AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her gaze flicked to me. “I never do anythingunintentionally.”
“May I ask why?”
“You may not.” She paused. “Unless of course, what you are sensing is indeed her, and she is indeed intent on revenge.”
“Do you really think that possible?”
“Anything is possible.”
Meaning, I suspected, she had no idea. “Would you be seeking revenge if the positions were reversed?”
Her smile said it all. Holy hell, we could be in real trouble here if this situationdiderupt into a fight.
I did my best to contain my unease, but the glimmer in her pale eyes said she was not only well aware of it but enjoying it. “Will she have come here alone?”
“She isneveralone.”
“Meaning she will have the coven with her?”
“She would bring her lovers and whatever fledglings she might have.” Maelle shrugged, the movement casual and yet not unconcerned. “That could mean somewhere between ten and twenty people. She has an appetite.”
Oh great, Belle said.A bunch of horny, hungry vampires is all we fucking need in the reservation.
Especially if the evil I was sensingwasn’tthem. “Are you able to provide a description so we know who to look for?”
She briefly paused, though I had no doubt it was done for effect more than any real need to think about it. “She is fair of face and hair. Her eyes are green, her build petite, and she is deceptively young looking.”
The description brought to mind an image—a memory—I’d once caught when Maelle had touched me without warning. It had been a brief glimpse of a beautiful young woman wearing a crown in her golden hair and sitting on an intricately carved red velvet throne.
Had Maelle smashed the coven and her lover to claim that throne?
I suspectedthatwas a question she would not answer. Not until we were certain the evil I sensed was Marie, and even then, not until there was evidence she intended bloody revenge.
“How young looking are we talking?”
Maelle’s shrug was another of those impossibly graceful movements. “Sixteen, perhaps? Do not, however, be fooled by her projection of innocence. She is far older than even me.”
“Thanks for your help, Maelle.” I rose. “I’ll keep you updated if we uncover anything. I’d appreciate it if you could do the same where possible.”
She nodded regally, though I suspected it wasn’t in any way an agreement to share information. “Just be warned that if itisMarie, she has a hunger for power and the means to sway even the stoutest soul. She will seek you out if she senses your vibrance.”
Vibrance was an odd way of putting my magical output, especially since my use of a concealment spell was now second nature. It had successfully hidden the glow of power that came from the continuing growth of my native wild magic from the High Council in Canberra, so surely it should also work against a dark witch or sorcerer. The only reason Maelle knew of its existence was because she’d been here well before I’d learned to properly shield.
All the same, it might be worth ramping up the shield a bit more, Belle commented.Better safe than sorry.
And it was certainly a better option than being bit. “If she tries to taste me in any way, it will end no better for her than it would for you.”
A slow smile stretched her rich lips. “That is a challenge many would not ignore.”
“It’s nothing more than a statement of truth. I’m no longer underpowered or unprotected.”
“You never were.”
I guess that was true, even if I hadn’t realized it for a very long time.
I nodded politely and left at a measured pace, even though all I wanted to do was fucking run. Roger was nowhere to be seen, so I walked across the dance floor and bounded up the steps. Monty was already at the exit and swept aside the plastic sheeting, then waved me through ahead of him. The barely breathing guard had already opened the external door, which suggested Maelle was at least in contact with them even if she wasn’t using them as her eyes, as she did with Roger.
I breathed a deep sigh of relief once I was clear of the building, but didn’t say anything. Neither did Monty. Any conversation we had would have carried easily on the hot, still night, and I wasn’t about to risk her people hearing and reporting back.
