“True enough. Still...”
She licked her lips, knowing she was taking a risk. She didn’t trust this male. Okay, she didn’t trust anyone. But she really, really didn’t trust this demon. Unfortunately, when it came to collectors and sellers and thieves in the black market world, he was the unrivaled expert. If there were rumors of what she was searching for, Albert would know.
“I’m not here to sell,” she informed him. “I need information.”
“A shame.” He didn’t bother to hide his disappointment. “Information about what?”
“A statue.”
He held out a large hand with manicured nails and a gold wedding band studded with rubies.
“Show me.”
“I don’t have it with me.”
He grunted in annoyance. “Describe it.”
“Actually there are three possible descriptions,” she admitted. “One is a plain stone. One is a small dragon, and another one is a tall woman with a sword over her head.”
“And?” He snapped his beefy fingers, clearly impatient. “I have to have more information than that.”
Wynn hesitated. She didn’t want to include Albert in her hunt for the statue, but she had to find it. The sooner the better.
“It’s possible the statue contains dragon magic.”
“Dragon?” Albert released a low whistle, leaning toward her as his aura flared with a visible lust. “You’re sure? Where is it?”
“Who knows? All I have is vague rumors about a dragon statue in the area. That’s why I’m in town. But without more information I can’t pinpoint the precise location. That’s why I thought of you. I wondered if you had stumbled across any mention of the statue in your research. If I know more about it, that might narrow my search.”
“It’s possible. Very possible.” He studied her with an unnerving intensity. “Of course, I won’t know until I see it.”
Wynn frowned. “You haven’t heard about any dragon relics being sold on the black market? Or recently stolen?”
“No, and I’m certain I would have if they’d gone through the usual suspects.” He pursed his lips, his dark eyes smoldering with an eagerness that sent a chill down her spine. “In fact, the only way to keep something like that a secret would be if they were being hidden by the Cabal.”
Wynn laid her hands on the arms of her chair, preparing to get to her feet. Unless Albert was playing some strange game, he had no idea where she could find the statue. Which meant that she was wasting her time.
Again.
“Vampires have no use for magic,” she pointed out the obvious.
“No, but they could offer them to their pet mages.”
“I already looked. There was nothing inside Maya’s vault. At least nothing with dragon magic.”
He leaned closer. “So you say.”
“What?”
Albert’s hand shot out, his fingers wrapping around her wrist. “Where are they?”
Wynn felt a stab of annoyance. She had a few nasty spells to make this male regret touching her without permission, but she didn’t want to make him an enemy. At some point she hoped to get rid of the troublesome dragon magic so she could get back to her previous life. Which meant dealing with exclusive brokers like Albert Hamilton to keep her in the luxury she was accustomed to.
“Don’t be stupid. If I had them, why would I come here for answers?”
His fingers tightened until they dug into her wrist. “You know what I think?”
She tried to yank free. “Actually I really don’t care.”
