Bitten in Two

Sweating now, I said, “Kyphas is with us. She signed a no-harm contract. You’re included under that umbrel a now.” When his hands dropped to his thighs I pul ed away. So tired that I knew it would be a major undertaking to drag my sorry ass up the stairs, I turned to Kyphas. She’d final y gotten Cole’s message, backed off whatever open display she’d intended, and decided to be social instead. Which was when she realized we had a visitor. If I hadn’t been exhausted I’d have gotten big hairy kicks out of the bug-eyed terror on her face. She yanked off her scarf.

“Stow it!” I snapped. “He’s with us!”

She shook her head. “No. No, this is too much. I wil not hold to my vow to protect the likes of him!”

“Jaz.” Bergman nodded at Monique, who was looking at Kyphas curiously. I jerked my head, motioning for him to get her out before al hel literal y broke loose. He shoved his plate in her hands, picked up his coffee, and slipped his arm around her waist so he could guide her to the door.

“You were tel ing me before about the ramparts that were built around the medina. I looked some of it up online.

Real y fascinating stuff. Could you explain what you were saying about some of the old legends relating to the gates?”

“Of course!”

The rest of us remained frozen in place until Bergman had escorted Monique from the courtyard. And then Sterling rose to his feet. Slowly, like a monk beginning evening prayers, he said, “I thought I threw you back into the pit once already.” His pupils had dilated so drastical y I couldn’t tel where they stopped and his irises began. Bolts of black lightning flew within the amulet he wore, and I could feel the power building kind of like Vayl’s did, only this was a sense of bottomless wel s of fire preparing to explode.

Kyphas snapped her tahruyt in the air, transforming it into the ruby-hilted flyssa she’d threatened me with before.

“Stop!” I stepped between them, holding out my arms, too aware of how my hands were shaking. I dropped them before it showed, pissed that Sterling’s shining power was partial y fueled by me.

I said, “Kyphas, you know exactly what wil happen to you if you break your contract. So go stuff your face with some damn eggs until you’ve calmed down enough to pretend you’re normal. And you—” I turned to Sterling. “Get it through your thick skul that I need her, at least for now.”

“Why?” Such a reasonable question. But my eyes were drooping so badly now that even if I wanted to tel him I thought she would be the one to find the Rocenz for us, I’d probably be asleep before I could make any sense of it for him. So I said, “Cole, tel him everything you think he needs to know. I’m going back to bed. You’re in charge of Vayl’s safety until I wake up again.”

“Okay,” Cole said. “Just remember, he’s going to want a reply to that letter.”

“Fine. I’l do one before my nap.”

Which turned out to be a good thing. Because the person who woke me up, with a tooth-clicking shoulder shake that made me feel somewhat queasy, was Vayl.

CHAPTER TEN

Madame Berggia, how can you be sleeping at a time like this!” I opened my eyes. Vayl’s face, hovering inches above my own, had locked down so tight I could see the muscles jumping in his jaws.

I shot up in bed, pul ing Grief out from under my pil ow as I did so. “What’s wrong?”

“Your husband says you have a note for me from the Lady Jasmine. Why did you not bring it to me the instant I rose?”

I loosened my grip on the gun. “What time is it?”

“Eight in the evening. Why are you abed? Are you il ? It matters not. Where is the letter? I must have it!” Just remember, eventually he stopped being an asshole, I told myself as I swung my feet onto the floor. I would’ve glared at him, but why waste a perfectly good expression on the broad back of a clueless vampire? He’d turned away from me, so anxious to read the letter that he’d begun to search for it himself.

“Hey!” I yel ed. “Get outta my trunk!”

He rose to his ful height, holding his cane in one hand and a pair of black pantyhose in the other. “What are these?” he asked, hefting the hose. “They seem not to stop where garters would be required.”

I put my hand to my chest because, seriously, I thought my heart might’ve skipped a couple of beats. It was the first time he’d seen my clothing as something not straight out of a museum. “They’re a new invention,” I said. “They stay up al by themselves.”

He dropped the cane, not even noticing as it clattered against the rug, and used both hands to stretch the waistband. “Fascinating.”

“Yeah. Uh, how did you… sleep?”

He shrugged. “As usual.”

“And when you woke up? How did you feel?” He dropped the hose. “I could think of nothing but the woman whose portrait Berggia showed me yesterday. Her face has begun to haunt me. Come, where is the letter? I cannot wait for it a moment longer.”

“Geez, quit being such a freaking Romeo before I have to gag or something. Here.” I trudged over to the bed table.

I couldn’t remember half of what I’d written, I’d been so tired at the time. That’s the last time I touch you, Sterling, you damn leech!

Vayl was so excited to read it that he rushed to the table before me, and for a few moments we stood together, two people sharing space meant for one. He was bent over, ful y involved in the message I’d left, his hands flat on either side of the ivory stationery as if to keep it from flying off and leaving him stranded there.

He’d turned the lamp on. He didn’t need it, but he’d probably done it for my sake, so as not to freak out the old gal during her rude awakening. I was glad of the light, though. It gave me the chance to fol ow the dance of his short, dark curls across his head and down to the strong expanse of his neck. My