watching his father closely. Something in his gut told him he’d just been lied to. “Will you do some checking around?”
“Why?” Jullian asked, relaxing back into his brown leather chair.
“Just consider it a favor for me,” Marcus replied as he crossed his leg over his thigh, his hand resting on his ankle.
Jullian nodded. “Fine. I’ll see what I can find out.”
* * * * *
Sebastian stood just on the other side of the door, his anger and anxiety rising with every second that passed. Who had found out? Who’d spread the rumor? Vlad would never hand him over but Marcus could be a problem. He needed to get a handle on him before he convinced enough people to raise doubt and concern within the council.
Stepping away from the door, he waved toward his assistant. The young man had been with him for years and he knew he could trust him. “Yes, sir?” he asked.
“Find Vlad. Tell him I need a favor.”
“Yes, sir,” his assistant replied with a nod then turned to do his bidding.
It was time to take care of Marcus.
* * * * *
58
Marcus strolled through the darkening streets of Slatina, his father’s hometown.
Every twenty years or so Jullian would go somewhere else for a while but he’d always come back to this home. This is where his father had brought him after his mother died, to teach him vampire history and rules. Yes, vampires had rules. Strict rules that, if broken, more often than not resulted in execution.
As much as he appreciated everything Jullian had done for him and his mother, he just didn’t fit into his father’s world, which had been their biggest problem. Jullian had wanted him to abandon his warlock side and he wouldn’t. He couldn’t. He felt more at home with his mother’s people. Probably because that was where he’d spent his childhood. It’s where he’d grown up and become the man he was.
It hadn’t taken his father long to realize how he felt. When he did he reluctantly let him go but Marcus hadn’t missed his father’s disappointment. He’d wanted a son. A son to teach, to hunt with, but Marcus just couldn’t be that son. He couldn’t be anything other than what he was. A half-breed.
The cool night breeze blew and he pushed his collar up around his neck, warding off the chill and the sudden feeling of uneasiness. Someone followed him.
Making a right, he turned down a side street and faded into the shadows. It would be better to flush them out now than to allow them to follow him back to England. After several seconds of seeing nothing he finally decided it had only been his imagination.
Apparently he was trying to find trouble where there wasn’t any.
Cautiously, he made his way back to the main street, anxious to get to his hotel room, where he could transport back. He wasn’t strong enough to transport that far on his own. He needed the circle Vincent had helped him to set up several years ago. He could be anywhere and use any material, which was great if he needed to do it quickly.
It worked like a booster, strengthening his powers. Unfortunately he had to be in the circle before it would work.
His father didn’t allow the use of magic in his home and Marcus had always been careful to honor that request. Although right now he could care less about his father’s sensibilities.
The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Straining, he listened carefully but heard nothing. He would swear there was someone behind him.
Turning, he caught a blur of black right before he was hit in the chest, knocked back against the wall with a thud. His head hit the stone and he grunted, blinking his eyes to clear his fading vision and block the pain pounding the back of his neck. What the hell had hit him?
Focusing his gaze, he caught the blur again but this time raised his hands to block the attacker.
“ Manista ,” he murmured, using magic to protect himself.
The attacker stopped inches from him as though he’d hit a wall then fell to the ground in a
“Why?” Jullian asked, relaxing back into his brown leather chair.
“Just consider it a favor for me,” Marcus replied as he crossed his leg over his thigh, his hand resting on his ankle.
Jullian nodded. “Fine. I’ll see what I can find out.”
* * * * *
Sebastian stood just on the other side of the door, his anger and anxiety rising with every second that passed. Who had found out? Who’d spread the rumor? Vlad would never hand him over but Marcus could be a problem. He needed to get a handle on him before he convinced enough people to raise doubt and concern within the council.
Stepping away from the door, he waved toward his assistant. The young man had been with him for years and he knew he could trust him. “Yes, sir?” he asked.
“Find Vlad. Tell him I need a favor.”
“Yes, sir,” his assistant replied with a nod then turned to do his bidding.
It was time to take care of Marcus.
* * * * *
58
Marcus strolled through the darkening streets of Slatina, his father’s hometown.
Every twenty years or so Jullian would go somewhere else for a while but he’d always come back to this home. This is where his father had brought him after his mother died, to teach him vampire history and rules. Yes, vampires had rules. Strict rules that, if broken, more often than not resulted in execution.
As much as he appreciated everything Jullian had done for him and his mother, he just didn’t fit into his father’s world, which had been their biggest problem. Jullian had wanted him to abandon his warlock side and he wouldn’t. He couldn’t. He felt more at home with his mother’s people. Probably because that was where he’d spent his childhood. It’s where he’d grown up and become the man he was.
It hadn’t taken his father long to realize how he felt. When he did he reluctantly let him go but Marcus hadn’t missed his father’s disappointment. He’d wanted a son. A son to teach, to hunt with, but Marcus just couldn’t be that son. He couldn’t be anything other than what he was. A half-breed.
The cool night breeze blew and he pushed his collar up around his neck, warding off the chill and the sudden feeling of uneasiness. Someone followed him.
Making a right, he turned down a side street and faded into the shadows. It would be better to flush them out now than to allow them to follow him back to England. After several seconds of seeing nothing he finally decided it had only been his imagination.
Apparently he was trying to find trouble where there wasn’t any.
Cautiously, he made his way back to the main street, anxious to get to his hotel room, where he could transport back. He wasn’t strong enough to transport that far on his own. He needed the circle Vincent had helped him to set up several years ago. He could be anywhere and use any material, which was great if he needed to do it quickly.
It worked like a booster, strengthening his powers. Unfortunately he had to be in the circle before it would work.
His father didn’t allow the use of magic in his home and Marcus had always been careful to honor that request. Although right now he could care less about his father’s sensibilities.
The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Straining, he listened carefully but heard nothing. He would swear there was someone behind him.
Turning, he caught a blur of black right before he was hit in the chest, knocked back against the wall with a thud. His head hit the stone and he grunted, blinking his eyes to clear his fading vision and block the pain pounding the back of his neck. What the hell had hit him?
Focusing his gaze, he caught the blur again but this time raised his hands to block the attacker.
“ Manista ,” he murmured, using magic to protect himself.
The attacker stopped inches from him as though he’d hit a wall then fell to the ground in a
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