‘If you’d be so kind.’ Verin held out his hand. ‘I assume blood has something to do with why you’re here. That, and whatever foul thing is in that bag.’ The Vampire tipped his chin to the bag Kyan had nearly forgotten he’d brought.
Kyan proceeded to stop strangling it and dug the vial from his pocket to hand them both over. ‘We need to know what creature this is and, if possible, an identity. Perhaps it matches one of your samples.’
He went to inspect the living area that scented faintly of food. There was a splotch of warm tea on the coffee table, as if someone had hastily removed a set of teacups. The slightly depressed seats also told him there’d been people here. More than one.
She’s been here, a primal part of him urged.
Anticipation hummed through him loud enough to ring in his ears. Tea was a good sign. That could mean guests, not prisoners.
‘Unless I’ve tasted the person’s blood before, I’m unlikely to be able to help you. But creature identification, I can do,’ Verin said.
‘That might help,’ Kyan said as Verin removed the fang from the bag.
Verin’s expression smoothed with rage. ‘You bring me the fang of aVampire? Is this a threat?’
‘No. Something’s been done to it. It had a double row of teeth. I want to know what mutated it and how to reverse it, if possible.’
Verin showed the first signs of concern. ‘I see. Do I get more information than that?’
‘I’d prefer to hear your take first.’
The Vampire unstopped the Huntbringer vial and then inhaled.
If it was possible for his alabaster brow to have creased with confusion, it would have. But it was the words that followed that caused Kyan’s own mind to crumple like a piece of paper.
‘This is Empyreal blood.’
Nicole
NICOLE PACED IN THE SOUNDPROOFED LUXURYOF THE THIRDGeorge Room. They’d only managed to get this far and slam shut the door when the front one had opened across the house, immediatelymuting Verin’s conversation with whomever the Wake had sent. This room gave them easier access to the Hell Staircase and back down the stairs to try and find a way out.
But right now, they needed to know what they were dealing with.
The wallpaper was a rose-red paisley, the walls choked with Old Masters’ paintings in varying sizes and gold frames. Antique couches were dotted about, and Bells sank nervously onto one as Dylan began to pace.
‘Did Verin betray us?’ he asked.
Staying back from the window, Nicole peered outside to see a sleek sports car and the edge of a black one in the drive. Not the type of car she’d expected from the Wake, but then their higher-ups were infinitely mysterious. She already knew they had eye-watering amounts of money at their disposal, what was one ostentatious car?
But why were Empyreals arrivingnow?Had Verin called them?
‘Two Empyreals,’ he’d said, ‘I’ll get rid of them.’
But could they trust that?
What if the Empyreal who’d killed their mother was here to finish the job?
Ice lanced down her spine.
‘No one is going to take you anywhere, you understand?’ her father said, breaking through her thoughts. ‘We need to find out who they are, and why they’re here.’
He was already rearming himself from the weapons case they’d grabbed on the way, passing a gun to Bells who took it expectantly.
‘They wouldn’t be here for us with those cars,’ Nicole said. ‘But I can’t hear what they’re talking about while I’m in here.’
‘Unless they’ve got a van elsewhere,’ Dylan said, scoping out the grounds.
‘Call him,’ Nicole found herself saying.
