Henrik nodded crisply, taking two champagne flutes and handing me one.
I frowned, staring into it. “What if I wanted water?”
Henrik shrugged, raised his glass, and sipped.
I held my glass in front of his face and gave it a little shake. “I won’t throw this at you now, but who knows?” I smiled sweetly. “I might get my chance back at the château.”
Bene chuckled. “Watch your back, buddy.”
Henrik motioned with his champagne. “Shoo, kitty. Shoo.”
Bene waltzed off, unperturbed. Henrik took another sip and glanced around, haughty as ever.
I stood at his side, waiting. And waiting and waiting…
Finally, I nudged Henrik. “What now?”
Another disinterested sip. “Patience.”
Not my strong suit. I looked around and piqued my senses. Most of the guests were human, with a few scattered supernaturals, each of whom kept a low profile. A wolf shifter here, a vampire there…
My heart pounded. If only I had more of my ancestors’ powers! But even if I did, I was never going to outfight, outfly, or outmagic anyone. I could only maximize what I had, like brains, cunning, and art knowledge. Not exactly Marvel-comic superpowers, but hey. I wasn’t about to give up now.
I scanned the room for a better look at Dobrov, but I spotted Marius first. A rainbow arced over my soul, and my heart leaped. If I hadn’t exercised supreme self-discipline, I might have jumped up and down.
He stood against a wall between a catering table and a ceiling-high palm, looking all the world like a secret service agent in his dark suit. When our eyes met, a mix of heat and ice shot through my veins. Heat, because Marius was Marius, and my body reacted that way every time. Ice, because his look was that cool and detached.
Henrik chuckled, and I glanced at him, annoyed.
And, oops. In the next split second, I learned Lesson One about undercover work with a vampire. Never, ever turn to face him without your guard firmly up — as in up in the stratosphere. Otherwise, you might get dragged into a smothering kiss.
Make that asupergluekiss, because it took several seconds of struggling to break loose. I raised my hand to punch him, but he grabbed it.
“Now, now, darling,” Henrik chuckled. “Remember, you have to look the part.”
The air pressure in the room spiked, and a growl sounded in my mind.
I turned, spotting Marius, and boy, did he look furious.
I will kill him,I swore I heard him snarl.
Yeah, well. Get in line,I grumbled, then shoved Henrik. “Stop provoking him.”
His eyes glittered. “Most fun I’ve had this century.”
By some miracle, I hadn’t spilled my drink, and I held it up in a mock toast. “Until the day — very, very soon — when you get roasted by dragon fire or staked in the heart. Cheers.”
He had the nerve to laugh and touch his glass to mine a second time. “Cheers,ma belle.” But something over my shoulder caught his eye, and he frowned.
Following his gaze, I found Roux and Delphine across the room. The tiger was positively striking in his tux. Delphine looked every bit as stunning in her red dress — but wounded to the core.
Henrik looked at her a moment longer, then turned away. A small but infinitely cruel gesture that angered me as much as the kiss.
“You’re a bastard, you know that?” I couldn’t help hissing. “The way you treat her…” His blank look made me huff. “Unbelievable.”
He frowned. “You mean Delphine?”
“Yes, I mean Delphine!”
