“No.” It was more guttural than Johnny wanted the word to come out so he repeated it, making the effort to make it more human. “No.”
“Then, let’s bind him and tend to your burns, sire.”
Ten minutes later, after Johnny had donned his jeans, they had the vampire secured. Meroveus lay on the floor in the space the dinette used to occupy. Johnny had watched Brian loop the rope around the vamp’s wrists and ankles in a binding that, should the vamp try to pull free, the rope would just tighten.
“He wields magic. Better gag him,” Johnny said.
Brian took care of that also. “Now. Your wounds.”
Johnny had examined them. He had tender spots, red and swollen, like third-degree burns that had been healing for a month or so. To have healed this much in one change—and not to have healed fully—meant that they must have been pretty nasty. “I’m fine.” He willed his left arm to transform. The fur sprouted and his arm thickened, fingernails thickened into sharp claws . . . then he willed it to revert. This time the burn was still slightly pink. He repeated the partial change on his other arm, then on his torso.
As the fur receded into his chest at the last, he looked at Brian, who wore an expression of awe.
“I didn’t doubt you before, sire,” said Brian, “but I am honored to witness the very power that makes you our king.”
Johnny gazed at Persephone. She still had not moved. “What of Aurelia?”
“The situation is handled. All the details on site and those pertaining to her transport have been attended.”
In front of him, Red looked so peaceful and serene. But his gut told him something was terribly wrong. He touched his empty hip pocket. “Did you see my phone?”
Brian started across the kitchen. “Saw it in the debris earlier.” He walked down the hall, returned with the phone.
Johnny immediately opened it and flipped through his contacts until he found DEMETER. He hit Send and glanced at the clock; it was nearly midnight. She was not going to be happy.
The phone rang three times and her familiar voice croaked, “Who’s dead?”
“No one,” he lied.
“What is it?”
“Demeter . . . ”
“Is Persephone all right?”
Johnny let out a slow breath.
“Damn it, John, talk to me!”
“Someone tried to kill her tonight.” His gaze flicked over her neck, to the burn, then to the goose egg lump on the side of her head. “She’s got a few minor injuries.”
“But you don’t get an old woman out of bed to tell her that her granddaughter has minor injuries, so spit it out.”
“I left to pursue her attacker—”
“You get him?”
“I did.”
“Good. Go on.”
“When I got back, Red was sitting in the kitchen. Sitting cross-legged with a circle of water on the floor around her.”
“She was meditating.”
“I figured. But she’s still sitting here like that.”
Demeter was quiet. “How long?”
“An hour or so. Is that normal?”
“Not exactly.” Her coarse voice smoothed nonchalantly. “Have you broken the circle?”
“No.”
He heard Demeter sigh in relief.
“I don’t know much about magic, but I know that would be bad.”
“I’ll get Lance up and be on my way.”
“No. I’m sending w?res from the Pittsburgh den to pick you up. They will be there in twenty minutes.” He hung up with her and made a call to Kirk; he knew it would be handled.
Standing there in the kitchen, staring at Red, he felt helpless.
So he sat down across from her. Her expression had changed. It wasn’t exactly serene anymore. It didn’t suggest fright or fear or pain, but it wasn’t peaceful.
Maybe he was projecting his emotions on her.
He wasn’t at peace inside, and it wasn’t merely the aches and pains from the recent fight. There was a key in Aurelia’s suite that he had to get. For Evan’s sake he had to secure the information she had locked away before anyone else did. He considered sending someone to collect the key. Kirk or Hector maybe.
With all the deviousness Aurelia had shown, it wouldn’t surprise him to learn the Zvonul had her watched. It wouldn’t surprise him if she had enemies who managed some secret surveillance, either.
If anyone was watching her suite, it could mean danger for whoever went to collect the item. He couldn’t ask anyone else to take that risk for him. Besides, with him being the Domn Lup anyone who was watching the place would think twice about acting against him.
He glanced away from Red to the clock on the stove. He had time to drive to Cleveland, get the key, and get back before Demeter would arrive. His gaze fell to Mero. He would even have time to deliver that bloodsucker back where he belonged.
Opening his phone again, he called Mountain. The Beholder would keep an eye on Red, and would follow orders to keep from interfering with the magic circle around her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Creepy.”
“I accepted that name without complaint, but please . . . ” He stood with his palms turned toward me and implored, “Please. Choose another name for me.” He dropped his chin. “I regret accepting that name now, as it has only served to reinforce your negative image of me.”
I had called him that out of mean-spiritedness. I felt ashamed—
—until I realized he’d given me a bargaining chip.
I had the urge to barter immediately and get the sex issue out of his price. But holding on to the option seemed the shrewder move. Besides, the more he behaved like this, the easier I found the notion of being cooperative. Warm behavior might inspire him to negotiate more.
“Have I not aided you? Have I not acted only to bring your desires to fruition?”
Gently, I said, “I did not intend to come to you for aid in this matter.”
“But you are here.”
“And I cannot leave without concluding a deal I did not seek to make.” I let a hint of blame into my tone.
Sadness dimmed his eyes.
“Sure, my mind was not calm as I sat down to meditate and I forgot to place all the protections, but you intervened of your own will. Your motive is what’s
He conveyed remorse as he said, “I could not help myself. The opportunity was irresistible.”
The turnabout in his demeanor was making me suspicious. Perhaps
“You must admit,” he added, “my aid is more ideal to the achievement of your initial goal. My own offering is
