“Yes.”
“Do you know what it means?”
Nefri shrugged. “I don’t have a clue.”
“Fantastic,” Santiago growled. “So are we supposed to wait around for the Oracles?”
Nefri didn’t hesitate. With every passing minute the danger to the world increased. “No. We need to find Gaius.”
Santiago studied her with a searching gaze. “And then?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” she admitted. Siljar had demanded that Gaius be captured, but Nefri wasn’t going to sacrifice Santiago. If push came to shove she would kill her former clansman, and she would do it without hesitation. “But he has to be stopped.”
Santiago nodded. “Yes.”
Their gazes held as they silently shared their growing concern, then the moment was interrupted as Levet pressed his face against her leg to sniff her jeans.
“Why do you smell like dragon?”
With a low growl, Santiago leaned down to grab the gargoyle by his stunted horn, pulling him away from Nefri as if he was jealous of the tiny creature. “Does he have to come?” he demanded.
She gave a firm nod. “Yes.”
Levet yanked free of Santiago’s grasp, glaring at the male vampire. “What is the matter with you?”
Santiago scowled. “Do you have to ask?”
“Hey.” Levet gave a sharp flap of his wings. “It is supposed to be farts before tarts.”
“What the—” Santiago made a sound of disgust. “Oh, for god’s sake, it’s ‘bros before hos.’”
“That is not very polite,” Levet protested in shocked tones, his gaze moving to Nefri. “Forgive his crassness, ma belle.”
“I do my best,” she assured the gargoyle.
“I need to call Styx and update him,” Santiago muttered, digging his phone out of his front pocket. “I’ll meet you at the truck.”
She sent him an overly innocent smile. “If you insist.”
“Oh, I insist.”
With a light touch on Levet’s wing, she steered him toward the rugged path that eventually would lead to the truck parked in the foothills. As much as she enjoyed watching the tiny gargoyle drive Santiago nuts, she didn’t want him pressing his luck.
Poking at an angry male vampire was never a good idea.
“Come along, Levet.”
They’d left the meadow and were traveling down the narrow path when Levet returned to his previous question. “You were with a dragon?”
“We were.” She grimaced, wishing the powerful beast had offered more than vague warnings. “He revealed this spirit that we’re tracking might be the creator of vampires.”
The gray eyes widened in shock. “Truly?”
“Yes.”
“That sounds . . .” Levet shuddered in horror. “Sacrebleu, I do not even have the words.”
Nefri gave a slow nod. “My thoughts exactly.”
Even driving like a bat out of hell (a rather appropriate metaphor for a vampire), Santiago was forced to accept that they weren’t going to reach Gaius.
They could have ditched the truck and moved faster on foot, but expending that much energy would have meant facing the vampire and a potential god of vampires when they were at their weakest.
Santiago was impulsive, but he wasn’t suicidal.
Seeming to come to the same conclusion, Nefri sent him a questioning glance over the head of the ridiculous gargoyle who was perched between them. “Can you sense him?”
“He’s still north of us.” Santiago grimaced. “Close, but too far to pinpoint before dawn.”
She nodded. “We should find a place to rest for the day.”
“Oui.” Levet abruptly seemed to come awake, bouncing up and down on the seat. “Finding caves is my specialty.”
Santiago shuddered. Twelve hours stuck in a damp cave with this aggravating gargoyle? No way in hell.
Which was exactly why he’d chosen this particular route. Thank the gods.
“Actually Viper has a club not far from here.”
Nefri blinked, as if surprised by his claim. “Another club?”
“He has a dozen or more.” Santiago shrugged. “Some higher rent than others.”
Her brows drew together, no doubt expecting the usual offering of blood, sex, and violence. “And this one?”
“The Summerset Club is one of the more elegant establishments.” He sent her a wry grin. “Not one cage or orgy to be found.”
He expected a responding smile; instead Nefri studied him with an oddly searching gaze.
“Does it bother you?”
“Orgies?” He gave a teasing waggle of his brows. Not that he’d ever been into public displays. And now . . . he couldn’t imagine being intimate with any female but Nefri in public or private. “Not at all.”
She refused to be distracted. “The fighting.”
He knew what she meant. After spending centuries fighting for his life on a nightly basis, no one had been more shocked than he was when Viper suggested that he manage a club renowned for its cage matches.
But after spending time in the club, he finally realized it was exactly what he needed.