful face. “Do you want me to suffer?”
“No, of course not,” he harshly denied. “What if I bring you a few demons? An imp or some fairies?”
“And draw the attention of the Oracles?” A strange heaviness filled the room. “Don’t be stupid.”
A warning fluttered at the edges of his mind. “The Oracles.”
She slowly sat upright, her liquid gaze holding him with a gripping intensity. “I warned you, habibi, they will send me back if they learn I have escaped my grave.”
Stark fear filled his heart at the mere thought of losing his mate. He’d mourned her for decades. He couldn’t endure such loss again.
“I will protect you with my life,” he swore.
A smile of satisfaction touched her lips. “Yes, you will.”
Chapter 5
Louisiana wetlands
Santiago’s seething frustration was briefly forgotten as he glared at the pale face that flushed with anger. Her quiet, aloof perfection was transformed into a vivid, blazing beauty that seared through him, changing him on some fundamental level.
The odd thought had barely time to form before Nefri was smoothly returning behind her frigid barriers, her emotions retreating to a place he couldn’t reach.
Santiago’s hands clenched, a snarl caught in his throat. He didn’t know why her icy composure set his teeth on edge, but the sight of her rigid expression made him want to smash through her defenses. She could play the ice princess with everyone but him.
Never him.
Ignoring his power, which sizzled through the air and stirred the silken curtain of her ebony hair, she squared her shoulders, as if preparing herself for some unpleasant duty.
“Can you find Gaius?” she at last demanded.
He studied her with a brooding gaze. “He’s moved far enough away that I have only a general direction, but once I’m closer I won’t have any trouble cornering the bastard.”
“Then I will allow you to lead me to him.”
His eyes narrowed. “You’ll allow me?”