“Unfortunately, I don’t think the rebellion is restricted to Chicago.”
“What do you mean?”
“Maryam has a map in her office with several places marked on it,” Xi told the older vampire. “Chicago, Vegas, Ireland, and London.”
Styx frowned. “That’s a little vague.”
“I would assume they’re target sites.”
“Damn.” Styx scrubbed his face with weary hands. The Anasso might have been an unwilling king, but he’d readily shouldered his duties, along with a fierce determination to protect his people. The past weeks of covert attacks and mayhem had taken their toll. “I just asked Darcy to come home. Maybe she should stay in Kansas City until we find out who’s behind this madness.”
“Right now, I’m not sure that anyplace is entirely safe,” Xi warned.
Styx lowered his hands to study Xi with a wry expression. “And people claim I’m a Debbie Downer.”
“You are,” Xi told his companion. “I’m a realist.”
“Go.” Styx waved a dismissive hand. “Do your thing.”
Xi nodded, heading out of the mansion. He was anxious to return to the tunnels…
No, that wasn’t true. It was his duty to return to the tunnels, but any eagerness to return was entirely due to Brigette. Being parted from her for even an hour was causing something very close to physical pain.
The sensation should have baffled him. Why the hell would he feel such an intense need to be near a female he barely knew? Especially a female who was as troubled and broken as Brigette. But he wasn’t baffled.
An instinct as old as the beginning of time was stirring inside him. And there wasn’t a damned thing he could do to stop it. Even if he wanted to.
A smile spread over his face as he left Styx’s lair and headed toward the nearby portal.
* * * *
Levet located Inga in her grand throne room. She wasn’t seated on her throne, although it was the hour she was supposed to be hearing petitions from her people. Instead, she was crouched in the back, intently painting a fresco on the wall.
The newly crowned Queen of the Mer-folk wasn’t the prettiest demon. Not even on a good-hair day. And she wasn’t the friendliest. In fact, a rabid hellhound possessed more charm.
But she possessed a heart that was bigger than the ocean, and an artistic talent that was stunning to behold.
Stepping around the dais, Levet watched in silence as Inga completed a brilliant blue fish that was darting among the coral painted along the baseboard. It looked so real that Levet expected it to leap off the wall.
Sucking in a deep breath of the soft scent of a salty breeze that swirled around Inga, Levet forced himself to break the peaceful silence.
“Ah, ma belle. I thought I might find you here.”
Inga blinked, as if she’d been miles away. “Levet.” Rising to her feet, she tossed aside her paintbrush and smoothed her hands down her floppy muumuu. Levet thought he could see paint stains on the material, but it was hard to tell against the vivid pattern of lemons splotched over a purple background. “Have you already completed your quest?”
“Non, but I have discovered a clue.”
“What sort of clue?”
Levet shared the details of his latest adventure, taking care to reveal his courage in traveling to London and discovering the hidden lair. He wanted the female to be properly impressed by his skills. And then he finished with his return to Styx’s office, where the Anasso confessed that the amulet Levet had discovered belonged to one of the old Ravens.
“Wait.” Inga scowled, a hint of crimson shimmering in the depths of her blue eyes. “There is some sort of rebellion against the King of the Vampires, and you believe the mastermind is a brother to Styx?”
Levet sniffed. “Not surprising, really. There is nothing more dangerous than family.”
Inga glanced toward the double doors that were firmly closed. “I can’t argue with that.”
“Then you understand that I must see if I can track down the vampire.”
Inga snapped her attention back to Levet, her expression hard with annoyance. “No, I don’t understand. It sounds like leech business to me.”
Levet wasn’t angered by the female’s sharp tone. In fact, he struggled to hide his smile of satisfaction. He wanted her to be afraid that something might happen to him. It was the only way he could tell that she cared at all.
“If there is a vampire war, then we will all be swept into the bloodshed,” he pointed out in gentle tones.
She planted her hands on her hips, the hideous gown pulled tight over her impressive bosom.
“Not down here. I can close the barrier, and nothing could get into the castle.”
Levet took a second to appreciate the sight of her flushed cheeks and crimson eyes before he heaved a small sigh. She truly was a magnificent female, but as much as he longed to remain trapped in this castle with her, it was an impossible dream.
Moving forward, he grabbed one large hand and squeezed her fingers. “Your grandfather tried that. You cannot stick your head in the sand like a chicken.”
“Ostrich,” she muttered, staring down at him with an expression that tugged at his heart.
She looked…lost.
He sent her an encouraging smile. “We are all in this together, are we not?”
She refused to be comforted. “Why you? There are other demons who could track down the vampire. Including Styx’s mate. Isn’t she a pureblooded Were?”
Levet held onto her fingers. The scent of scorched salt was thick in the air. “Why did you accept the Tryshu?”
Inga’s anger faltered as she studied him with a puzzled gaze. “I didn’t accept it. Fate shoved the stupid thing into my hands.”
Levet nodded. He’d been there during the final battle against Riven. The massive trident had wrenched itself from the merman’s grip and literally flown across the floor toward Inga. She would have been skewered if she hadn’t caught the magical weapon.
“Exactly,” he said.
Their gazes entwined, and the sheen of crimson in her eyes faded to leave them a crystal blue. She started to bend forward, almost as if she intended to kiss him, and Levet’s wings fluttered in anticipation. She was plus-sized yumminess wrapped in a lemon muumuu and an ocean breeze. And he wanted to topple her over so he could kiss her from the tippy-top tufts of her hair to the tips of her toes.
But even as Levet was braced for her long-overdue kiss, she was abruptly straightening and moving toward the dais.