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“Tell me something, sweetie,” I cooed into his ear, “do you happen to know where a woman can find Ander Méndez?”
He reeled back an inch, his nose skating my cheek. The sudden movement shocked me with panic, but a warm hand on my thigh eased my worry.
The vampire stepped back and showed his fangs. “Who’s asking?”
“Mistress Artemis.”
His fangs retreated. “A witch? In here?”
“I serve many communities.”
His eyes flickered behind us. I didn’t like that. Not a bit.
“Well, Mistress,” the bartender said with a sinister tone, “why don’t you allow Scorn to show you to your table?”
Eric kept me flush to his side as we turned to face the shortest person among the crowd tonight, who happened to be human—or mostly human. His pale sunflower eyes matched his tattered wheat hair, paling out his pasty skin even more as his cheeks glowed like blood circulated in those two places alone.
Unlike the bartender dressed in more formal black fashion, this guy wore a baggy black shirt hanging from his thick arms and a pair of gray joggers. “Fancy that. A witch and a…” He sniffed the air. “Oh, I guess you’re human like me.”
Music blasted between us until he laughed like it was the best joke he ever told in his life.
“Well, you’re not exactly like me.” He hugged his gut. “But you could be if you wanted to. So many perks.” He pulled the collar of his shirt aside to reveal multiple bite marks. “And I mean, it’s pretty hot. You’re a big guy. Big feedings. You could be an orgy donor.”
Eric growled low in his throat. “We just want to know where to find Ander Méndez. That’s it, kid.”
Scorn gave us a wide-eyed smile. “Kid. That’s a good one.” He jerked his head to the right. “Follow me to your table, lovebirds.”
My pseudo-boyfriend cast me an uncertain glance before pressing his palm to the small of my back.
Follow me.
I blinked at the distinct volume of that thought in my head. Had it been anyone else, I would have ignored it. But his alphas were the ones to plant the seed in our heads about being mates. Was that a sign that it was a good match?
Now isn’t the time, GG. Besides, you made a promise. Stick to it. Don’t make tall tales, got it?
Eric kept a protective arm around my hips while we followed the pale yet well-fed human named Scorn past the initial bar and onto a walkway that led to a dimly lit dining area. Vampires openly fed on humans as daintily as they would precious fruit. Just hearing the sound of the suction underneath the fading thud of EDM behind us made me feel sick.
To get through the crowded dining area was a challenge. But nothing could have been more challenging than walking through a velvet curtain that separated the main area from a private feeding room. Three vampires sat in an elevated booth at the rear of the room with a wall of mirrors sandwiching them.
This was it. This was our chance to put the task behind us and get back home to Beaufort.
Scorn paused a few feet from the table and straightened his back. “Sire, two people are here searching for the vampire Ander.”
One of the vampires, a pearl-skinned skeleton with emerald eyes and dense curls of lush oak brown, observed us with reverent wisdom I could have mistaken for hunger. Being around vampires from such a young age gave me a better understanding of their mannerisms and expressions. While most people simply saw lust or hunger, I noticed curiosity and amusement.
Scorn stepped aside, motioning for me to approach the table. A simple smile from the vampire who looked at us put the other two at visible ease. Those two vampires had luminescent skin with a touch of seafoam in them. Black eyes slid in our direction, each one wearing their black hair tugged back into a bun.
The vampire in the center leaned on his elbow, exposing the velvet black shirt that he wore with damask designs on it. “Mistress Artemis, to what do we owe the pleasure of your company?”
“I’m seeking a vampire named Ander Méndez.”
Eric clutched my shoulder. “You don’t have to be polite when we’ve asked twice now.”
I cocked my left ear in his direction. “Sweetie, please let me handle this.”
When it turned back to the vampires, they glanced in Eric’s direction briefly before focusing more on me. Good. That meant the glamor was working.
“I’m Krow,” the center vampire said, “and I’m the proprietor of this establishment. I’ve known Ander for centuries.”
