Roke snorted. “Don’t you have a village to plunder, Goth-boy?”
Styx allowed his power to slice through the air with an icy edge. The surrounding vampires flinched in pain.
Clearly the Anasso was in a mood.
“Jagr, I’ll leave it to you to arrange the patrols. Make sure no one goes alone,” he commanded, his dark gaze never wavering from Roke. “You, come with me.”
Not giving Roke an option, Styx grabbed him by the upper arm and led him down the marble hallway. They halted on the landing of the wide staircase.
Roke pulled free of his companion’s grasp, studying Styx’s tense features. “Is Santiago in trouble?” he abruptly demanded.
The older vampire grimaced. “Santiago spends his life skirting on the edge of trouble.”
“Perhaps I should have asked if he was in more trouble than usual.”
“No, his call was concerning Gaius.”
“What about him?”
“It seems the bastard has acquired a nasty new talent.”
That didn’t sound good.
“Should I ask?”
“Santiago claims that his former sire is capable of infecting humans with his bite.”
“Infecting them with what?”
“Violence.”
Roke frowned. Was this some sort of joke? “I don’t understand.”
“I don’t either, but I’m sending out scouts to make sure we prevent any unwelcome surprises,” Styx muttered.
“Perfect.” Roke pounced on the excuse to escape the lair. “Sign me up.”
“Not you.” Styx swiftly shut him down. “I need you to stay here.”
Roke barely swallowed his growl of annoyance. “Why?”
“I’m leaving in a few minutes to try and gain an audience with the Oracles.”
“And?” Roke prompted.
Styx shrugged, his expression guarded. “And I need you to protect the lair.”
Roke was getting a bad feeling about this.
A very bad feeling.
“And?”
“And to keep an eye on our guest.”
Shit, he knew it.
“The witch?” he ground out.
“Unless you’ve added to our collection in the dungeons?”
“Why would I?” He planted his hands on his hips, glaring at the older vampire. “I don’t want to take care of the one we’ve got.”
“It’s only until we’ve discovered what the hell is going on with Gaius.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“Easy?” Styx met him glare for glare. “Would you rather go speak with the Oracles?”
Oh . . . hell, no.
Not that he was about to admit as much to the towering Aztec in front of him. “You know what I want,” he instead snapped.
Styx paused, studying Roke with a piercing intelligence. “Is there something going on with this witch I should know about?”
Roke clenched his hands. What was there to know about? That he’d spent the daylight hours plagued by the thought of warm ivory skin and glorious autumn hair that smelled of peaches? That he’d had to force his feet to carry him to the library rather than heading down to the dungeons?
“Not a damned thing,” he snarled.
Styx lifted a brow, but he was smart enough to keep his opinion to himself. “Good, then I want you to question her again,” he said. “See if she knows anything about the supposed infection that Gaius is spreading.”
Roke was shaking his head before Styx was done. “Get someone else. She won’t talk to me.”
Styx leaned forward, the air taking on a distinct chill of irritation. “Then make her talk.”
“Torture?”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake. I don’t torture helpless females locked in my dungeons.” Styx shook his head, the tiny turquoise amulets threaded through his long braid tinkling at the movement. “I meant charm. You do remember how to seduce a young, beautiful woman, don’t you?”
A combustible heat scalded through his lower body, assuring Roke that he remembered in exquisite detail how to seduce a beautiful woman, even if it had been far too long since he’d felt like indulging in it.
Until now.
Dangerous.
“She’s not a woman, she’s a witch,” he muttered.
“Christ. Fine,” Styx snapped in exasperation. “I’ll send Spike to—”
“No,” Roke interrupted before he could halt the harsh words. There was no way Spike was getting anywhere close to Sally. The younger vampire would have her flat on her back and his fangs deep in her throat before she knew what was happening. And that was . . . unacceptable. Why? That was a question he didn’t intend to answer. “I’ll take care of the witch.”
Chapter 9
Harpy house in Louisiana
Santiago woke with every expectation of finding Nefri in his arms.
Why wouldn’t he?
They’d come together in an earth-shattering explosion of pleasure. More than once. The sort of pleasure that made lovers want to linger in bed and explore one another for hours. Days. Perhaps centuries.