The male licked his cracked lips, glancing nervously toward his master.
“Go,” Saxton said, the soft word enough to send the host of demons scurrying for the exit.
A couple of scuffles impeded their progress as they fought to get out the door. Clearly no one wanted to be the last one out, but eventually the pub was empty and Saxton was regarding him with an icy displeasure.
“I assume this was a way to gain my attention?”
“Yes.”
Saxton arched a brow at Azh’s blunt admission. “I heard rumors there was a dragon who left hibernation to creep around the world.”
Azh snorted. “Hardly creeping.”
“True.” Saxton narrowed his gaze. “You have some balls breaking the treaty and coming here alone.”
“I didn’t break the treaty and I’m not here to cause trouble.” Azh held up a hand. He didn’t have time to squabble with the leech, no matter how fun it might be. “There’s a threat to this world. One that’s great enough that the treaty allowed me to leave my lair.”
Saxton bared his fangs. They were long and sharp and lethal to most creatures. Not Azh. The invisible scales that coated his skin made it impossible for the fangs to penetrate. Not to mention the fact he could char his ass with a burst of fire.
“I’ve been warned not to interfere, which is the only reason you aren’t in my dungeons,” the leech growled.
Azh spread his arms in a mocking gesture. “You’re welcomed to try.” The air filled with an icy mist as Saxton’s power rammed into Azh’s fiery aura. The two glared at one another, violence beckoning in an age-old battle for supremacy. Then the image of Wynn’s terrified expression as she was sucked into the fissure had Azh hissing in frustration. What was he doing? His pride wasn’t more important than finding the woman who’d captured the heart of his beast. “I need your help.” He nearly choked on the words, but they allowed him to leash his powers.
A second later, Saxton did the same. The potential for battle was temporarily muted.
“What do you need?”
“Wynn...” Azh hesitated, not sure if this male was aware of Wynn’s unique talents. “The female I was traveling with has been kidnapped. I need her back. Immediately.”
“What happened?”
“She said it was a fissure just moments before she disappeared.”
The vampire scowled. Was he suspicious of Azh’s explanation? He’d be a fool not to be cautious. And you didn’t become a leader in the Cabal by being stupid.
“Take me to the spot it happened,” he abruptly commanded.
Azh stepped forward, his aura flaring with a blinding intensity. “Word of warning. I don’t want to kill anyone, but I will if I’m threatened.”
Another flash of snowy-white fangs. “Same.”
Careful to keep a respectful distance from each other, the two predators left the pub and hurried through the dark streets. There was the sound of footsteps as the demons who’d lingered to enjoy the brewing battle scurried away.
By the time they reached the location where Wynn had disappeared, there was a heavy silence that suggested they’d managed to frighten away the demons, humans, and even the rats that hunted for scraps in the gutters. They might not know Azh’s precise species, but they understood they didn’t want to piss him off.
“Here.” Azh stopped, pointing at the pavement. There was no visible trace of the spell that had stolen Wynn, but there was no way to completely erase the remnants of magic.
Bending down, Saxton closed his eyes as he absorbed their surroundings. Vampires possessed unrivaled tracking skills, even better than dragons. They could sort through hundreds of scents and sounds to locate a specific prey.
Saxton at last opened his eyes and straightened. His expression was grim.
“The magic was concealed. Probably because I prohibited the use of fissures after the royal fey families used them as weapons during a dispute over land, but there’s a familiar power that is connected to the spell.”
Azh curled his fingers into tight fists. “You know who it is?”
“I can make an educated guess.”
Flames burst from his fists. “Where can I find them?”
