enforcement had probably already been told the situation and warned to stay out of it.
Teaghan was heading west. “We can’t head back to the hotel.”
“I figured as much already.”
He smiled at the annoyance in her voice. Better mad than scared. He said, “Looks like you’re going clothing shopping with me after all, necromancer.”
“What about my money and yours? The jewels are in safe-deposit boxes back there.” She waved over her shoulder.
“You can’t still be worried about retirement?”
“No. But now that I know that money isn’t going to the campus, I want it.”
“Woman after my own heart.” He raised her hand to his lips. “Don’t worry, necromancer. Mekhail isn’t the only one who owes me a favor. Once we’re settled, I’ll call in another solid to get our stashes.”
“Do you put all your progeny in debt to you? You really are a mercenary. If you’d been born a necromancer, you would have made a great higher-up.” She snatched her hand away from him.
“Of the few progeny I have, only Mekhail is in debt to me. Everyone else in my ledger got in debt the old-fashioned way—they asked for a service and couldn’t pay for it upfront.”
“What service?”
“The kind I’m good at, killing people.”
“So how much am I going to owe you for saving my life?” She fixed him with a hard look. “Or are you going to put me down for a future favor?”
“I get that you’re pissed, necromancer, but I’m not in the mood to be your whipping boy. We’ve got a long trip ahead of us. Get some sleep.”
“What about you?”
“I fed deep tonight. I can miss a day or two of rest before I start deteriorating. I can’t say the same for you.”
Jeliyah sat staring out the windshield for several breaths before she opened the glove box and took out her pouch of necromes. She put them on and flexed her fingers. “Activate.”
Teaghan spared her a glance. “What’re we dealing with?”
She closed her eyes. “Two following, though a fair distance back.”
“Looks like we can relax then. If Fredrick really wanted me dead and you captured, he would find some trumped-up charge to slap me with rogue status. He’s doing this on the down low for some reason.”
“You wouldn’t happen to have a friend in a high place, would you? Someone protecting you?”
“If I did, Fredrick wouldn’t be up our asses now.”
“Maybe Fredrick doesn’t care if you’re captured. He’s probably figured out we’re leaving the territory. That might be good enough for him, and the enforcers behind us are making sure.”
“Smart thinking. You might be right. He probably figures we haven’t had enough time to get proper permission to enter the next territory so I would be killed and you would be captured the second we crossed the border.” Teaghan sped up more. “Let’s prove them wrong.”
“Teaghan, are you sure Mekhail can get permission?”
“Owing a debt is more than an honor system with vampires, Jeliyah. We do blood pacts that put our lives at stake. If Mekhail doesn’t do what I want, he’ll die a very painful death by the magic binding us in contract to each other.”
“Oh.”
“Enough talk. Go to sleep. I’ll wake you when I stop for gas so you can get some food.”
“You’re sure the enforcers won’t attack us while you’re refueling?”
“That’s another reason why I’ll be waking you. The blood might have weakened but you still have enough of me in you to put up an impressive fight. The enforcers won’t be so eager to attack when they realize that.” He smoothed a finger down Jeliyah’s cheek and said in a soothing tone, “Go to sleep, sweetness.”
To help her along, he imagined the same babbling brook from the previous night and forced it into her mind, overshadowing her other thoughts. She didn’t fight it and was eventually breathing peacefully in deep slumber.
He stroked her cheek again, marveling at how completely she trusted him. Jeliyah didn’t know
Teaghan was heading west. “We can’t head back to the hotel.”
“I figured as much already.”
He smiled at the annoyance in her voice. Better mad than scared. He said, “Looks like you’re going clothing shopping with me after all, necromancer.”
“What about my money and yours? The jewels are in safe-deposit boxes back there.” She waved over her shoulder.
“You can’t still be worried about retirement?”
“No. But now that I know that money isn’t going to the campus, I want it.”
“Woman after my own heart.” He raised her hand to his lips. “Don’t worry, necromancer. Mekhail isn’t the only one who owes me a favor. Once we’re settled, I’ll call in another solid to get our stashes.”
“Do you put all your progeny in debt to you? You really are a mercenary. If you’d been born a necromancer, you would have made a great higher-up.” She snatched her hand away from him.
“Of the few progeny I have, only Mekhail is in debt to me. Everyone else in my ledger got in debt the old-fashioned way—they asked for a service and couldn’t pay for it upfront.”
“What service?”
“The kind I’m good at, killing people.”
“So how much am I going to owe you for saving my life?” She fixed him with a hard look. “Or are you going to put me down for a future favor?”
“I get that you’re pissed, necromancer, but I’m not in the mood to be your whipping boy. We’ve got a long trip ahead of us. Get some sleep.”
“What about you?”
“I fed deep tonight. I can miss a day or two of rest before I start deteriorating. I can’t say the same for you.”
Jeliyah sat staring out the windshield for several breaths before she opened the glove box and took out her pouch of necromes. She put them on and flexed her fingers. “Activate.”
Teaghan spared her a glance. “What’re we dealing with?”
She closed her eyes. “Two following, though a fair distance back.”
“Looks like we can relax then. If Fredrick really wanted me dead and you captured, he would find some trumped-up charge to slap me with rogue status. He’s doing this on the down low for some reason.”
“You wouldn’t happen to have a friend in a high place, would you? Someone protecting you?”
“If I did, Fredrick wouldn’t be up our asses now.”
“Maybe Fredrick doesn’t care if you’re captured. He’s probably figured out we’re leaving the territory. That might be good enough for him, and the enforcers behind us are making sure.”
“Smart thinking. You might be right. He probably figures we haven’t had enough time to get proper permission to enter the next territory so I would be killed and you would be captured the second we crossed the border.” Teaghan sped up more. “Let’s prove them wrong.”
“Teaghan, are you sure Mekhail can get permission?”
“Owing a debt is more than an honor system with vampires, Jeliyah. We do blood pacts that put our lives at stake. If Mekhail doesn’t do what I want, he’ll die a very painful death by the magic binding us in contract to each other.”
“Oh.”
“Enough talk. Go to sleep. I’ll wake you when I stop for gas so you can get some food.”
“You’re sure the enforcers won’t attack us while you’re refueling?”
“That’s another reason why I’ll be waking you. The blood might have weakened but you still have enough of me in you to put up an impressive fight. The enforcers won’t be so eager to attack when they realize that.” He smoothed a finger down Jeliyah’s cheek and said in a soothing tone, “Go to sleep, sweetness.”
To help her along, he imagined the same babbling brook from the previous night and forced it into her mind, overshadowing her other thoughts. She didn’t fight it and was eventually breathing peacefully in deep slumber.
He stroked her cheek again, marveling at how completely she trusted him. Jeliyah didn’t know
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