“Yes,” Zack said without missing a beat. “I’m a Gladwell on my mother’s side. We’ve wanted him dead for centuries. And besides, the more I learn about him, the more I want to burn his heart out.”
“That will do.” Nell stood. “I hope that you’ll warn me of any schemes against my people, Zack. I would hate for the trust I’ve placed in you to be misplaced.”
She’s the enemy, the voice in his head that sounded like Cal claimed.
She’s an ancient vampire leading the best version of coexisting I’ve ever heard of. Zack nodded his head once. “Of course, master.”
Nell chuckled softly. “I believe that’s the first time you’ve said that and meant it. When Roger comes home, and nudge him if that isn’t soon, bring him to my office. I need to speak with both of you.”
Zack nodded again and was grateful she decided to leave after that. He shut the door behind her and sagged against it. What had happened that made her go through his stuff? Why hadn’t Roger mentioned something to him? Had she read through his notebooks before? Why couldn’t human minds remember everything so he never had to write anything down in the first place?
None of that mattered. He just had to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving. Pushing away from the door, he headed toward the desk and took out his phone. After sending a text to Roger, he packed away everything else he wouldn’t need before they left the next night.
Nell was trusting him.
But everyone had their own angle.I just have to work mine.
CHAPTER 7
“You’ll have to visit after I finish building my new house,” Collin said. He was one of Nell’s vampires that Roger didn’t mind spending time with. He was currently lounging against his pet, a buff human with an almost intimidating amount of muscle.
Roger smiled through the impromptu invitation. Collin was a waifish vampire who had hardly been an adult when he was turned while their other companion, Evander, must have been closer to Roger’s age. Without a good handle on calendars during the 1600s, Roger had lost track of his exact birth year as a mortal, but he figured he must have been at least twenty-four when he was turned.
The three of them, along with Collin’s and Evander’s head pets, had found a corner of a sitting room to call their own. Hunting in Nell’s territory wasn’t allowed, so Roger had settled into the donor house with a dry throat he wasn’t sure he’d be able to quench.
Luckily, Collin and Evander had decided to spoil him since he was leaving. While he was listening to the conversation, his gaze was on the trickle of unclaimed mortals moving about. He played with two round, plastic, orange chits. With them, he’d be allowed small drinks, nothing too taxing for the donor. As he’dalready had Kit’s blood and another’s, two more orange chits would satisfy him and even let him soak an extra bit of power. After the previous night’s power expenditure during training, he was looking forward to the blood.
“Assuming you get around to building it,” Evander said. He rolled his eyes and looked to Roger. “He’s been promising this mansion for a decade.”
“I will. I break ground within the year.”
“Which is what you said last year.” Evander stretched his legs out and put them on the back of his pet, who was filling the role of footstool. “Roger, any chance I could talk you into an exchange?”
“Perhaps,” Roger murmured. The smell of shifter permeated the atmosphere. He was hoping for something human.
“I have a fantastic wine collection. Would you take the whole thing and give me your boy? The human one.”
A twinge tightened Roger’s awareness and brought his focus back to the vampires beside him, though he didn’t turn his head to watch them. Vampires in Taliville didn’t usually talk about trading their pets as if the pets would accept whatever their master said. In fact, Roger was certain Nell would be furious to discover Evander had made the offer.
However, a conversation like this in the GLC wasn’t uncommon. Roger had never traded away any of his pets, but that didn’t stop others from asking on occasion.
It shouldn’t have bothered him this deeply that Evander asked. And Evander had boasted about the worth of the wine collection for weeks. Still, the twinge in Roger’s mind became a clench, and he had to fight the urge to snarl and find the nearest piece of sharp wood to drive into Evander’s chest.
“He’s been obsessed with your boy,” Collin said, sounding bored.
“He’s remarkable,” Evander replied.
“And not for trade,” Roger said coolly. “I haven’t gone to the trouble of training him for a black collar to give him away.”
“Can’t blame me for trying,” Evander said.
The fuck I can’t.Roger rolled the chit between his fingers. He should have suspected his parting present had a few strings attached. Evander had likely schemed for a week to figure out how to approach the topic with him.
Collin playfully slapped Evander’s arm. “I told you not to try. You’ve fouled his mood.”
“Nonsense,” Roger said, faking a smile. His mood was sinking, but the inclination to write it off was a knee-jerk reaction. Happiness beget happiness. “You can’t blame me for being a bit territorial. He is magnificent.”
“He is,” Evander said with a sigh.
