The Darkest Kiss

'Sleeping. Vamps need their beauty rest.'

Lucien's eyes widened. He must not have encountered one before.

'Vamps as in vampires or vamps as in conquests?' She looked William up and down, but he wasn't marked. Granted, his legs were covered by black silk pants. 'I'm guessing conquests. You don't look like you've been nibbled on—at least, not by anyone with fangs.'

'Oh, I've been bitten, just not anywhere you can see. Unlike you,' he added with a smiling glance at her neck.

Lucien had been in the process of drinking his juice, which he promptly choked on. Grinning, Anya pounded on his back. 'I think you shocked him.'

'Not possible,' William said, studying Lucien. 'We could hear the two of you going at it like rabbits. Stunned the hell out of me, but I have to say, making this little minor goddess beg for it was a nice touch.'

'Thank you,' Lucien said when his coughs subsided. But there was warning in his tone.

'I'm not minor, you dirty man-whore!'

Winking, William propped his elbows on the tabletop. 'So what's going on? You know I love for you to visit, Anya, but why are you here and why are you being chased by the demon of Death?'

She opened her mouth to answer, but Lucien placed a restraining hand on her arm. When she glanced at him, he shook his head.

'I'm not going to tell any secrets, Flowers.'

'Oh, secrets. Tell.' William clapped.

She wanted to, she wouldn't deny that. She never kept anyone's secret. Where was the fun in that? Still, she remained quiet. For Lucien, anything. By this point, she wasn't surprised that even her naughty side wanted to impress him.

'We simply need to borrow some items from you,' Lucien said.

'Like?'

'Actually,' Anya said, 'we'd like you to be our tour guide through the Arctic circle.'

'Anya,' Lucien warned.

'Well, I would. He lives so close he spends a lot of time there. He knows the lay of the land. And that's not really giving away our secret, now is it?'

'Why do you want to enter the Arctic?' William shuddered. 'It's colder than a witch's—unmentionables. And I should know!'

'I'm on vacation and feel like touring a few glaciers,' she replied flippantly.

'You hate ice. You spend most of your time in Hawaii.'

'We'll be fine without a guide,' Lucien interjected. 'Clothing, blankets and snowshoes should do.'

'I'm not taking you into the Arctic,' William said with a shake of his head. 'I just got back from a trip there and I need some serious R and R.'

Lucien shrugged as if he didn't care one way or the other. 'Then we are agreed. Anya and I will go alone.'

'The hell we will.' Anya slapped her hand against the tabletop, rattling the dishes. 'Willie will guide us wherever we want to go and he'll do it with a smile on his face. It will save time and he'll be a good soldier to have with us if a fight breaks out with you-know-who. Hydra,' she added dramatically.

'You want to fight Hydra?' William paled. 'I'm not going near that bitch. I lost sight of her a few years ago and that's the way I prefer it.'

'Never thought I'd meet a woman you wouldn't screw.' Anya forked a square of pancake. She lifted it to her mouth, saying, 'For that matter, I never though you'd meet a woman you wouldn't screw. And speaking of that, where exactly did you come across Hydra? And how'd you escape alive?'

'I saw her twice, both times in a different location out there in the ice. And I escaped alive only because she couldn't bear to mar my gorgeous mug, but it was a close call,' William muttered.

'This is good,' Lucien said with a nod of his head.

She knew he was referring to the Hydra sightings, though he probably wished William hadn't been quite so successful in escaping, and couldn't contain her own excitement. But she wasn't done with the questions, either. 'Why do you go out there, anyway?' she asked. 'You've never said.'

'It's close enough to my home that immortals try to hide there for a sneak attack. At first I wasn't sure if they'd come for Hydra or me—we both have our share of enemies—and after a while I just stopped caring. Anyone sneaks out there, I go after them.'

'Who are your enemies?' Anya wondered aloud.

'I, uh, have a little problem with desiring mated ladies,' William said, 'and their spouses would like nothing more than my demise.'

'You will stay away from Anya,' Lucien growled.

What a sweet, sweet man, she thought, grinning and patting his hand. Lucien reached under the table and gripped her knee in an iron-hold, a command for her to hush. She didn't. 'Last time I'll ask you nicely to take us,' she told William.

Rolling his eyes, he pushed his empty plate away, leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. He'd braided the hunks of hair at his temples. Now they were hooked behind his ears, colorful beads clicking together every time he moved. 'Sorry, but my answer is no.'

'Well, then.' Anya, too, leaned back in her chair. She'd always admired this room. Vaulted ceilings, a granite island counter, modern appliances, baskets of fruit hanging from wall hooks. Would William destroy it in a fit of rage when she finished with him? 'Maybe now's a good time to tell you that I have your book.'

William froze, the patent stillness of a predator coming over him. 'You don't. You can't. I saw it this morning before I came down to eat.' There was violence in his gaze.

Lucien picked her up and placed her in his lap. She snuggled her head into the crook of his neck. Protection wasn't something she needed, but she appreciated the gesture. 'Think again,' she said.

'Anya,' William snapped. 'You don't have it. I have it. I saw it this morning.'

'Watch your tone,' Lucien snapped back.

'You saw a fake,' she explained.

'You're lying.' The warrior leaned toward her, pupils swallowing his irises.

Immediately Lucien was on his feet, shoving her behind him. Be still my little heart.

'I told you to watch your tone.'

William thrust from the table, his chair skidding backward and slamming into the island. Smack. 'If it's gone…' On a cloud of red fury, he stalked from the kitchen.

'Damn. He actually walked away without destroying the room. Come on. We don't want to miss this.' Anya twined her fingers with Lucien's, gasping at the electric jolt she felt on contact.

Now she knew what those naughty fingers could do to her…

Trembling, she pulled him along after William, following the same path the warrior had taken. The hallway was well-lit with flickering gold bulbs. Wisps of colorful lace covered the lamps, which splattered rainbow hues throughout. The vampiresses' doing? Trying to domesticate the warrior?

There were no pictures or weapons on the walls as there usually were. She'd bet, oh, ten million American dollars on William having removed them last night after sating his vampires. He was well acquainted with Anya's penchant for theft—but too late to save his precious book. Silly man had had one of his witches cast a spell over the book's locked case a long time ago. A spell she had broken with her key.

'What is this book you mentioned?' Lucien asked, keeping pace at her side. 'And did you really steal it?'

'A book of ancient prophecies decreed by the gods. And yes. I took it. William should have been a smart boy and studied it a few times over the centuries, but nooo, he was afraid he'd do more harm to his fate than good.' She rounded a corner. Stairs loomed ahead. Damn, but this place was huge. She wasn't used to walking it; usually she just flashed.

'See, one of the prophecies is about William. Written around the time he went to prison, if memory serves.