I released a sigh and went to join her. “I understand that you don’t want to talk. To be honest, I’m not super big on it either, but the faster we get through this trial, the faster we can go back.”
Diana didn’t answer, but I wasn’t about to let up. “And that means working together. I—”
“Just stop.” Diana cut me off in her usual brusque manner. “As much as I hate to admit it, you have a point, Legacy. I, too, would like to get this over with. If you want to work together so badly, give me your theory on who they have sent us here for.”
As much as her rudeness grated on my nerves, now was not the time for confrontation.Real spies didn’t let personal shit get in the way of their missions, so I wouldn’t either.
I scanned the room. All manner of people were in the bar, but if my experiences with Spellcasters had taught me anything, it was that we should look for someone—a vampire—who could get some shady shit done. Someone who exuded power.
Keeping that in mind, my gaze paused on a group of men all wearing sleek business suits, in the far back corner of the room. One in particular caught my eye. His skin was gleaming white beneath the bright neon lights, his cunning eyes scanned the bar even as he joked with those around him, and at nearly seven feet tall, he lookedexactlylike a mob boss.
I continued to watch as at least three people darted up to him, and the guy spoke and pointed as though he were giving instructions. He was definitely a top dog in this bar.
“My money is on the back right corner.”
“I agree,” she said. “Now the only question iswhyare we here?”
My mouth snapped shut. I’d been wondering the same thing since they had announced that vampires were our adversary. Working against demons was self-explanatory, mostly they wanted to gain access to our realm to feed off the life here and cause havoc, but vampires could havemanymotives.
Diana shook her head. “Yeah. I’m not sure either, but I have a hypothesis. I bet you anything it has something to do with blood.”
I nodded. That made sense. Many vampire clans were notorious for operating illegal blood rings. Professor Artibus had mentioned a dozen just last week. Considering the name of the establishment that we were in, it wasn’t hard to believe that something of that nature operated out of here.
“That’s a good guess,” I said after a few seconds of mulling it over. “Should we go talk to the head honchos? See if they have any speciality blood in stock for wicked potions?”
“I think that’s our best first step,” Diana agreed. “In fact, I even know of a potion that will work for a cover. Let’s do it.”
I let her take the lead, and as we approached the circular booth filled with powerful vamps, every bloodsucker looked our way.
“Good evening, witches,” the vampire I suspected was the leader said as we stopped before their table, striking a sexy pose. “To what do we owe the honor of having other magicals in our establishment this evening?”
“We hear this is the place to come for procuring materials of a darker nature.” Diana set her hands on the table, and leaned forward so that her thick, blonde hair poured over her shoulder.
Damn. Who knew Diana could play the seductress?
The tall vampire met her gaze like a hawk preparing to go in for the kill. “No matter how tight your pants are and how much skin you reveal, I have to say I don’t believe you. You two don’t look like a pair of black witches.”
A few of the men in the circular booth nodded, and I cocked my head.
“Is that so? And what, might I ask, do you believe black witches look like,vampire?” My tone was sassy as hell, not at all telling of my nerves. Thank the universe that acting had taught me how to keep my cool under pressure.
The laughing stopped, and the vampire leader turned his attention from Diana to me. “I might not be a witch, but I’ve been around long enough to know when I’m seeing a witch who’s turned the dark corner, and when I’m not.” His gaze leveled with mine, and I noticed for the first time that the outermost rim of his irises were a startling red. This vampire had fed, and recently.
I shook my head as if he were an idiot. “Perhaps that’s true,” I shrugged.
“And perhaps it’s not,” Diana played off me, and we shared what I thought might be our first smile—although admittedly, it was more like a smirk.
“Fine.” The lead vampire crossed his arms over his chest. “Maybe I’m wrong, and you’re black witches. Maybe I’ve lost my touch. But I don’t think so. There is one easy way to find out . . . What are you here for?”
Diana mirrored the vampire, crossing her arms over her chest. “What else would someone come to a vampire bar for? Blood. We’re concocting a necromancy potion, and were hoping you’d have fae on hand—pixie, specifically, although elven will do in a pinch. I’ll want to smell it first, though, before I buy.”
What the what?How the hell does she know about necromancy potions!
The lead vampire nodded to a guy with a scarred lip at the edge of the table. “Go ask our girl to fact-check what this witchling just said. Pixie or elven blood in a necromancy potion.”
The guy with the scarred lip strode off.
We waited, trying to keep up our confident appearances while the vampires in the booth studied us. My heart rate began to climb, but instead of letting it show, I pursed my lips and placed a hand on my hip, as if waiting was the most annoying thing in the world.
