Jian’s task was simple. He was to protect the bodies of the Master of Akana House and his two servants that Jian had found hidden in the Oubliette. They weren’t entirely certain what Marakel had done to them to put them into such a deep sleep, or how to awaken them. Hell, they didn’t even know what the bastard intended to do with them.
But the Masters all agreed they had to keep the unconscious males out of the hands of the Sovereign.
Jian’s first thought had been to stash them at one of his estates. He possessed a dozen homes spread across Asia, but he wasn’t a fool. He didn’t doubt for a second that Marakel had spies everywhere. And that even now they were being watched.
So instead, he’d commanded his servants to spread out in different directions, while he’d concealed the bodies on his private helicopter that was to take Taka to a boat waiting in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. From there the Watchman would travel to a small, uninhabited island that had a dormant volcano where Akana and his men could be protected by a small contingent of guards.
“Yep.” Taka held up his phone. “I’ll download them into my GPS once we’re out to sea.”
“Once you’re in the helicopter I’ll send out three planes at the same time. With the additional cars, trucks, and vans that are already heading across Asia, that should distract anyone who’s keeping an eye on our activities, but you still need to stay off the radar,” he warned his companion. “And make sure the bodies are stashed deep enough in the volcano that they can’t be—”
“Did you intend to tie my shoes and wipe my ass before I leave?” Taka abruptly interrupted.
Jian cocked a brow. “They weren’t on my list of things to do.”
Taka snorted. “Good, because I’ve been the captain of your Watchmen for a long time. I don’t need to be told how to do my job.”
Jian grimaced. No question he was fussing like a mother hen.
Not really an image he wanted for himself. Unless it involved his lovely mate…
“Sorry. We’re all a little on edge,” he said, his voice raspy with weariness. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept. “The future of our people is hanging in the balance.”
Taka nodded, his gaze covertly sliding toward the male Incubus who was slouched in a chair next to the bar.
Tiege, Master of House Furia.
The Incubus was a tall male with a sculpted face that was more forceful than handsome. He had an arrogant thrust of a nose, high, chiseled cheekbones, and eyes the color of polished copper surrounded by thick lashes. His lips were thin and were framed by a well-groomed goatee. They could be cruel or sensual, depending on his mood. His black hair was just long enough to curl at his nape and fall in a silky swath across his broad brow.
Currently he was wearing a designer charcoal suit with a brilliant crimson shirt and gold tie that matched his House emblem of a phoenix.
A decadently beautiful male who seethed with sexual energy.
And, unlike Jian, he didn’t hesitate to take advantage of what was being offered in the exclusive lounge—plates of food, an open bottle of wine, and an enthralled female who was currently perched on his lap.
“Some of us are more on edge than others,” Taka muttered.
Jian’s lips twitched. Tiege looked like he was waiting for an orgy to start, not preparing to travel to the Mojave Desert so he could raise the dead. Of course, he was fairly certain that there would be at least one or two orgies once the male arrived. The Incubus would be staying in Vegas, after all. Sin City was the ultimate destination spot for an Incubus.
“True,” Jian murmured. “Although there’s no one better to discover the truth behind the pendant.”
During the meeting of the Masters it was decided that someone had to discover the meaning of the pendant recently discovered by Sorin. The magic that was contained inside was clearly powerful. The Masters needed to know what it was, and if it posed a danger to them.
Since the magic was clearly Succubus, and there hadn’t been a female sex demon around for centuries, they had no choice but to call on the voices of the past to guide them.
“How did you convince him to help?” Taka demanded.
Jian studied the male across the lounge, an ancient regret twisting his heart. “He claimed his brother, Petros, insisted that he represent the House of Furia.”
Taka narrowed his gaze. “You think there’s more to it?”
Jian nodded. “My House suffered deeply when my grandfather stood against Marakel and his claim to the Obsidian Throne, but nothing could compare to Tiege’s loss.”
“You mean Portia?” Taka asked, referring to the betrothed mate of Tiege’s brother. The gentle young female had disappeared over a century ago and was never seen again. After his loss, Petros had stepped aside as Master of his House, handing the reins to Tiege and going into deep seclusion. “I know she disappeared, but no one really speaks of what happened.”