“Why are we here if not to feed?” The rooms must have had some enchantment because the sound was muffled even for my vampire hearing. That left us with a small amount of time to speak freely.
“You’re going to practice thralling.”
I’d wondered when he would bring that up again. “Why here, then?”
“By paying donors, we’re not doing anything out of the ordinary—vampires coming, exchanging coin for discretion and services. And these ones aren’t in the palace’s pocket.”
That answered my question of why we had come here instead of taking Cosette up on her earlier offer to send donors when we’d arrived.
“Why didn’t we do this before, then?” The visit with Flo had been rather cloak-and-dagger.
The look Raphael gave me said I was missing the obvious. “Would you have considered it?”
It was unnerving how well he knew me. Because he was right—even a few days ago, I would have refused to set foot in the den. But now I wasn’t thirsty, and I’d seen it—done it—once before with Flo. Though compelling another was still unnerving, I could admit it wasn’t actually damaging, at least not how I’d done it.
A knock at the door saved me from admitting that I was, in fact, becoming more comfortable with Raphael’s world.
The man who eventually entered was the same who had winked at me when we’d entered. He was well dressed and in good shape, with muscular forearms showing from his rolled-up sleeves. He wore clothing in the southern style, loose and light, with golden skin under it evidence that he spent time in the sun as well as the blood den. I estimated his age to be about mine, if not a bit younger, but he moved with confidence I doubted I’d possess even with another decade.
The donor gave us a bow. “Talo, at your service. May I ask who I have the pleasure of serving tonight?”
I gave a slight curtsy. Maybe it wasn’t needed with the difference in status, but since he’d bowed it only felt appropriate. “I’m Sam.”
Talo swaggered into the room, and we settled on the chaise once I evicted eight of the largest pillows. Raphael took a position at Talo’s back, where he could see me. He didn’t say a word to Talo about our task, even as Talo loosened the top button of his shirt.
I slapped a hand over Talo’s before he could continue. That had Raphael narrowing his gaze. Had I used too much strength? Talo only looked at me, head cocked. “My lady?”
“I’m not here for that,” I said. “I want to practice thralling you. I won’t harm you or make you do anything physical.”
I wondered if Raphael would say anything against it, but he simply hooked his fingers in his pockets and watched.
“For what purpose?” Talo didn’t look upset by the proposition, just slightly confused.
I thought quickly about how to handle this. I’d tried actions with Flo, but there was more that this power could compel. “I want to ask you a series of questions while you try to avoid answering. When we’re done, I’ll thrall you to forget the specifics of what we did. You won’t remember anything special beyond a pair of vampires coming for the usual reasons.” I added that last bit apologetically. “Are you willing to do this?”
Talo relaxed, spreading his knees out a bit as he leaned back against the mound of cushions behind him. “Sounds like the easiest half hour of my night.”
I smiled the barest bit. Okay. I wasn’t making him do anything he was against. “Before we begin, I want to know if there are any topics that are off-limits.” It was the minimum of courtesy I could offer, to respect his privacy.
“My true name and anything about my family,” he said decisively. “But beyond that, ask me anything you like. I’ll do my best not to answer.”
He gave me another wink, and I was glad Raphael was at his back, because he probably would have done worse than growl if he saw it. Self-conscious, I put a few more inches between us.
I focused on his tawny eyes.
“How old are you?” Silence, then I realized perhaps I’d phrased it wrong. “Tell me how old you are, Talo.”
Talo blinked at me.
A beat, then— “Am I supposed to feel something?”
“Ideally,” I said ruefully. “Tell me what you had to break your fast today.”
More silence. I wondered if Raphael would interject, but he let me try a few other questions without comment. What had hetaught me last time? It was about my intent. I wanted to learn to control my powers in the abstract, but I didn’t truly care about what the man ate or his age.
But there was a truth I wanted.
“Tell me your honest feelings about working in the blood den.”
