She spotted a hexed centaur on her way. “Grab my bags, would you, dear?”
He nodded and passed by her, and she wondered how he’d get aboard the ship with that equine form. “Not easily,” she murmured with a grin, in a fine mood.
All in all, the conference had been a success. She’d made a few soul-binding deals, had found purchases she’d had her eyes on for quite some time, and had paid off a part of her debt to Paz, which had been weighing on her for months, ever since Sean had escaped.
Demons, like sea witches, made binding agreements. Just because circumstances changed didn’t mean the deal was off. She knew and understood Paz’s situation, and she’d been glad to get at least that burden off her chest.
So to speak.
She rubbed the area between her breasts, still sore despite it being a soul-base pull and not a physical one, and walked past Lord Ruin into the keep.
“So glad you’re finally back,” the gargoyle rumbled. “We have a bit of bad news.”
Not at all what she wanted to hear. She turned to study him. “Oh?”
“The lycans are gone.”
Her pulse rocketed. “Excuse me?”
“They left. I thought you’d let them go until we realized the vampire had also fled. The nyavka said she spotted the two of you running for the beach. She thought you were going somewhere to play until we found the lycans rowing away in that tiny boat off the northern entrance.”
In a calm voice, she asked, “And you didn’t think to call me?”
Ruin looked abashed. “We didn’t think anything of them leaving until you called yesterday, and by then they’d all been gone for three days. We thought you’d allowed them to leave. We did see you, after all.”
Her voice rose with each word. “I was inVancouver.”
He stared dumbly back at her, and she lost it. Sabine spat at the beast and let her venomous feelings take root. Her saliva turned to acid and ate through his face.
Though he screamed himself hoarse, it wasn’t enough.
After ridding her castle of all her house snips, two more useless gargoyles, and the centaur with her bags who had unfortunate timing, she sat on her favorite couch and stared out the windows at the fog swallowing her view.
The vampire was gone. The lycans didn’t much matter. She could get more or force them to return. But one Of the Bloode? Too much time had passed. By now, he’d have reported what she’d done.
She paused. Or would he?
The spell she’d cast had been guaranteed to make him lower his guard and gradually obey. She hadn’t figured out how to get him to abide by just any command. If she made a command that interfered with his safety, his instincts for self-preservation would kick in, as they had when she’d tried to take his bloode. But with what she’d gathered from the conference, he would have been hers for the taking. And she’dsobeen looking forward to riding that large specimen.
So who the hell had impersonated her and absconded with her treasures?
She had many enemies, all with varying degrees of power, but only one name came to mind that could fool her guards. Yet Sabine had a difficult time believing it.
CouldKaiahave impersonated her? Though a feeble sea nymph, the girl did have the blood of a great sea witch in her veins. Not to mention that of a grand mage. As much as Will annoyed her, he was a powerful magir all his own. But Kaia knew better than to come to the island without an invitation.
The mousy little bitch had no backbone. She couldn’t even get up the gumption to ask a man out on a date. She never argued with Sabine, and she’d do anything not to upset her father. So fond of conciliatory behavior, Kaia did little to rock any boat, content to live in the placid waters of the dreary mundane.
Since Sabine had killed everyone who might have been able to shed light on the theft of her slaves—ah well, I’ll do better next time—she did the next best thing and cleaned up this shitty mess.
The lycans would be no problem. She’d worn Kaia’s face while dallying with them.Ha. There you go, girl, deal with that.But the vryko might remember. She’d been both herself and her daughter during his captivity, and he’d retained too much of his own wits while imprisoned.
To break her hold over him, Kaia would have to understand how to insinuate her power into his, replace Sabine, and work with the demon influence of the spell. That was was above her paygrade.
Since Sabine hadn’t heard from Will, it was doubtful Kaia had confided in her father.
So, if none of her enemies was responsible for this theft, Sabine had to look at her daughter.
Best case, Kaia had an angry yet subdued vampire on her hands, one still bound to Sabine. Worst case, Kaia had usurped the power over the vryko and now had her own vampire slave, bound to her every whim. The vampire would be helpless, caving to whatever his new master wanted. Kaia wouldhatethat, the self-righteous little prig.
