“Uhm, no,” Vaughn replied, utterly confused by Briggs' reaction. “She was really sweet and funny. Beat my ass at a game of pool, though, and drank me under the table. We left the club at 5:30 this morning and I noticed Taylor fucking Caplin stalking her. He was waiting outside when we walked out.” He spat Taylor’s name with more venom than I’d ever heard come from his mouth. I understood why if he thought she was his mate. I didn’t like Taylor either. I think maybe we should pay him a visit soon. I’d love to scare him senseless and then compel him to forget so we could do it all over again. For a whole month straight. Just terrify him until he has a heart attack. Death by scare. It was fucking perfect.
“Wow.” That was all Briggs had left to say as he nodded his head. Dumbfounded. Yeah, that was what I would call him right now.
“Well, I dinnea know where ta begin, exactly,” Palmer chimed in real fucking helpfully, but at least he was pulling us back to the task at hand.
“She has four parents,” Stone was the first to give up real information, “and I know a little about her, but I’m not sure if it’s just rumors or not. I’ve never met her.” He shrugged his shoulders with his hands out to the side. He looked like the demon version of my sister's favorite emoji. “It’s said that her mother was such a powerful mage that she was able to magic herself pregnant from all three of her mates at once. Together they had one child. A daughter. She’s part mage, demon, vampire, and shifter. The best qualities from each with none of the weaknesses. A dangerous mixed breed hybrid. She is the elite predator. There’s no one else like her. Shortly after she was born, her mother went missing. Her mates are still searching for her.” Stone looked genuinely saddened by that last statement. He hung his head a little before he took a deep breath to continue.
“You said her name was Sloane?” he asked Vaughn. “She must be about twenty-four. The Devil himself gifted her with three hellhounds when she graduated high school, but I’m sure that’s just another rumor floating around. I've never seen hellhounds when I've visited Hell, only read about them. It’s said that he’s her grandfather, though he could possibly be her demon father. I never worked up the guts to ask Headmaster King when I was sent to the Devil’s Academy, but I apprenticed under him enough to hear him talk about her. I still visit him a few times a year. His name is Samuel King.”
“Whoa, Stone. I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you talk at once.” I couldn’t help it. He was usually so quiet. I knew all this information, but I still had a slack jaw as he spoke. He never talked that much. Even when he had something to say, it wasn’t quite that many words at once. “Guess you won’t speak for the rest of the week,” I teased. He grunted at me and rolled his eyes, but I saw the side of his mouth lift a little like he was fighting a smile. I’d count that as a small victory. He liked my sense of humor. He just didn’t want me to know.
“Her vampire da’s name is Nathaniel King. He rules the Vampire covens,” Palmer started.
“Yeah, with an iron fist,” I huffed out my interruption. We had so many rules to follow. Don’t even get me started. We couldn’t kill humans. We couldn’t drink from unwilling participants. We couldn’t let them remember we drank from them. The rules went on and on and on. I followed those big “main” rules, but the smaller ones? No fucking way. I’d just use common sense, thank you very fucking much.
“And he also acts as the Regent to the Guild Leaders in ‘er ma’s absence.” He continued on like I didn’t interrupt him. “Sloane should’ve taken over when she came of age, but she asked for more time. She’ll take over when she mates with a mage. Or so Nathaniel says.” Palmer wanted to read the contract between the guild leaders and Nathaniel, but he was told it wasn’t his business. He was a salty mage until that sweet talking vampire told him if Sloane didn’t have a mage mate then Nathaniel would turn the guilds over to Palmer. Something about a treaty after that. I fell asleep while Palmer was explaining it to me. That’s how boring it was. I didn’t sleep, but Palmer talked me to boredom so quickly that I was near death.
“Charles King is Supreme Alpha. I've had the honor of meeting him more than a few times before,” Briggs finally spoke. “We have annual meetings with the alpha’s apprentices. There are six of us from around the world. Should something happen to him before his daughter takes her place, then we’re supposed to meet up and either vote a regent alpha in or fight to the death, unless she steps in. In more or less words.” He growled and covered his face with one hand. “Also, I was not supposed to tell you guys that,” he added as an afterthought. Explained the growl, I guess.
Vaughn looked a little paler than he did earlier. Pale was his normal skin tone, but he was fading from a shimmery cream to a dingy white. It had a real sickly effect on him. Next he would turn green. I really wanted to make a joke about his changing skin tone. Not the time, Novak. I knew what he’d say. He said the same thing every time. “Fae don’t change their skin color, Novak. That’s a myth. I could glamor myself, but it doesn’t actually change anything. It’s just an illusion.” What was that word Palmer called him again? Something shite. I’d ask him later.
“Fuck,” he breathed out and slumped down in his seat. “Jack wasn’t lying when he said she’d kill Taylor with a spoon if she caught him stalking her.” Ahhh, now I remembered. A dry shite. Vaughn was a dry shite. Back to the point.
I arched a brow at him. “Who is Jack?” And why did I feel so jealous? I was not the jealous type. I’d never even met her. Never mind, I know. From the look on Palmer's face, I could tell he was figuring it out, too. I'd give him a minute more.
“He’s... I don’t know. Her bodyguard? Her best friend? Maybe both? Or neither. I don’t know!” He threw his hands up, exasperated with the whole situation. “He saved my ass last night, though. Said she sent him because she “saw” Taylor waiting for me at my car. How? She left in the opposite direction of where I parked.” He jumped up to pace. His air quotes were super cute. “I mean, he’s a big ass horse shifter, and he kicked Taylor right in the chest. Then he threatened him. Jack said he’d rip his heart through his chest and eat it if he caught Taylor ever speaking her name again. It was honestly panic-inducing. I’m kind of glad he likes me. He-”
“We don’t have horse shifters,” Briggs cut in, sounding very offended. “Shifters are predators, Vaughn. Wolves, large felines, bears, occasionally a snake... you know? Carnivores. Not fucking horses.”
“We do,” Stone announced so quietly that I thought I was hearing things, and he looked a little pasty too. I’d never seen Stone any color except that pretty, light caramel color that made him pass as Asian, or the pitch black color of his demon skin. His demon skin was so black that most of the time I couldn’t see him in the dark even with my night vision. It was like his demon form sucked up all the light around him. He didn’t change forms very often. He did when he went to Hell, though. Sorry, the Underworld, or whatever. Hell was the capital. They could call it Cincinnati and I still wouldn’t give a fuck.