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This was going far better than I had anticipated when I started plotting to show Quinn the world my mother had helped ensure I knew as a child. While it certainly helped that my relatives accepted her with open arms, I was more comforted by the fact that she seemed more at peace than the night I was forced to tap into the nightmare.
I kept my arm draped around her waist as I led the way back upstairs. Since Aydin had started coming down the stairway, I could only assume the hostess had stopped by to inform him it was time for our reservation. There was no way I could miss the slight smirk painted on his face.
The bastard had heard all the squeals my pet had uttered and naturally assumed sex had been involved with the making of wine.
“Gwen did mention the table had been changed.” Aydin halted several steps up. “It seems Dario has another VIP in the building, seated on the second floor. Said VIP would like you to join him for dinner.”
Normally, I wouldn’t mind the request for my company over an Italian meal - but this was during the time of war. If my uncle hadn’t already expressed that angels were banned from the grounds, I would’ve assumed it was Marcillo that wanted to push his luck. My lips curled into a weary frown. “Did she happen to mention who it was?”
The demon shook his head. “He wouldn’t give his name, but she insisted he smelled like a vampire.”
I flexed my jaw, struggling against the overwhelming urge to grit my teeth. Vampire meant Zane Morialti. He was a cocky son of a bitch that didn’t care to think about the consequences of his actions, not when he controlled every part of Asia with an iron fist. Hell, it was even making me contemplate the idea of rescheduling the dinner and telling him to fuck off.
The Morialti family was not one I could trust to bring around my pet without him attempting to lay a claim to her. As long as Quinn still had a small piece of humanity within her, it was still enough to stir his interest.
Quinn peered up at me, sensing the sudden tension ripping through my body. “Is everything alright?” she questioned softly.
Aydin’s quizzical expression echoed her words. It wasn’t a secret to my kind that I didn’t care for Zane and how he ran things. While he was content to leave his streets stained red, I preferred to keep a better handle on my rage.
There wouldn’t be a kingdom to grow if I was willing to burn everything down for the pure sport of it.
Drawing in a slow breath, I reluctantly gestured for Aydin to lead the way. “You will stay behind me until I decide whether we are staying here to enjoy our meal or if we’re leaving. This is not something you can challenge. Do you understand, pet?”
“Y-Yes.”
Tugging her closer to me, I followed the demon up the remainder of the steps. I could feel my body being weighed down with even more tension for every step I took toward the second floor. Just reaching the top of that stairway was enough to leave my lungs unwilling to draw in as much fresh air.
While I was skilled with maintaining that calm demeanor to everyone around me, the tension haunting Quinn’s body revealed that the bond we now shared allowed her to see past that rock wall keeping everyone else out. She knew what emotions were brewing within me, fanning that flame, when no one else had a damn clue. Fortunately, a peek through my peripheral view revealed she was managing to keep it masked just as well as I was.
Fascinating.
Once we reached the top step, I immediately surveyed the level for Zane. I didn’t care for the idea of sharing a table with the cold bastard with the hope that he wouldn't attempt to sink his fangs into something that was already mine. Yet, a quick glance over the lack of filled tables revealed he was nowhere in sight.
Only one table was occupied by a man whose aura was drenched in magic. The long brown hair alone was all I needed to know this wasn’t Zane Morialti. He paid absolutely no attention to our arrival, his fingers dancing above the chess pieces displayed before him. Every movement he made brought them within centimeters of a piece, yet he would never officially touch them. Each close call would light it up with a brief, pale green glow through a symbol on the piece’s side.
The light faded away as soon as his hand was out of range.
Aydin shifted his body, easing out of our path. “Apparently, he could sense our arrival as soon as I brought you onto the grounds.” He kept his voice low with those forest green eyes locked on the distracted man. “He put in the request with Dario to have you join him. It seems he’s very eager to meet you.”
I drew in a slow, deep breath as I took this stranger in. It didn’t require getting any closer for me to realize that he was indeed a vampire, yet his aura revealed he was far older than any that I had come across during my travels. Still, the magic humming within his veins certainly wasn’t one that I recognized. It flooded me with both curiosity and the typical weariness I was accustomed to being haunted with.
“Should I remain on guard?” Aydin inquired softly.
“No.” I shook my head slowly. “Go fetch Dario. Quinn needs to eat and I won’t tolerate any type of delay because of a change in plans.”
“Yes, sire.” He bowed his head before moving past us and retreating down the stairway.
The vampire waiting for us raised his chin slightly, just like my pet would do when she wanted to express defiance. If it wasn’t for the slight tug on those lips, I would have assumed he intended to do the same. “You’re a cautious one, Asher Aeternus. Your reputation certainly precedes you.” Eerie white eyes finally flickered my way. “No one survives as long as we do without picking up such a trait.”
Quinn’s arm tightened around mine. It was clear that she had no desire to get any closer until I made it known what I thought about this mysterious guest, yet she wasn’t going to hold me back if an approach was my intention. She kept her pace matched with mine as we strolled toward his table.
“You speak from experience,” I murmured, reaching out to take a chair and pull it out for my pet. With the table bearing the ability to host up to eight people, I was able to put us both across from him. As soon as she eased down into the chair, I tucked it underneath her and settled down in the one beside her. “Which means you should also be aware that I don’t care for being at such a disadvantage. Clearly, you’ve heard about me.”
His unique colored eyes had already returned to the chessboard in front of him. A small smirk emerged on his face. “If you had picked up a whisper about me, Asher, then I would be slipping. My survival depends on keeping to the shadows. I’m sure your companion might be able to relate to that in some manner.”
My pet tensed up. It was an involuntary reaction, but it wasn’t one that she could prevent. While the nerves within her were already performing such a nervous dance, that head didn’t bow. Her jaw remained lifted with the same defiance that I was accustomed to seeing. It was clear that the changes were already taking place within my timid pet, her fading humanity eliminating the wary creature I had bought.
The woman sitting beside me would make a fine queen.
