Charis wrinkled her nose. “They carry violence with them, infecting the entire area with their madness.”
Hmmm. He folded his arms over his chest. “Why do you think Nefri or I might be involved?”
“The Matron hasn’t shared her suspicions with the younger warriors, but the humans were bitten by two fangs. Most of us assumed it was a vampire who infected them.” She sent him a questioning gaze. “What else could it be?”
Gaius. It had to be.
He could feel it in his very bones.
“Yes, what else,” he muttered.
“Can we play now?”
Santiago barely noticed as Charis moved close enough to tug the leather band from his hair, allowing it to spill down his back. He was far more interested in the scent of jasmine and feminine power that sliced through him like a bolt of lightning.
Suddenly the hunger that Charis hadn’t been able to stir was charging through him at full throttle, hardening and lengthening his body in all the right places.
Hiding a smile of anticipation, he covertly watched as Nefri strolled into the room, her body stiffening at the sight of the young Harpy running her fingers through his hair.
“Maybe later,” he murmured softly, gently dislodging her fingers and pushing her away. “Can we have some privacy, Charis?”
With yet another toss of her head, Charis headed toward the door, pausing to send a flirtatious smile over her shoulder. “I’ll be in the common rooms if you change your mind.”
Waiting until the Harpy had disappeared down the hallway, Nefri offered Santiago a smile frigid enough to give him frostbite. “Please don’t let me interrupt.”
His lips twitched, his eyes running a slow survey down her rigid body. Even with her jeans covered in swamp muck and her hair tangled, she appeared as regally beautiful as always.
Perhaps it wasn’t so shocking that no other woman could satisfy him. None could possibly compare to this magnificent female.
“Jealous, querida?” he taunted, moving to stand directly in front of her.
“Tired,” she corrected him, clearly hoping that he didn’t notice the way her dark eyes dilated with arousal. “The Matron has kindly extended an invitation for us to remain within her nest until nightfall.”
He was instantly distracted. “Invitation or command?”
“We’re not prisoners if that’s what you’re asking, but dawn is less than an hour away.” She gave a dismissive lift of one shoulder. “It seemed preferable to remain here than to risk being caught without a suitable place to rest.”
His eyes narrowed. “And you’ve come to discuss your decisions with your partner?”
“If you prefer to leave I won’t stop you.”
Yeah, like that was ever going to happen. Not until he had fulfilled his promise to Styx, and more importantly, not until he had this aggravating female well and truly out of his system.
“What I want is an explanation for why the Harpies believe the vampires are infecting the humans.”
Her jaw clenched at his smooth attack, but astonishingly she didn’t try to pretend she didn’t know what he was talking about. In fact, she met his gaze squarely. “Not vampires,” she said. “Gaius.”
“So it’s true?”
“Yes. I witnessed the human. He’s . . .” Her words broke off with a grimace.
“He’s what?”
She took a few seconds to answer, her composure a brittle facade that was clearly about to shatter. Santiago resisted the urge to tug her into his arms and offer her comfort. Not only was she more likely to slug him as thank him for his efforts, but he needed to know just what the hell was going on.
“He carries violence with him like a plague,” she at last admitted.
“Did you know this was possible?”
“No,” she denied, her sincerity unmistakable. “But we must warn Styx. He’ll need to send his Ravens to track down any infected humans and contain them.”
He made a sound of disbelief. People accused him of being arrogant? He was an amateur compared to Nefri.
“You expect the Anasso to send his personal guard to clean up a mess that the Oracles specifically told him was none of his business?”
“Yes.”
He gave a rueful shake of his head. There was no point in arguing. Styx would agree that the humans had to be halted before they could cause chaos.
“And what do you intend to do?”
She shrugged. “Find Gaius.”
“And his companion?”
Her expression gave nothing away. “If he has one.”
Santiago gave a low hiss. Not just at her refusal to admit exactly what they were facing, but at the growing fear that they were all stumbling in the dark.
Including the Commission.
“I don’t like this.”
She gave a weary shake of her head, stepping around him without warning to move toward the back of the room. “Neither do I.”
With a swift motion he was blocking her path, ignoring the burst of her icy annoyance that crawled over his bare skin, just a breath from true pain.
“Where are you going?” he demanded.