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“Have you tried calling Nolan recently?” Moon inquired.
Sky shook his head. “I tried once on the drive over, but it went directly to voice mail. That bastard could have turned off Nolan’s phone or possibly even destroyed it to keep him from contacting anyone for help.”
Moon placed a hand on his slumped shoulder and squeezed. “You’re in good with Winter Varik, right? That’ll convince the king to help you. All the vampires have to obey their king. You’re going to get Nolan back.”
It wasn’t just about getting Nolan back. He didn’t want his sweet, grumpy human to suffer anymore. And he definitely didn’t want him changed into a vampire. Not that he would suddenly stop caring for him. Nolan didn’t seem to want to be a vampire. It wasn’t right to force that on anyone.
“We should head in. Winter told me someone would be expecting us as soon as the sun set.” Sky led the way to wide stone stairs bathed in warm lamplight. Several lights had popped on in the various windows of the massive house. How many people were in there?
No, how manyvampireswere living within those walls?
Bits of gravel crunched under his shoes as they walked toward the stairs. As they climbed, another car whipped up the long drive and parked with a squeal of tires next to Sky’s car. He cringed, waiting for the sound of crunching metal, but it never came. The driver behind the dark windows of the SUV smoothly pulled it into an open spot without hitting his car.
The vehicle had barely come to a complete stop when Fox jumped out of the passenger seat and jogged over to him.
“Sky!” he shouted, drawing Sky’s lips into a smile while some relief coursed through tense muscles. It helped to know he wasn’t facing this King Aiden without at least one familiar face there to support him. From the driver’s seat, Winter slid out and ambled over to them.
“This is fucking bullshit!” Fox exploded the second he was standing in front of him and Moon. “There’s no way Aiden is going to let this stand. We’re getting Nolan free of this asshole.”
“Be careful, babe. Don’t go putting words in my father’s mouth,” Winter called out. Fox turned to glare at his boyfriend, his entire body so tense he was practically vibrating. The vampire didn’t seem perturbed as he continued. “Sandor isn’t going to make this easy, and you know it. He’s older than me by a few decades, and you don’t live that long without learning to be sneaky.”
“What you’re talking about is politics,” Fox huffed. “Have I told you lately that I hate politics?”
Winter grinned at his mate, and Sky had to do a double take. The few times he’d met Winter Varik, the vampire had been cold, reserved, and all-around scary. He lived up to his reputation as being one of the most dangerous vampires in the world. But when he smiled at Fox, it was like looking at an entirely different person. All the shadows and danger fell off him, and he became this carefree twentysomething.
“Do you mean in the last five minutes? Because, yes, you have.” And he was even teasing his lover.Insane!
Sky cleared his throat to keep from chuckling, but Moon didn’t bother to hide his laugh, which was a damn good reminder.
“Fox, you’ve never officially met Moon in person,” Sky began.
Fox gasped and grabbed fistfuls of his red hair. “Holy crap! Yes! It’s so great to meet you. I mean, I wish we weren’t meeting for this reason, but still…wow! This is the best.”
Moon grinned at Fox, his face crinkling up so much that his golden eyes were almost completely lost. “It’s great to meet you in person, too.”
“Another witch?”
Fox gasped and spun to stare at Winter, who sighed loudly.
The vampire pointed a finger at Fox’s face. “That expression there. That’s why I worry. Not because I think witches are bad, but because you’re scared of how I’m going to react.”
“It’s okay,” Moon spoke up. “Fox is worried because he knows I’m a blood witch. It’s not something I advertise. It makes most people—even witches—uncomfortable.”
Winter turned his very unimpressed expression on Sky. “You brought a blood witch with you.”
“Can you think of better backup when you’re going up against a vampire clan leader?” Sky snapped. While necromancers were relatively rare, making up less than ten percent of the witch population, it was believed the blood witches accounted for less than one percent. They were like fucking unicorns.
Very scary unicorns.
All their spells were powered by blood—either their own or someone else’s. And since vampires were blood-centered creatures, Sky couldn’t think of anyone better to have at his side.
“Nope,” Winter instantly agreed. “Just glad I didn’t grab a bite ahead of the meeting. Come on, Blood Witch, Dead Witch. Let’s go inside. I can’t wait to see how Marcus reacts to this news.”
Winter led the way up the stairs and Sky lingered a step behind so he could whisper to Fox. “Who’s Marcus?”
“Marcus is the oldest of the Varik brothers. He can be grumpy and overbearing, but he’s a nice guy deep down. Or at least that’s what his mate, Ethan, claims.”
Winter’s cackle drifted to them. “I’m telling him you said that.”
