Chapter Twenty-Eight
MARIUS
Steam followed me out of the shower the next morning. I wrapped a towel around my waist and wandered out to the bedroom, where I found Mina perched on the edge of the bed, staring at the paintings propped against the wall.
“Are you worried they’ll walk off?” I joked.
She shook her head, too deep in thought to laugh. “Just amazed at what I’m looking at.” She gestured toward the painting on the right. “I can’t get over the idea that that was in Vincent van Gogh’s hands, and now it’s in mine. Well, in a manner of speaking.”
I strode over, picked up the painting, and thrust it at her. “Now it’s in your hands.”
“Careful!” she admonished, holding it like…like a priceless painting, I supposed.
Watching her made me grin, because her awe and wonder were a joy to behold.
Then my grin stretched, because she turned and looked at me in the same way.
Behold — something priceless. And it’s all mine, her glowing eyes said.
Shifter eyes, my dragon whispered.
Maybe even dragon eyes, I realized. Someday, I would work up the courage to ask.
Maybe even someday soon, because a night spent holding Mina made one thing perfectly clear. There was no way I could leave her. Not now, not ever.
I had one burning question that couldn’t wait, though. I just hoped it wouldn’t ruin a nice morning.
“If I let you ask me anything, would you answer something for me?” I ventured, figuring that was a fair trade.
She looked at me, going quiet. I steeled myself for something like, Depends on the question.
After some serious — and seriously scary — consideration, she licked her lips and said, “Remember what you said about not letting this mean something?”
I gulped hard. Had I really been dumb enough to say that?
But I had, so I nodded.
“I want this to mean something,” she whispered, looking at my hands, not my eyes. “I want to give it a chance, at least.”
My throat went dry, but I got the truth out. “I want that too.”
Her eyes jumped to mine, full of hope — and fear. Then she nodded. “I’m glad. Really glad,” she smiled shyly, then went serious again. “But if that’s the case, we shouldn’t need to make deals with each other. Just ask, and I’ll answer.”
My cheek twitched, because she was offering trust, raw and unguarded. Trust I would have to reciprocate. Both sides of that equation terrified me.
It scared her too. I could see that. And yet, she had enough faith in me to offer hers up like a tiny, defenseless bird. Something I could crush easily.
I swallowed hard, then nodded. “I wanted to ask about how you got into the library. The second time, I mean. Bene said he saw a sentry posted there.”
She knotted her hands together. “There was.”
“How did you get past him?”
More thinking, and finally, a nervous answer. “The same way I got past Henrik that night he was in my attic.”
I waited, because that still mystified me.
She put the painting aside, then motioned for me to sit beside her.
“Have you ever heard of shadow-walking?”
When I nodded, she didn’t say anything. She just looked at me, waiting.
Then it hit me. “Whoa. Wait. You can shadow-walk?”
She nodded slowly. “Sometimes. Also, he was distracted. And it was dark. And—”
“You can shadow-walk?” I repeated stupidly.
I didn’t know much about magic, but I knew shadow walking was a rare skill. Rare, as in one in a million.
“Yes, but—” She tried playing it off, but I wasn’t buying it.
“And you shadow-walked away from Henrik that time too?”
She nodded, looking miserable. “My grandmother taught me. I’m not very good at it, though. I’ve only ever done it a few times, and—”
I took her hand. “Why are you apologizing? That’s amazing.”
She snorted. “I only inherited a tiny bit of magic, and it comes and goes. I don’t really have any control over it.”
“Maybe you just need more practice.”
She blew out an uncertain breath. “Not sure I want to.”
A few seconds ticked by in silence, which I finally broke. “Well, I think you’re amazing, and not just because of the shadow-walking.” She opened her mouth, but I covered it gently. “Thank you for answering. I won’t tell anyone, if that’s what’s worrying you.”
She started to object, but I knew I’d touched a nerve there.
Bene hollered from outside. “Rise and shine, ladies and dragons. Our fearless leader has called an AAR starting right now.”
I groaned. Mina cocked her head. “AAR?”
“After action review,” I muttered. Roux loved going by the book.
“On our way,” Mina called back. Then she faced me with a wry grin, clearly ready for a change in subject. “Well, I guess it was a good thing we didn’t shower together. Separately turned out to be faster.”
I made a face. “Faster, but less fun.”
Her smile lit the room, and her eyes danced.
“What?” I cocked my head.
She blushed. “I might be corrupting you. Fun didn’t seem too high on your agenda when we first met.”
I snorted. “If anyone is doing the corrupting, it’s me.” Then I grew more somber. “As for having fun, maybe I forgot for a while. But now, I remember, thanks to you.”
Fun. Pride. Honor. The list of what Mina reminded me of went on and on.
I kissed her knuckles, because I could see her eyes better that way. Amazing, sky-blue eyes full of joy, hope, and other dangerous things.
Then she took an extra-deep breath — her reset button, I was starting to learn — and stood. “We’d better get ready. The sooner we get this over with, the better, right?”
I reached for pants and a shirt, hoping it would be that simple.
* * *
It wasn’t. Meetings with Roux never were, and having Bene and Henrik around always complicated things.
Except Henrik wasn’t there, and Delphine was beside herself.
The dining table stood in the morning sun, warm and inviting. A mountain of food crowded a shaded side table. Eggs, bacon, fruit, fresh juice… It would have been heaven if Delphine hadn’t been in her own personal hell.
“Shouldn’t he be back by now?” She paced around.
Bene set down a plate piled with food and flopped into the chair beside Roux. “I’m sure he’s fine.”
An uneasy feeling settled into my gut — a feeling confirmed when a car pulled into the drive and Henrik stumbled out like a man who’d long since lurched from drunk to hungover. And since vampires got drunk on blood, not alcohol…
Roux, Bene, and I exchanged grim looks.
“Henrik!” Delphine cried.
She ran over and flung her arms around him, then stepped back to look him over. His tux was askew, and the tie dangled listlessly from his hand. His pocket square was gone, along with one of his cuff links, and his hair was a mess.
“Oh, Henrik!” Poor, oblivious Delphine fussed. “Are you all right?”
The morning breeze carried the scent of blood, sex, and something else.
My nostrils flared, and I blanched.
Bene frowned and whispered, “I’m sure I know that perfume…”
Crap. I did too.
Mina wrinkled her nose and muttered, “‘Good Girl’ by Carolina Herrera.” Then she went perfectly still.
Celeste, my dragon growled.
Delphine went stiff, and her face fell. She backed away from Henrik, all shaky in the knees. “You…you…”
Mina jumped up to support Delphine. With her free hand, she shoved Henrik — hard. “You piece of shit!”
“Good morning to you too,” he muttered, stumbling toward a chair in the shade.
Mina guided Delphine toward the main house.
“Come on, Delphine. He’s not worth it.”
They disappeared into the house, but even then, I could hear Delphine wail.
No one at the table spoke, but the air zinged with angry energy. Me, most of all, which was weird. I hated Celeste. Why did I care if she slept with Henrik?
Because it’s wrong, my dragon grumbled.
Apparently, I was developing a conscience. Maybe Mina really was corrupting me.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Roux finally burst out. “You know what Celeste is.”
Succubus. The word ran through my mind like a curse.
I could only be so angry with Henrik, though, because I’d fallen for the same spell.
Never again, my dragon vowed. Never again.
“You were supposed to keep an eye on her, not fuck her, dammit,” Roux ranted.
Henrik made a face. “I might have underestimated Celeste. Her powers are…rather overwhelming.”
“Overwhelming? You’re a goddamn vampire!” Roux thumped the table, making the silverware jump. Then he sniffed. “Fuck. You drank from her, didn’t you?”
Henrik leveled a cold look at him. “And if I did?”
Roux fumed. “Idiot. Succubus blood…”
Henrik’s eyes drooped as he savored the memory. “Delicious. Distracting. And rather potent, I have to admit.”
“You’re lucky you didn’t wake up with a stake in your heart,” I grumbled.
“Technically, he wouldn’t wake up,” Bene pointed out cheerily.
No loss to the world, I couldn’t help thinking.
Henrik scowled. “Lucky? No. She tried. I stopped her just in time.”
Too bad, I nearly blurted.
“Then what? Don’t tell me you let her go?” Roux demanded.
Henrik flapped a hand. “It seemed like a fair trade.”
Bene snorted. “Let me guess. You were too sluggish to stop her.”
“I might have been,” Henrik admitted, closing his eyes and settling back.
Mina reappeared alone, shooting daggers at Henrik.
“Dammit. Celeste could be heading for Gordon with a full report right now,” Roux muttered.
Henrik shook his head. “Celeste won’t talk. I made sure of that.”
“How?” Roux demanded.
Mina made a face, muttering, “Do we want to know?”
“Simple,” Henrik said. “I made it clear the way things stood.”
I huffed. “Like what? That our original plan failed? That Mina is in Mallorca with us?”
Henrik shook his head. “Our plan was working. It was Celeste who nearly botched the job. She’s the one who has to worry about us talking to Gordon, as I made perfectly clear.”
Bene snorted. “Before or after she took you to bed?”
Henrik gave him an icy look. “Both, if you must know.”
Roux’s brow furrowed. “He’s right. Celeste won’t want to discuss the details of last night with Gordon any more than we do.”
I grumbled in disgust, but the tiger had a point.
“She won’t talk,” Henrik said with whatever smug dignity he could gather. “So, a win-win in the end.”