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Peri grudgingly swallowed her snarky words. If the woman wanted to play like they were polite strangers, that was fine with her.
She widened her fake smile. “Sorry.”
Tia’s eyes narrowed, but waving a hand toward the wooden chair set in front of the writing desk, she moved toward the windows.
“Have a seat.” Tia reached the sideboard, where several crystal decanters were arranged on a silver tray. “Wine?”
“No, thanks.” Peri wasn’t about to eat or drink anything in the house of a potential enemy. “I’m driving.”
“A shame. It’s my own vintage.” Tia poured a glass of deep red wine, lifting it to savor the aroma before taking a small sip. “Delicious.”
Peri resisted the urge to fidget. The woman was deliberately emphasizing the fact that she was in command of the encounter.
“I have a few questions,” Peri said, watching the woman stroll across the carpet to lean her hip against the corner of the writing table.
“We’ll get to those,” Tia assured her.
“But first?”
“Has Maya ever discussed our time together?”
More games. Peri swallowed a sigh. “Not really.”
Tia sipped more wine, her gaze moving to the small ivory statue of a woman shrouded in flowing robes that was set in the corner.
“We met several years ago. I won’t say how many. A woman never shares such secrets. Maya had just come into her powers and attracted the attention of Batu.”
Against her will, Peri found herself intrigued by Tia’s words. Maya rarely discussed her past. And since Peri had no desire to dredge up old memories, she’d never pressed the woman for details.
“Who is Batu?” she demanded.
“The Cabal leader of Cambodia.”
“The name isn’t familiar,” Peri admitted.
Tia drained the wine in one gulp and lifted her empty glass in a mocking toast. “He died under mysterious circumstances. About the same time the Khmer Rouge was overthrown.”
Peri stilled. Was the mage implying she had something to do with the vampire’s demise?
A dangerous claim. Although any vampire killed would be swiftly resurrected in a new body, the Cabal took a dim view of people randomly offing their leaders.
“I see.”
“Doubtful.” Tia set the glass on the desk with a sharp click. “You’ve never been enslaved by a leech who considers you his property. One who uses you as a weapon against his enemies or a toy to entertain him when he’s bored.”
“No.”
Peri had heard the stories, of course. Back in the Dark Ages, most mages and demons were no more than slaves to the Cabal. And even now there were vampires who considered their people lesser beings with no rights.
“When Maya was…invited to join Batu’s household staff, she was still an innocent child.” The spicy scent of cloves filled the air. As if Tia was more troubled by the memories than she wanted Peri to realize. “I was the one who protected her. The one who taught her to harness the power in her blood. And when Batu unexpectedly perished, I took her with me and kept her safe.”
Peri hid her flare of surprise. She had no idea the two women’s pasts were so entwined.
“I’m sure she’s grateful.”
“I didn’t want her gratitude.” The dark eyes were as hard as obsidian. “I wanted her loyalty.”
Peri studied the older woman. She might not know every detail of her friend’s past. She certainly hadn’t realized she’d been enslaved by a leech, although it went a long way to explain herwillingness to bow to the wishes of the mysterious Benefactor. But Peri was certain that Maya would never abandon the mage who had supposedly rescued her from such a grim fate.
