vampire?”
“Yes.” She snarled. “I’m just very adept at hiding it.”
A chill went down my spine. She hadn’t shown any signs of it until now, and I hadn’t gotten the psychic warning I got around most vampires. I wondered how many could hide themselves like that.
Warm breath brushed the back of my neck, and I tensed further.
“Not many,” the man whispered in my ear. “She’s never drained a human dry. Being killers makes us more powerful and thus easier to sense. Dara also practices. Most of us don’t give a shit if Gifts or sensitive humans detect us. You’re easy enough to kill.”
I spun around and came nose to nose with the amused vampire. His long hair was pitch black, and his eyes were such a dark brown that they were almost black too.
“Gabriel, what are you doing here?”
He straightened and stepped around me.
“King Macon would like to send his regards and his approval of your practicality in the conscription of the Gifts. He wants to join forces with you.”
Dara’s upper lip curled into a sneer. “He agrees with what I’ve done?”
I grinned. “Leaves that bitter taste in your mouth, don’t it?”
She glanced at me and swallowed hard. “Yes.”
I shook my head. “I can’t believe anyone would agree with what she’s done. But I guess if anyone would want to enslave humans, it’s the vampire king. Why not just agree with Dorian and stop fighting?”
Gabriel arched an eyebrow. “On the contrary. The king is against the slavery of our…food source.”
“And why is that?”
“Because if vampires controlled humans, they would kill without thought. It’s the same reason he’s taken measures to control our population. We could wipe our food source from the planet if we aren’t careful. While that isn’t a problem now, it could become one and—”
Dara interrupted. “None of this matters. Tell Macon no. I have all the help I want here, and I can’t stand the sight of him.”
“Next time he makes this request he’ll send Jeremy.”
She flinched and sank onto a couch. “He lives, then?”
Gabriel grinned. “Of course. Macon had to pull him out of a very secluded part of the Amazon rainforest, and he wasn’t happy to go, but he’s alive and back in the U.S.”
She glared at Kalen and Kennedy. “Leave us.”
Kalen frowned. “What about Regan?”
Gabriel cleared his throat. “If I may make a suggestion. Regan is correct. Her master will be furious if you keep her here. He won’t be parted from her long enough to complete her training.”
Dara nodded, her expression sinking back to that calm, cool mask. “Take her to a hotel. She’s free to go wherever she wishes.”
Gabriel shook his head. “You should return her to her master. He would be most grateful.”
Dara passed me a glance and quickly looked away, but not before I saw the sympathy in her eyes. She sighed. “Very well. Kennedy, take her back to The Devil’s Trap. Kalen, escort her. Take some sedative.”
Panic bubbled in my chest. I had to do something. “Hey! Wait. I don’t want to go back to him.”
Dara rubbed the bridge of her nose. “You have no choice. Even if I let you go, he would find you. Or Dorian would. Trust me, being with Zarek is better than meeting up with Dorian again. He’ll kill you, after a long, slow torture.”
Enslavement or torture? Everyone seemed to think those were my only options. I was really getting sick of people underestimating me.
I stomped my foot like a petulant two-year-old. “I am not an incapable child! I can take care of myself. I’m tired of my ‘betters’ deciding what’s good for me. I’ll make the choice.” I pointed at her. “This is my life you’re screwing with. I won’t be Zarek’s slave, and I’ll protect myself from Dorian. Just let me get to a freaking hotel!”
Gabriel rubbed his eyebrow with his thumb before jerking it at me. “I like this woman.”
I sighed. “Great. Another vampire likes me. It’s just what I’ve
“Yes.” She snarled. “I’m just very adept at hiding it.”
A chill went down my spine. She hadn’t shown any signs of it until now, and I hadn’t gotten the psychic warning I got around most vampires. I wondered how many could hide themselves like that.
Warm breath brushed the back of my neck, and I tensed further.
“Not many,” the man whispered in my ear. “She’s never drained a human dry. Being killers makes us more powerful and thus easier to sense. Dara also practices. Most of us don’t give a shit if Gifts or sensitive humans detect us. You’re easy enough to kill.”
I spun around and came nose to nose with the amused vampire. His long hair was pitch black, and his eyes were such a dark brown that they were almost black too.
“Gabriel, what are you doing here?”
He straightened and stepped around me.
“King Macon would like to send his regards and his approval of your practicality in the conscription of the Gifts. He wants to join forces with you.”
Dara’s upper lip curled into a sneer. “He agrees with what I’ve done?”
I grinned. “Leaves that bitter taste in your mouth, don’t it?”
She glanced at me and swallowed hard. “Yes.”
I shook my head. “I can’t believe anyone would agree with what she’s done. But I guess if anyone would want to enslave humans, it’s the vampire king. Why not just agree with Dorian and stop fighting?”
Gabriel arched an eyebrow. “On the contrary. The king is against the slavery of our…food source.”
“And why is that?”
“Because if vampires controlled humans, they would kill without thought. It’s the same reason he’s taken measures to control our population. We could wipe our food source from the planet if we aren’t careful. While that isn’t a problem now, it could become one and—”
Dara interrupted. “None of this matters. Tell Macon no. I have all the help I want here, and I can’t stand the sight of him.”
“Next time he makes this request he’ll send Jeremy.”
She flinched and sank onto a couch. “He lives, then?”
Gabriel grinned. “Of course. Macon had to pull him out of a very secluded part of the Amazon rainforest, and he wasn’t happy to go, but he’s alive and back in the U.S.”
She glared at Kalen and Kennedy. “Leave us.”
Kalen frowned. “What about Regan?”
Gabriel cleared his throat. “If I may make a suggestion. Regan is correct. Her master will be furious if you keep her here. He won’t be parted from her long enough to complete her training.”
Dara nodded, her expression sinking back to that calm, cool mask. “Take her to a hotel. She’s free to go wherever she wishes.”
Gabriel shook his head. “You should return her to her master. He would be most grateful.”
Dara passed me a glance and quickly looked away, but not before I saw the sympathy in her eyes. She sighed. “Very well. Kennedy, take her back to The Devil’s Trap. Kalen, escort her. Take some sedative.”
Panic bubbled in my chest. I had to do something. “Hey! Wait. I don’t want to go back to him.”
Dara rubbed the bridge of her nose. “You have no choice. Even if I let you go, he would find you. Or Dorian would. Trust me, being with Zarek is better than meeting up with Dorian again. He’ll kill you, after a long, slow torture.”
Enslavement or torture? Everyone seemed to think those were my only options. I was really getting sick of people underestimating me.
I stomped my foot like a petulant two-year-old. “I am not an incapable child! I can take care of myself. I’m tired of my ‘betters’ deciding what’s good for me. I’ll make the choice.” I pointed at her. “This is my life you’re screwing with. I won’t be Zarek’s slave, and I’ll protect myself from Dorian. Just let me get to a freaking hotel!”
Gabriel rubbed his eyebrow with his thumb before jerking it at me. “I like this woman.”
I sighed. “Great. Another vampire likes me. It’s just what I’ve
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