“Is that what you think?” Corbin askedangrily. “Now that you have had your fill of bloodletting you wishto go back to your inspection?”
“No, I don’t think so.” Roderick shook hishead. “I grow tired of this stupid little town. Simply show me thetribute you have prepared and we will call it a night, as thehumans say.”
I held my breath, waiting to see if Corbinwould take the offer. He was still clearly very angry overLucinda’s brutal murder but I knew that under vampire law, therewas nothing he could do about it. Vamps are like lions on asavanna—the strong take from the weak. He could, of course, renewhis challenge but if Roderick took him up on it this time andkilled him, everything Corbin had and all the people who dependedon him would belong to the Inquisitor.
I tried to look at Corbin objectively. Couldhe take Roderick in a fight? He was incredibly strong and fast butthe other vamp had two centuries on him, which made him strongerand faster. I had the sense that Corbin would have fought himanyway—even if it meant certain death—if no one else had beeninvolved. But the idea of everyone he cared for being handed overto Roderick to torment and torture like a cruel cat playing withmice deterred him.
“Corbin?” I murmured after a longsilence.
He sighed and looked back at me. I saw thathis eyes had gone from silvery-blue to blood red. “I wish you werenot here, my darling,” he murmured in a low, hoarse voice. “I wishyou were somewhere far away and safe. But since you are not…”
“Corbin? The tribute, please.” Rodericksounded bored. “I do not have all night.”
Corbin took a deep breath and let it outslowly. Gradually his eyes went from deep red back to their usualsilver-blue.
“All right,” he said at last. “I’ll getit.”
Removing a key from the upper right drawer,he used it to unlock a small closet to one side of hisbookcase.
“Behold,” he said, bringing out a delicateporcelain vase with a wide bottom and a long, narrow opening. Itwas creamy white with a deep blue Chinese dragon curling around itand flowers of the same color dotting its sides.
I gazed at it in wonder. “Is that…?”
“A vase from the late Ming Dynasty,” Corbinsaid. He placed it carefully on his desk and looked at Roderick.“It was both expensive and difficult to acquire—I trust it meetsyour expectations as a tribute,” he said flatly.
“Nice. Very nice.” Roderick cameforward and examined the vase carefully. “You know my passion forbeautiful things, Corbin.”
“And for breaking them, apparently,” Imurmured but Corbin gave me a warning glance and I shut up. SomehowI sensed we were still in dangerous territory here. No matter howmeek and mild Roderick was acting, he still had something up hissleeve.
“Well,” he said, smiling at both of us. “Iguess I’ll be going now. Oh, except for one last thing.”
“And what might that thing be, Roderick?”Corbin growled.
“A small detail only—a tiny request I’mcertain you won’t mind granting your royal Inquisitor.” Roderick’seyes gleamed. “I simply wish to see a demonstration of yourskill.”
“What skill?” Corbin folded his arms overhis broad chest and frowned.
“The one you boast of so often, of course.Your ability to fuck your human consort without breaking her—as Iso regrettably broke the lovely Lucinda.”
“What?” I exclaimed before I could stopmyself. “You’re demanding to watch us—”
“Fuck. That’s right, my dear.” Rodericksmiled coldly. “And before you refuse, Corbin, please know that Iam ready to take you up on your offer of a formal challenge if youprefer.”
“Neither my consort nor myself are whores,”Corbin said coldly. “We do not perform for an audience.”
“You will tonight.” Roderick showed hisfangs. “If you do not prove to me that you have been telling thetruth, that this human woman truly is attached to you as yourconsort, then I will be forced to think everything you have said tome is a lie. At that point I will either kill you in challenge andtake her back to court to serve as the Empress’s plaything…or Iwill go and return with a full retinue of her majesty’s privateguards.”
“You wouldn’t!” Corbin growled.
“Oh, but I would. And then everythingyou have built will be burned to the ground. Everyone you evercared for, every underling both human or vampire who depends onyou, will be taken. And I will not be gentle with them,Corbin. I promise you that.”
“You son of a bitch,” Corbin said thickly.“You may kill me in challenge but I swear I will take you with me.I will—”
“We’ll do it,” I heard myself saying.
Corbin turned to me, a look of disbelief inhis eyes. “Addison, no! You don’t have to agree to this.”
“Yes, I do,” I said grimly. “I don’t wantyou in a fight to the death over my honor. And I don’t want Taylorand everyone else who depends on you getting dragged off as slavesto wherever the court is just because I’m afraid to…to be seendoing, uh, doing what we do.”
“But—”
“You seem to be at odds with each other,”Roderick remarked. “And all over my simple request that you proveshe truly is your consort, Corbin.”
“I said we’ll do it,” I said, glaring at theInquisitor. “We just need a little time to prepare.”
“Very well.” Roderick nodded. “I will behappy to step outside for a few minutes. But don’t take too long orI may decide to break someone else.” He gave Corbin an evilgrin and stepped out of the office, closing the door behindhim.
When the Inquisitor was gone, Corbin let outa breath and looked at me for a long time.
“Addison,” he said at last, very quietly.“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” I nodded, hoping he couldn’t hear howhard my heart was pounding. “I’ve trusted you twice and gotten awaywith it, Corbin. Here’s hoping that three is my lucky number.”
“I won’t hurt you,” he promised fiercely. “Iswear it, darling.” He started to take me in his arms but I steppedback.
“There’s something you should know, though,”I said, holding out a hand to stop him. “This doesn’t changeanything between us. This will be the one and only time we do thisand afterward, we’re still going our separate ways, just like weagreed. I
