Chapter 13
“Have I ever said that I hate sewers?” Dru muttered.
“I believe I’ve heard this before.” Talbot chuckled. The vampire warrior pried a steel covering off the opening to the sewers that ran beneath Butterbush.
Dru rolled her eyes in the most un-general-like manner. One would think that in the year they were living in, no vampires would still be underground. It wasn’t uncommon, but Dru really hated the sewers.
“They’re hot, dark, and always stink.” Dru stepped forward decked out in her fighting leathers. She drew in a deep breath and pulled a dagger out of its sheath. She glanced down and shook her head. “Here we go.”
She jumped down and landed on her feet in a defensive crouch, her grip on her weapon tight.
Not sensing any threats, she motioned for Talbot and the others to follow suit.
She took a few steps forward and eyed their surroundings.
They all landed without making a sound. They were after information, and the vampire who supposedly had it was located in the underground community.
The scent that greeted her had her scrunching her nose.
As the general, she could have easily sent her men to obtain the information, but that wasn’t the way Dru operated. She was going to be hands-on with this particular mission. The queen trusted her, and Dru wasn’t going to fail.
She sighed. Just hours ago, she’d been between the thighs of one of the most beautiful women she’d ever seen.
Her scent had been something Dru wanted to drown in.
Something that she’d want to smell every day.
Tomesha’s blood had been so damn addicting.
Dru had to fight the savage nature to drink more than she had.
The memory of Tomesha lying in the bed when she’d left came to the forefront of her mind.
Her curvy frame had barely been covered by the blankets. Dru had a hard time walking away, but it was for the best. She couldn’t afford to have a distraction while here in Butterbush.
But she had to admit Tomesha’s blood had given her such strength. She felt as if she could face ten full-blooded lycans at the moment. Her gums ached and stretched as her fangs threatened to fall.
She had to stop thinking of Tomesha. Not focusing on the mission at hand could get her or her warriors killed. She blinked and tried to push the tempting memory of Tomesha reaching her climax on her tongue from her head.
Fuck.
“According to the instructions, we need to go this way.” Talbot brushed passed Dru.
She blinked and looked around at her warriors. None of them seemed to notice their general had been lost in memories. They were securing the area and ensuring they were alone in this part of the sewers.
“Very well. Lead the way.” Dru marched behind Talbot.
Niles, who’d been sent ahead to scope out the town, had located this contact for them. She just hoped that the human wasn’t sending them into a trap. She’d go and personally visit them if so.
She wasn’t one to cross.
They continued through the maze of sewers.
They had stopped carrying water long ago.
What flowed through the sewers now was life of a different kind—vampires clinging to the old way of existing.
The tunnels stretched endlessly beneath the town, a labyrinth of collapsed archways and broken pipes that groaned like dying beasts when the earth shifted.
The air was damp and rank. The stench of mildew mixed with smoke from the fire pits where some squatters burned scraps of wood and trash.
Dru scowled. She hated to see her people like this.
Why they refused to come to the surface, she never understood.
People moved like shadows through the tunnels.
Violence lingered in the air. Dru could almost taste it.
These vampires governed themselves and rarely came to the surface.
Even the rogue vampires didn’t venture down here.
It wasn’t a place to live. This was a place to survive. And down here was someone who had information on the whereabouts of Solomon Winterborne.
The hairs on the back of Dru’s neck rose. They were being watched. She was sure it wasn’t often they saw royal warriors in their little world. Dru tightened her hold on her dagger.
“There.” Talbot jerked his chin.
Dru followed his gaze and saw where they needed to travel. The market sat in one of the widest chambers of the old sewer system.
“Let’s hurry so we can get the fuck out of here,” Dru murmured.
The warriors behind her echoed the same sentiment. They navigated their way through the packed area. The floors were slick with grime, uneven from collapsed stone and broken tiles.
Rickety stalls leaned together, cobbled from scavenged crates and rusted pipes and raggedy material as awnings.
Vendors called out their wares, their gazes watchful as the crowd grew thick.
Dru’s careful gaze moved along each of the vendors, trying to identify the person they were here to meet. A figure came to stroll next to her.
Niles.
“Do you see him?” she asked.
“I do, General. Second to last stall over on the right,” he said.
Talbot, in the front, heard him and gave a confirming nod.
“Everyone else spread out. Talbot and Niles, you’re with me,” she instructed.
They headed over to where Niles mentioned. The older-looking male glanced up and took notice of them. He whispered to the young male who was working the table with him before he turned and walked away. They picked up speed and followed him away from the central area of the market.
Their contact slipped through a narrow gap in the wall, a crack half hidden by a decaying pillar.
Dru pushed past Talbot. She’d be the first to go after the contact.
The air was thicker in this area, heavy with the sour reek of stagnant water and waste.
They were led into a rectangular room, the low ceiling dripping with condensation into dark puddles on the floor.
The walls were brick, blackened by mold and decades of dirt.
In the center stood a battered table, its legs uneven. A lantern burned low upon it, the flames weak but providing enough light. Dru’s eyes adjusted. Chairs were placed around the table. The male stood off on the other side of the table and met her gaze. Talbot and Niles paused behind her.
“Do you know who I am?” Dru asked.
“Aye. I do. Even word reaches the likes of us down here. You’re General Dru Moldark and you’re here for information,” the male replied.
He eyed the dagger in her hand, then flicked his gaze to Niles and Talbot.
“Those weapons are not needed. I am a very old vampire, and believe me when I say that I have never wielded a sword in me life.”
Dru slid her dagger into her sheath. He’d be a fool to try anything with the three of them. She nodded.
“And your name?” She arched an eyebrow at him and folded her arms. It was wise that he knew who she was. Hopefully it gave him less of a reason to try to cross her.
“Roderick. Please have a seat. It’s not much, but mine nevertheless.” He motioned to the table.
“We would prefer to stand. We won’t be here long, depending on the information you provide,” Dru said.
He nodded slowly. She strode across the room and stopped at the table. Scattered parchment papers lined it with a few gold coins.
“I figured as much,” he replied.
Talbot and Niles shifted behind her. She didn’t need to look to know that they were covering the door.
Dru reached into her leather vest and pulled out a small velvet bag that held a hefty amount of gold coins. She took one out and placed it on the table. She pushed it to the middle of the wooden structure.
“I trust that this conversation between us will be discreet,” she murmured.
Roderick’s gaze fell on the gold coin. His eyes widened at the sight of it.
“I’ve never seen you a day in me life,” he muttered.
She lifted her hand from the coin, satisfied by his response. He practically dove across the table and snatched up the money. He eyed it before slipping it into his pants pocket.
“I am looking for a vampire male. Someone who’s supposed to be dead. He was once known by the name of Solomon Winterborne,” she accounted quietly.
She gripped the bag in her hand and kept it in Roderick’s eyesight. He eyed the pouch and nodded.
“Is that so?” Roderick met her gaze. “What did this Solomon do? Why would a general for the crown be looking for him? Especially if he’s dead?”
“That’s my business,” Dru replied dryly. She pulled out another coin from the bag and held it between two fingers where he could see it. “Now are you someone who has information that I need, or are you wasting my time? I assure you, you don’t want to be wasting my time.”
Dru flashed her fangs. Roderick’s audible gulp was the only sound aside from the water dripping from the ceiling.
“I may have information.” He combed his fingers through his dark hair and nodded. His gaze was now locked in on the coin she held. “What did this vampire do?”
She put it down on the table but this time kept it near her.
“He’s a traitor,” she growled. “And anyone helping this traitor will become an enemy of the crown—and me.”
Roderick took a step back from the table. He glanced around at her warriors, then returned his gaze to her.
“I know someone. He’s aboveground. He lived here for years, then about ten years ago he went to the surface. He comes back here once in a while. He may be who you’re looking for.” He eyed the prize on the table.
She smirked. It was funny how a few gold pieces could get a person to talk.
“And if this person is who I’m seeking, why are you willing to give him up?” she asked.
“I don’t want to become a target of the crown. It’s just me and my boy. I don’t want any trouble with the royal family.” He rested his hands on the table and met her gaze head-on. “If I tell you where he stays, will me and my son be safe?”