“Good luck. I’ll see you soon at Drake Hall.”
I ended the call and grabbed my gear, buckling the holster into place before securing my gun and taking only two of the three daggers.
As I ducked out of my room and into the main part of my apartment, the doorbell rang again. “Coming!”
I looked through the peephole, and with the fisheye view distorting him, I recognized Killian Drake.
I opened the door and bowed like a vampire would. “Your Eminence.”
Killian Drake wore a tailored suit—as did the two vampires flanking him. Unlike his vampires, however, he didn’t have on the black tie, and the top two buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned. His hair was dark, as were his eyes, which were such a dark shade of red they almost looked black. He smiled, flashing his fang teeth. “You remember me? How fortunate. Hello, Jade O’Neil.”
The vampires flanking him fidgeted. One was a tall, gorgeous woman with tawny brown skin and black hair that was pulled back into a fierce ponytail. The other was a blond woman who had a friendly smile and her hair in the same ponytail as the taller woman.
Killian caught me studying his vampires, and he turned. “Ah, I suppose I should have manners. This is Celestina Drake—my First Knight—and Julianne.”
I gulped—the term ‘First’ when used in vampire hierarchy meant Celestina was Killian’s top warrior and second-in-command.
Why would he drag his second-in-command out to meet me?
“It’s a pleasure,” I said.
Celestina smiled—which turned her from beautiful to devastatingly gorgeous—and Julianne playfully winked at me.
“Judging by your gear, it seems Considine was a step ahead of me and has warned you?” Killian asked, his voice crisp with a hint of a British accent to it.
“He said you were coming,” I said. I chose my words carefully, but it was easy enough to speak.
Ironically, facing down three vampires was easier for me than talking to three of my friendly neighbors—thank you, slayer training, for making me a social outcast with adrenaline junkie tendencies.
“Yes, I’m here to invite you out to Drake Hall for dinner—to eat dinner, not be dinner.” Killian’s eyes gleamed over his joke.
I politely smiled. “To meet your siblings?”
Killian sighed, and for a moment his British accent grew stronger. “Hereallywarned you, did he? He must be serious, which I knew before. But it’s so very unlike him, I still wondered. Yes. Four of my siblings are staying in Drake Hall, and I would like to introduce you to them.” He bowed—a movement so slight I almost didn’t catch it. “I promise you will come to no harm this evening while in my care and in my Hall. I’m obviously aware you are a slayer, and I will make certain my siblings do not react…rashly.”
“Weapons are allowed,” I said more than asked—I would do this, but only because I could mitigate the danger.
“Usually? No. For you, however, I will make an exception.” Killian said.
I studied him, considering his charming smile.
He’s too willing to go along with my demands. This is some kind of power move—though I can’t tell if he’s moving against Considine, or against his siblings.
I would have assumed Considine, but my neighbor sounded aggravated on the phone, not angry. Besides, with Considine’s age, that was a battle Killian had no hope of winning. But why would he want to pick a fight with his siblings?
Maybe it’s both. Maybe he just enjoys stirring the pot.
“Shall we go? Or do you need to further arm yourself?” Killian asked.
“I need my keys. And one more dagger.”
“Very well. We will wait for you.”
CHAPTER
EIGHT
Considine
