AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And what has that got to do with you?” Klaus asked.
“I’m looking for a survivor. You know I’m not satisfied until I get my hands on every survivor that has run away from me. This particular one has been under the radar for years, but if the rumors are true, I was wondering if I could…take a look at your collection and see if one of your survivors is mine.”
He had expected it would get to that, but hearing it still felt like a hand squeezing his chest. Again, it took all his effort to maintain his calm when his insides were torn between panic and the need to attack this man just to get him away. But logic dictated that wouldn’t work this time. Klaus nodded.
“You’re right. It’s very ridiculous—me harboring survivors, that is. I used to have slaves, though.”
Salford didn’t expect that confession, either. His brows rose and his long locks gleamed when he moved.
“Oh? Used to?”
“Yes. I don’t have them now. They need to be fed and clothed and it’s such a hassle. They grow confident and steal, so I decided to eliminate the whole system and live without them.”
“So, you planted these flowers?”
Damn it.
“Yes.” Klaus shrugged. “Just because I don’t have slaves doesn’t mean it’s not fun to lure others in here and…play.”
“You sound like you’re telling the truth,” Salford mused. “I hope you’re telling the truth.”
A scale fell off his back, and it took all his effort to shift his body and catch it with his butt while simultaneously pretending that he wasn’t up to anything. Quietly, he plucked it with his hand and tucked it in between other scales, keeping his gaze steady on Salford the whole time. When he spoke, his voice was amused and puzzled.
“Why would I lie to you? I don’t have anything to hide from you. I presume you don’t have anything to hide from me, either.”
“I’m sure we all have our secrets.” A pause. “I really hope you’re not lying to me about those survivors, Klaus. I’d hate to be the one to burn this place down.”
There it was: the first glimpse of anticipation and the shadow of evil that he had met long ago but hadn’t thought affected him. Every choice he made affected him, it seemed, including avoiding this man and mating with Sapphire…and meeting this man again, who was bound to be his downfall if he faltered.
Don’t falter.
Nerves sparked, then disappeared, as his resolve strengthened. He opened his mouth to repeat his words—and felt fear rush in when a female voice spoke first.
“He’s not lying, except he did forget to tell you one thing. He has a mate.”
Not long after Sapphire announced it, she strode forward wearing a black dress that shifted as she walked and glinted under the moonlight. Every step was hypnotizing, and her lips were drawn up in a smirk that seemed amused at what she was seeing. When she stood beside Klaus, she gave Salford a once-over and leaned into Klaus’s touch. Salford noted the movement and raised a brow.
“Who are you?”
“I already introduced myself, but you haven’t introduced yourself. That’s okay, though, because everyone in Broom’s Isle knows of your existence and how glorious you are.”
“A witch,” Salford concluded, his surprise visible. He looked at Klaus before returning his attention to Sapphire, who demanded it.
“Yes. One who…let’s say has a lot of enemies. One of them is in the form of the crazy person you probably heard.” She let out a dramatic sigh. “It’s my fault.”
“Your fault?”
Sapphire pouted. “I found him here and thought I should lure him in further. He’s one of the lesser powerful on our island and those are always a disgrace. He took offense. I got complacent and he slipped out of my grasp.” She smiled and licked her lips. “But not before I messed with his head a bit.”
The display and transformation before him had Klaus staring dumbfoundedly. The Sapphire he knew was gone, replaced by a deliberately seductive witch who wasn’t afraid to flaunt what she was—and looked every bit as deranged as she acted. It was an act that had Salford mesmerized too…and had Klaus realizing that he shouldn’t let his fear dictate him.
Trust.
He wrenched her closer, adding a possessive hint to the move. He squeezed her hip and had her pretend-hissing in pain while her face lit up. Now Salford looked at her oddly before turning to Klaus with a waried look of admiration.
“Can you let us know where that bastard is so we can take care of him?” Klaus asked before the man would resort to questions—or worse, praises.
“I already killed him. A wife, eh?” Salford drawled. “A witch at that.”
