Dalziel’s brow furrowed. “Enlighten us, please.”
“There is a delay of at least three but no more than ten weeks between Sorley’s last known contact with each victim and their unfortunate accidents.” Gethin felt Sorley tense from across the room.
It was Justin’s turn to frown. “And this is a pattern because?”
“Because it suggests a degree of immediacy,” Dalziel said suddenly. “Whoever it is, they’re reacting to new knowledge about Sorley’s social life.” He sighed. “I can’t believe I didn’t notice that.”
“I suspect this is the case,” Marlowe agreed. “I wonder, Dalziel, if you are a touch close to the subject to see it completely without bias. But the point is, now we have—”
“Why did you not speak up before now?” Neele spoke across the mage, who blushed.
“It only just occurred to me, my Lady,” he stammered, managing to hold eye contact, although Gethin could feel his anxiety at being directly targeted by the queen.
“Can we get those time lines substantiated please?” Justin spoke up. “Sorry, Marlowe, I’m not saying I don’t believe you, but I want to see it all in black and white.”
The mage nodded. “It’s all in my head, but I could make a start on it if I were to…Oh, thank you.” He smiled as Eleanor pushed a sheaf of paper and some pens in his direction and bent his head over the table.
Volik sat forward. “If this time line is correct, we now know how to prevent further attacks.” He tipped his head towards Sorley. “You are the vampire in question, so this is on you now.” His eyes flicked to the list of attendees in front of him before returning to Sorley.
Gethin watched while Sorley tried not to squirm under the intensity of the group’s watchful gaze. The vampire took a long steadying breath in. Gethin wondered if everyone else could hear the way Sorley was tapping his fingers against his thigh as he finally opened his mouth to reply.
“It’s potentially possible, but you’re assuming I would recall every instance I’d been intimate with someone recently. Unlike someone in a permanent relationship, I don’t come home to the same place every day, let alone the same face. In fact,” and Gethin felt Sorley would be blushing if he were physically capable of so doing, “I have treated my…sexual desires…much as I do my need for blood.”
The Faerie king looked entranced. “Do go on,” he said silkily.
Sorley glanced at Dalziel who gave him a terse nod. “I feed whenever I feel the urge. I…I fuck in much the same way. Except,” he said hastily, “unlike with feeding, I never use thrall on anyone to get them to sleep with me.” A touch of his arrogance returned as he raised his chin to look Volik in the eye. “I don’t need to. I’m catch enough.”
Gethin was amazed he kept his expression neutral. Inside he wanted to cheer. Many vampires were far less keen to proclaim their sexual proclivities to the world than the myths around them suggested. He was proud that Sorley hadn’t buckled under questioning. He also attempted to tamp down the surge of fondness he felt towards the bloodsucker in giving the king a dose of the haughty git behind the nerves.
Volik was apparently impressed too. “With your attitude and rightful acknowledgement of your attributes” — He smirked, his eyes glittering in apparent appreciation of Sorley — “you must surely make a delightful companion. Have you considered taking a Fae as your mate? I feel you would be worthy of many of my countryfolk.”
Sorley’s eyes blew wide. “Umm…” he managed. Gethin clenched his jaw so hard, his molars ached.Over his dead body.
“Not royalty, of course, but someone from a good family nevertheless.” Volik laced his hand over his wife’s on the polished wood and twisted in his seat to regard Dalziel. “What think you of this plan? It would be a perfect manner in which to cement a new alliance between our two species, a handsome vampire and a beautiful Fae.”
Dalziel deserved a medal for the cool way he met the king’s imperious stare. Volik sounded as if it was already a done deal.
“I wouldn’t be averse to the idea, if Sorley was to find someone he desired from among your people,” Dalziel said levelly. “He is his own man and doesn’t require my permission to seek a lover, permanent or otherwise. But, I regret to inform you, I suspect it’s too—”
“He’s with me.”Oh God, I said that out loud.Gethin could feel his heartbeat in his fuckingearsas every head turned to look at him. So many conflicting emotions flooded the room he couldn’t keep track of who they all came from. But he could feel the sudden spike in the pulse rate of the one person who mattered. He just didn’t know what it signified.
Gethin swallowed and forced out a shaky smile in the direction of the king. “What I meant to say, my Lord, is that currently the vampire Sorley and I are in a…relationship.” Volik said nothing, but the silence begged to be filled. Gethin pressed on. “Obviously, if that changes, he is free to see whoever—”
“It won’t, for now, but thank youso muchfor your permission, Hughes.” Ouch, that was loaded. Sorley looked less cowed and more irritated now by the whole ordeal. He raised his chin again and spoke in a more modulated tone to the king.
“While I am flattered to be considered in those terms, my Lord, I regret that even if I were to find myself…amorously unencumbered, I should decline a Fae mate.” The room held its breath until he continued. “BecauseifI were to have such a bond, I would not be satisfied with part time. I have no wish to burden any such partner to a life on this side of the Glimmer, and I fear I would not be able to survive on the other. It would be an untenable situation for both.” He managed to paste a look of deep regret on his visage, which was at odds with the oil slick of anxiety oozing across the table from where he sat — Gethin knew the Fae couldn’t pick it up but everyone else could — and said, “I thank you for the compliment though.”
There was a sudden absence of sound so profound you could taste it. All Gethin could hear were the assorted heartbeats of folk who were too stunned to know how to react to someone bluntly rebuffing the king of the Fae. He hadn’t got a clue himself. Volik was known to be generally fair, but he might take this as an insult, in which case, the meeting and probably the Council, were fucked.
“So, what’s your name?” Charley broke the silence with a question directed across the table to the third Fae.
The young man had sat in total silence for the whole meeting so far, his amethyst eyes missing nothing as they darted continuously from person to person. Occasionally he made notes on a small pad of paper. Gethin wondered why he’d been brought along. He supposed with the Fae, it paid to wait and see. There was usually a reason for everything they did. They just liked to make you sweat a while before they revealed it.
The youth stared for a long moment at Charley, then his gaze slid to Volik, who gave a sharp jerk of his chin, presumably signifying he was permitted to reply.
“I’m Isher. Isher Merryhill.”
“Merryhill? That sounds very…spring like. Like meadows and country flowers. I like it.” Charley’s scent was innocuous and friendly, as open as ever.Like a pet Labrador, bless him,thought Gethin, stifling a smile at the idea. The mood in the room was still expectant.
