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“I fear we’re in for real trouble.” Arman followed Ruric out of the vehicle. Of all of them, he was the worrier of the bunch.
“Okay, everyone remains on high alert,” Levka said. “Stasio, since you’ve already spoken to her, I want you to compel her to do something to learn if she’s human.”
Not thattheythemselves weren’t human. The way they liked to look at it was they were enhanced humans with special abilities.
But he was glad Levka gave him the mission. Stasio also wondered why he hadn’t thought of trying to compel her to do something to prove if she was strictly human or not before. That was even a better way to learn the truth than telepathic communication that she could ignore.
They headed inside the lobby and Stasio couldn’t believe all the changes the new owners had made.
“It isn’t so bad,” Ruric reassured him.
“Has it changed a lot since you were here last?” Caitlin sounded so sympathetic, Stasio appreciated her concern.
“Some. Though it generally feels the same. I…do feel at home. Except that I would be in charge of everyone on staff here.” Stasio motioned to the staff at the desk. “As soon as we walked in, they would have hurried over to welcome me home and accommodated us immediately.”
“Because you are a prince and owned the castle. Sure. That must have been cool. What does everyone else think of the changes?” Caitlin asked.
“It has wonderful improvements,” Ruric said. “Internet connections, Wi-Fi, television, hot showers, bathrooms in each of the rooms.”
Stasio shook his head. He would never have imagined perfect strangers coming and going in his castle. The check-in counter would never have existed if he’d had any say in it.
Arman checked them in and handed out room keycards.
The dark-haired girl had already checked in apparently and left to go to her room.
“I’ll stay with Caitlin while you all do what you need to—” Levka started to say.
They saw the girl walking toward the great hall that had been turned into a restaurant.
“Stasio,”Levka communicated telepathically to the group,“Go eat lunch with her and learn what you can.”
“Will do.”Stasio hoped that he didn’t look as eager as he felt to learn the truth and headed after her.
3
The blond-haired guy was cute, Jasmine thought as she took a seat in the castle restaurant. He was a vampire—which she knew because he’d telepathically communicated with her. His companions were probably vampires too.
She was ready to take down the next target on her terminal list, most likely tonight or the next night, return to the airport, and be on standby to get a flight out, but right now, she was enjoying being at a castle, her first time ever. Actually, being in Wales was a totally new experience also. Normally, she only took down rogue vampires in New York, so this was a special case where she had been able to track the rogue all the way to Wales and get permission to take him down.
She couldn’t imagine what it would have been like to live there at the castle when some noble family had ruled over it. Jasmine presumed she would never have been invited to enter the place in ye old days so she was glad it was open for the common folk to enjoy now.
It was a shame that she finally got to leave New York for a trip across the ocean, and all she was thinking about was returning. Maybe she could take a day to see the sights and then return. She loved that Gareth, her target, had come to this castle to stay and that she was able to also. She was used to having to break into the vampire’s home and eliminate him or her in that way, though sometimes she ended up facing off several vampires at once. Not a great way to take care of one. But at a castle? That was a first time for her.
What she hadn’t expected was for the teens she’d seen getting the rental van drive from the airport and then went shopping at the same places she went to before they ended up at the castle where she was staying. They must have felt she was stalking them. Shefeltlike a stalker. Even though she didn’t ever mix pleasure with business, she was hoping she would see the cute blond-haired guy again. He had been so polite and so cultured—for someone his age, which was another reason she knew he was a vampire. But also, he’d telepathically spoken to her and that had cinched the deal.
Then she saw her target: a dark-haired teen, hundreds of years old. His blue eyes widened as he stared in the direction of the entryway. She turned to see who it was and saw the blond-haired guy entering the restaurant, his gaze sweeping the room—until he saw her. And he smiled. He had the most charming and interested smile she’d ever seen in a guy.
He waved the hostess away and headed straight for Jasmine's table. He was confident and knew just what he wanted, if nothing else. Maybe he would be a good cover for her as she attempted to take down Gareth, her target on her terminal list. Gareth slipped into a booth across the restaurant from where she was sitting.
"Are you alone?" the blond guy asked her.
"Like before." She didn’t smile. She didn’t want to appear…easy to manipulate.
He smiled and motioned to her table. "Would you mind some company?"
"What about your friends?" Jasmine arched a brow. The four men and one woman looked like they were close friends.
"They weren't hungry yet and are getting settled into their rooms. I'm Stasio, by the way." He was still standing, waiting for her to ask him to join her.
