“Ah, ah, ah.” I shook my head at him. “Attacking a teacher is a punishable offense. Attacking a hunter?” I clicked my tongue, cocking my head to the side. “Unfortunately, I don’t have an order of execution for you, but I’m sure they’d let me off with a slap on the wrist if I said it was in self-defense.”
The shadows stopped their trek toward me but did not dissipate. Those dark eyes glared at me as if he could rip my head from my body right then and there.
“Release him.” I gestured toward the bed.
Not even looking back at the other vampire, Kyren growled, “No.”
I huffed a breath.
I did not come here to kill either of them. All I wanted to do was get eyes on the vampire Weaver had told me about and then submit the information to the hunter’s guild so that they could send it to the council. My mission was unfortunately about datacollection and not the kill. Something that I now understood was hard for Jack to handle.
“Why not? Did he piss in your cup of blood tonight?” I watched the other vampire with eagle eyes, watching for any sign that he might snap and come at me. Hell, a part of me hoped he would. Then I had one less vampire to worry about sniffing around Jack.
Except there was a problem with that.
Tate.
If I killed Kyren, then Tate, as his human servant, would surely die. And I didn’t think Jack would ever forgive me for that.
Kyren slowly straightened, brushing off the sleeves of his long-sleeved shirt before tucking his hands into his pockets. “I believe we have gotten off on the wrong foot here.”
I said nothing.
“This vampire,” he lazily flicked his hand to the one on the bed, “is part of a group of fanatics who want to tear the council apart.”
Ah, so Weaver’s data was correct. At least, we knew he was good for something. “I had heard of such a group. What does that have to do with you?”
“Gavin approached me several weeks ago about joining his group, promising me vengeance for my sire’s death.”
My hand tightened on the gun. “Nothing you’re saying is making me want to let you let you leave this room alive.”
Kyren’s lips twitched, his gaze filled with mirth. “I may not like the council or the Durands, but I am not some baby vampling who would join a group of unorganized fanatics who crow their disproval to anyone who can hear.”
“Then why attack him now?” I jerked my head toward the vamp on the bed who watched on with wide eyes, his body taunt against his restraints. If he had been human, I’d have worried about his blood circulation being cut off for this long.
Alas there were benefits to being the undead. You could do almost anything to them and they’d heal from it, sans a handful of things. Fire, sunlight, cutting out the heart or off the head. So the vampire on the bed was just being a whiny baby.
Kyren turned to stare at Gavin. “I had hoped he’d lead me to the ones who had attacked Jack.”
“And you’re sure it wasn’t him?” An icy rage came over me as I thought about what had almost happened to Jack a few weeks ago. “If they’re anti-Durand, then it makes sense they’d be the ones who were responsible for the attack. If he didn’t take part in it himself.”
The more I spoke, the more I wanted to pull the trigger on the fucker laying in the bed, just for the satisfaction of seeing him bleed. However, Kyren’s next words stopped me.
“It would give me great pleasure to say that he was responsible. But it seems as if he is telling the truth.”
“That is unfortunate,” I drew out, forcing myself to lower the gun. “Then why haven’t you released him?”
“Because—”
“Oh, hey, woah!”
I spun around my gun pointed at Tate’s face.
“Don’t shoot.” He lifted his hands up, his eyes widened, taking in the scene. “So, uh, what’s going on here?”
Blowing out a breath, I lowered the gun. “Your boyfriend here was torturing another student. I’d came talk to Mr. Westing about something else when I found him.”
“You cannot lie to us.” Kyren snorted. “You are here for the same reason we are. For Jack.”
