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“If you’ll follow me.”
The demon turned to lead them toward the opening that connected to the main building, while the other one moved to position himself next to the garage door. Valen assumed he would be standing guard to ensure no one had followed them.
Valen applauded their diligence, but he remained cautious as they entered what appeared to be an old warehouse that had the windows bricked over and the cement floors covered with thick carpeting. The furnishings were stark, with a leather couch and a few chairs scattered around the large room. This was a place to go if Micha was in the city and needed a quick place to hide. Or to stash away a demon who needed to go off the grid. It was intended for security, not luxury.
The servant continued across the room before sliding a section of paneling to the side. Valen stepped through the opening, not surprised to discover Micha’s office was equipped with state-of-the-art technology that included a wall of monitors showing security video from his various businesses and a sleek computer system on the desk in the center of the room. There were glass shelves that held dozens of disposable phones, electronic trackers, and mini cameras that could be attached to any surface.
Like most vampires, Micha was obsessed with keeping a close eye on his territory and the demons who served him.
Waiting until the servant closed the panel to give them privacy, Valen turned to study the woman who was turning in a slow circle to take in the office. She at last met his gaze with a wry twist of her lips. No doubt she was considering the scope of his own surveillance systems.
They both knew it was equally intrusive.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Just tired.” She stared at him with an unexpected concern. “What about you?”
Valen froze. In the past two thousand years, he’d had his fellow Cabal members worry whether he could maintain the strength of his Gyre, and his demons eager for him to offer fair and steady leadership, while his lovers were anxious to keep his interest. But he’d never had anyone show concern for him. Not for what he could offer them…buthim.
It was unnerving. In the best possible way.
With an effort, he kept his expression unreadable. There was every likelihood that Micha was monitoring them from his mansion. He wasn’t prepared to reveal his obsession with this woman. Not when he couldn’t be certain she was equally obsessed.
He did have his pride, after all.
“Singed, but I’ll survive,” he assured her.
Her concern transformed to curiosity. “You don’t make that sound like a good thing.”
“A good thing for me.” His fangs lengthened. “A very bad thing for whoever set the snare.”
Peri was undisturbed by his blatant threat. As if she was becoming accustomed to being with a vampire.
“It had to have been a mage,” she murmured, her brow furrowed. “The spell was beyond what a common witch could create.”
He could sense she wasn’t satisfied with the mage theory. “But?”
“There was something different about the spell.” She shook her head as she struggled to explain what was troubling her. “It felt elastic.”
“I’m not sure what that means.”
“Once a spell is cast it’s static,” she said. “The results might change—like if I create a fire, the flames will continue to spread until they are extinguished, but the spell itself would stay the same.”
“But the snare changed?”
“Yes.” She shivered, her beautiful blue eyes darkening at the memory of her battle with the spell. “When I created an opening I could feel it trying to snap closed. It was like it sensed that it’d been breached and was making an effort to repair itself.” She paused, as if she had to gather her composure. “It should never have been aware of what I was doing.”
Valen grimaced. It was infuriating to accept that he had no control over the situation. Like all creatures, mages were secretive about their powers. He had a basic understanding of spells and potions, but he was certainly no expert. It put him at a disadvantage.
“The magic was aware of what you were doing, or the spellcaster?”
“The magic.”
“Is there a way to track down who cast the spell?”
“Not that I know of.” She looked as frustrated as he felt. “Were there any security cameras?”
“Not in the building.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “But I might have an idea how to get what we need.”
