“I am Princess Undine, but please call me Dina. I am the keeper of the lake, and I, too, will sign,” she said.
Before he could stop himself, the words slipped out. “What are you?”
One minute, the thought charged through his mind and the next, it became words slipping through his lips. “Forgive me, I’m being rude.” Again, he couldn’t prevent the words escaping. “But what are you?”
A pull on his arm made him slide his glance sideways to find Ella scowling at him. It couldn’t be jealousy he saw in her eyes, but rather distrust, and not aimed at him. He pressed his lips together, and realizing he still held the woman’s hand, instantly let go and stepped back. More questions hovered on his lips, but before he said anything more, she spoke.
“It’s all right, I understand. My gaze is hard to resist—so I’m told. I am a water nymph, an elemental, and although this is not our war, the balance must be maintained.”
Her flat voice drew his attention and for a moment no one else existed. Marcus studied her heart-shaped faced displaying no discernible emotion—no smile or evidence of any warmth. Even her eyes didn’t blink. He stumbled back, needing to distance himself from the rising tide of cold that emanated far beyond the hand of the princess. She added her signature to the list and strolled away. Curious about the woman, he kept his eyes fastened upon her, not having paid her any mind before this moment. As if aware of his intense scrutiny, she twisted around and met his observation with a forced smile.
“Well, if that is all, Drayton, I have other matters to attend, and I will require some alone time with Isabella,” Roman said, breaking his trance.
“What?” Marcus adjusted his position to confront the vampire, but glanced back after Dina, who had slid back near the fire. He scratched his beard, lost for a moment in thought.
“Drayton—you can’t seem to keep your eyes off that woman. Isn’t your wife enough? Or does your race allow you to fool around with others? I’m interested if you’re into sharing?”
Hearing the blasted vampire’s last few words, he spun around, forgetting his concerns, and shoved his face right into the vampire’s.
“Let’s not fight, Roman. Soul-shifters are monogamous, and believe me when I say Ella is more than enough. Now, what’s your issue?”
The vampire’s goons stepped in, but Roman flicked them away with a wave. Marcus stepped back, but brushed the man’s shoulder, as if clearing away dust.
The vampire peered at him. “If I were your enemy, you just revealed your weakness. Everyone has one.”
Shifting his gaze to Ella as she swanned around the room greeting and chatting with the others, he admitted—if only to himself—the vampire was right. He returned to examine Roman; the vampire glared over at Jake and Isabella, who were chatting. In turn, he had discovered Roman’s. But this game had to stop. He had enough to deal with without starting a war with the vampires.
“Fine—Isabella is yours for this evening,” Marcus announced before he strode away. Standing at the head of the room, he called for everyone’s attention. “Before any of you leave, you will be interviewed, by a member of the Assembly guards or myself. You will be searched, and we will be making a request to obtain a sample of your DNA. This is not up for negotiation. A doctor will be coming around, and you will be called in alphabetical order shortly. Once you have complied, you are free to return to your room, or remain here. In the morning, we will reconvene and by then we should have the preliminary results of the autopsy.”
Steel orchestrated the gathering to be held over two days to brainstorm how collectively they could expunge the Elusti and stop the murders. He hoped it would provide enough time to build trust and gain their cooperation. Knowing that among this group hid a traitor made revealing any plans pointless until they discovered their identity.
“Are you included, Drayton, in this investigation?” Trent slipped his jacket off and folded it on the chair, sitting back down.
“Of course. In the meantime, help yourselves to the refreshments provided.”
The sooner they made a start and figured out the culprit, the better it would be for everyone. He about-faced to head out of the room, but a clap of hands made him stop and swivel around.
“Congratulations, Drayton. That’s the best suggestion yet! The shifter died after drinking water. I’m not likely to touch anything you offer, and I suggest that no one else does either.” Roman paced around behind Isabella.
Drayton sighed. “We don’t know that for sure until toxicology comes through. It’s also unlikely that whoever is behind this would strike again.”
Ella shifted restlessly next to him and he turned to look at her raised eyebrows.
He has a point, Drayton. If they want to cause maximum disruption, they could be trying to get rid of all the leaders from the Assembly. They could pick them off one by one. You cannot assume that the food and drink are okay. We need to have it all checked.
Having all the Assembly members together in one place gave an open opportunity for any enemy to strike at them fast and hard. He stared at his smart wife before he faced the others.
“Okay—on reflection, I have changed my mind,” Marcus announced.
“About letting us leave?” King Zayn sat forward as he raised a dark brow.
“No…until I can establish that the food and drinks are indeed safe, no one is to touch them. I will run some tests, which
