Zane blew out a sigh, shaking his head. “Let’s rid Pythia of another bloodsucker. Then we’ll drag you back to bed.”
I couldn’t help a victorious smile. “Very little dragging will be required. Until then, we need current intelligence onLady Lorelei’s house, her routine, her security. I served her in the past, but all I know is where she lives.”
Let me call my rats.Finn moved to the window and pressed his palm to the drawn shade, gaze distant.
He opened the shade and drew up the window by two inches. Sunlight speared his hands, and smoke curled from them instantly. He jerked backward, dropping the shade.
Five dark-furred rats squeezed through the opening and scurried across the floor. Finn crouched, stroking their backs.Draw a map, Sidney,he signed.I will tell them where to go.
Standing, I moved to the desk and pulled out a quill, inkpot, and parchment, sketching the Gilded Yard and the outline of Lorelei’s estate. Finn pointed to the markings, and the rats’ whiskers twitched as if in understanding. With a final squeak, they darted outside and vanished into daylight.
How long will they take?I asked.
Finn glanced at the map.They should be back before sunset. We should rest.
“I have a better idea,” I breathed, allowing the map to curl into a forgotten scroll. The mission felt a world away, eclipsed by the sudden, heavy thrum of the two men flanking me. My fingers tangled in the thick strands at the nape of Finn’s neck while my opposite palm absorbed the rhythmic heat of Zane’s chest.
Zane’s gaze ignited, and a low vibration hummed through his ribs and into my skin. He closed the gap, his arm a locked band around my waist that hauled me flush against his rigid frame. Finn tracked the shift, his focus narrowing on the pulse thrumming in my throat. He stepped into the space, hands sliding over my hips with a slow, possessive friction that stole the air from my lungs.
I arched back against Zane, baring the line of my neck.Finn didn't hesitate; he buried his face in the curve of my shoulder, his breath a searing brand against the cool air. I turned, meeting Zane’s mouth in a demanding kiss that left me lightheaded.
Reaching for Finn, I drew his lips to mine. His kiss was a deep, pulling ache, the silent language of a man wanting more. They moved with me, a coordinated surge of muscle and warmth, guiding me toward the wide expanse of the bed. The pressure of the looming night dissolved into the silk of the sheets, replaced by the sweet, crushing gravity of the two souls who held me whole.
We woke in a tangle of rumpled sheets and overlapping limbs. The weight of sleep clung to me as I blinked it away and slipped to the window, lifting the curtain a careful inch. Late afternoon light glared back, and I let the panel fall before it could spill inside.
Finn was already up and dressed.I will get you some tea,he signed.And food.
Before I could respond, he cupped my face with both hands. He kissed my forehead and then brushed a softer kiss across my lips. A flutter rose low in my belly, a muted ache that urged me toward him. I rubbed his wrist, my thumb tracing the firm beat of his pulse in silent thanks. He smiled and slipped out.
Zane grumbled into the pillow when I nudged him, still sprawled on his stomach. “Sleepyhead,” I teased. “You can use the bathroom after me.”
I smiled to myself at the incoherent mumble heresponded with. He was never a morning person, though I supposed it was “evening vampire” now. At the sink, I splashed cold water over my face and refreshed myself.
By the time I was done, Zane was more awake and Finn had returned with a full platter balanced on one arm. Steam curled from the teapot, mingling with the richer scent rising from the pitcher beside it. Three cups waited. Finn poured the blood first, filling one and passing it to Zane before claiming his own.
The metallic aroma yanked at me, a sharp hook in my gut. My mouth flooded with saliva. Tearing my gaze from the red essence, I focused on the platter, piling the sourdough bread, giardiniera, and cheese high on my plate, along with other solid foods. I sat and ate quickly, letting the sustenance slice through the thick, animal hunger scraping at my throat.
After filling a cup with tea, I cradled the warm ceramic until its heat bled into my hands. Warmth unfurled through my chest as I drank. When the cup was empty, I set it aside and rose.
My magic stirred again, and another presence slid alongside it, cool and dark as ink. “I can feel your power, Zane. I need to learn how to use it. And Finn…” I turned toward my redheaded devotee. He went still, eyes locked on mine, the air between us tightening. “Yours is a faint vibration, like a tune I can almost catch.” I spoke and signed at the same time.
Zane stepped to my opposite side. “Then let’s practice.” He gripped my hand. “Think of the shadows not as an absence of light but as a magnetic field. You are the magnet that shapes them.” Shadows detached from the corners of the room and slid toward us. They climbed our legs, weaving together into a thick, weightless shroud thatswallowed the light and hid us from the world until he released them.
I nodded, closed my eyes, and reached for his power within me. A spark of energy answered. I threaded my will through the dark and yanked, teeth grinding as a shadow from the corner stretched like tar, stubborn and slow.
The shadow resisted, then slowly loosened and crawled over the floor. I pushed harder, muscles tightening as if I were dragging something solid. It crept closer, brushing my feet.
“Hold it,” Zane murmured.
Pressure built in my sternum until my breath shook. When the strain threatened to split something inside me, I let go. The shadow snapped back to its corner, and I sagged, sucking air into my lungs.
“Good job, sunshine. Now rest.” Zane ran his hand down my back, lingering at the base of my spine. The touch stirred a yearning, a tide I wanted to ride but held back. I tugged away from his fingers reluctantly.
I sat and closed my eyes, waiting for the tremor in my hands to still. The magic coiled beneath my skin again.
“Ready.” I pushed to my feet the moment my legs felt sure beneath me.
“Now, try to hurt me with it.” Zane linked his hands behind his back, making himself a target.
