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11
Isaw the humans home to their tenement building—no way was I letting them walk alone, not after they’d told me one of their friends had gone missing—then returned to the Tower. If Sparrow thought my little outing would soften my attitude toward Maximillian, he was mistaken. I had a bone to pick with the vampire lord, and I wasn’t going to let him off the hook just because he was slightly less awful than his compatriots.
The guards outside the administrative building exchanged apprehensive glances, but did nothing to stop me as I strode through the door and marched up to the reception desk. “Is Lord Starclaw here?” I demanded.
The receptionist—a human slave—startled, her glasses nearly slipping off her nose. “I believe so, but he isn’t expecting any visitors. Do you have an appointment?”
“It’s urgent,” I said, ignoring her question. “Where can I find his office?”
“It’s on the third floor, at the end of the main corridor, but—”
A clawed hand seized my upper arm, spinning me around before the receptionist could finish speaking. “What in all the hells are you doing here?” Nyra hissed, her hazel eyes spitting fire. “I told you to stay out of sight!”
“Let go of me!” I protested as she dragged me out of the building and back toward the Central Keep. “I’mnotgoing to sit quietly in my room just because some scary vampire is in town.” Maximillian had promised me his protection—he could find a way to deliver on that promisewithouttrapping me inside the tower. If this commandant was here in order to bring a powerful weapon back to the military that could be used against my people with devastating consequences, then I’d be damned if I was going to sit by and do nothing about it.
“Your hotheaded behavior is going to get us all killed,” Nyra seethed. “Just because Lord Starclaw gave you free rein doesn’t mean you can traipse about doing whatever you like. If the Commandant sees you—”
Nyra choked off her words as Maximillian rode through the front gates on a sleek blue and silver aethersteed. A second vampire rode at his side astride a great black beast, and a shiver crawled across my spine at the sight of him. He was a wiry male with close-cropped black hair, dressed in a dark, tailored military uniform with decorative red epaulets on the shoulders and a cluster of medals and badges on his right breast. His nearly translucent skin and the red glow of his eyes marked him as a member of Sanguis Noctis—the vampire house that wielded blood magic. They were the most savage and bloodthirsty of the four houses, and the ones that I had hunted down most often for violating the Accords by unlawfully preying on humans and witches.
Nyra released me just as both vampires turned our way, folding her hands neatly in front of her. “Welcome back, Sire, Commandant,” she said in a sedate voice as they approached, all traces of her frantic anger gone. “I trust your visit to the compound went well?”
“I’d like to think so,” Maximillian said as he and the commandant drew their horses to a stop in front of us. He swung a long leg over the side of his aethersteed as he dismounted, then handed off his reins to the stable boy that had rushed over to meet them. “What do you think, Vinicius?”
His tone was mild, but his gaze flickered as he caught my eye, and I could see the tension radiating from his body. Maximillian would never say it, but he was just as displeased as Nyra that I was in the commandant’s presence. A sense of unease trickled down my spine— was this military bureaucrat really such a threat?
“It was promising,” Vinicus agreed as he turned his horse over to the stable boy as well. “The prototype your inventor presented is clever, and I’m looking forward to seeing it in action tomorrow.”
In action?I nearly blurted aloud, before remembering I was supposed to be a submissive little thrall who didn’t speak unless her betters spoke to her first. I bit down on my tongue to stop the flood of questions that sprang into my mind—were they going to do a demonstration? Where? And on what?
“Yes, I am very much looking forward to the demonstration as well,” Nyra said, giving the commandant a winning smile. “Eliza and I have been working round the clock to prepare everything for you.”
“I would expect nothing less.” His gaze flicked over to me, and I fought against the urge to reach for a weapon. “And who is this beautiful little morsel?” he asked, his smile growing predatory.
“Her name is Catherine,” Maximillian said. He stepped toward me, and the frenetic energy pumping through my veins calmed as he put his body between me and the commandant. “She is my personal thrall.”
The possessive note in his voice was clear as the cloudless dark sky above us, and I could have sworn that Maximillian’s scent grew stronger, as if he were trying to mark me with it, to claim me as his property. Another shiver ran down my spine, but this one wasn’t wholly unwelcome, and I had to stop myself from inhaling a deep lungful of his scent.
Why in all the hells did I enjoy smelling him so much?
Vinicius arched an eyebrow. “Your personal thrall?” he asked. “I thought you didn’t keep food slaves around.”
“Oh, she’s not just for food,” Maximillian purred. He brushed a lock of my hair aside so he could stroke his thumb along the side of my neck, and my knees nearly knocked together as his touch sent a bolt of need straight to my core. Maximillian’s eyes flared in response, and unlike the commandant, the predatory hunger in his face didn’t frighten me the way it should have. Instead, my own hunger surged in response, filling me with the urge to tilt my head back, to offer my neck willingly.
What in Hecate’s name was wrong with me?
“I see.” Vinicius smirked. “It’s a relief to see you indulge. I was half-worried you were becoming a sympathizer.” He ran his tongue over his teeth as he studied me, teasing the point of his incisor. It was clear his interest in me had not waned—ifanything, it appeared to have sharpened even more. “Will she be joining us for dinner?”
“Perhaps some other time.” Maximillian glanced over at Nyra, who was watching the exchange with pursed lips. “Nyra, would you show Vinicius to my office, please? I will join you both shortly.”
“Of course.” She bowed her head, then led Vinicius away. The moment the vampire turned his back, Maximillian whisked me inside the Central Keep and into the closest chamber, which happened to be the armory. Sunsteel armor and swords glittered all around us as he shut the door behind us, and I took advantage of the opportunity to back away, putting some much-needed distance between us.
“It would appear that you’ve caught the commandant’s attention, Kitten,” Maximillian said, turning to face me. There was an edge to his normally soft voice, and for the first time, there were lines of anger in his sharp face, anger that was directed atme. “Was that your intention when you ignored Nyra’s order to remain out of sight?”
“It’s not my fault!” I protested, heat rising in my cheeks. A hot surge of embarrassment rushed down the back of my neck, and I forced myself to hold Maximillian’s gaze even as I wanted to kick myself. Before I’d been imprisoned, I’d never allowed my emotions to lead me around like this, but my constant need to be free, to avoid feeling caged at all costs, was crowding out my common sense. “Sparrow took me to attend worship at a Phaeros temple, and I got so distracted by everything I saw—”
“Sparrow didwhat?” Maximillian hissed. His fangs snapped down, and he began to pace, looking as though he were aboutto sprint from the room so he could find the spymaster and strangle him. “I told him he was not to go near you again after—"
“Stop that.”
