Page 79 of Blood Magic

The room quieted and the lights dimmed slightly, and everyone stopped what they were doing to watch. The two bouncers stood where they were and didn’t take their stares from Bastien.

I hoped he was strong enough for what was coming. I hoped we all were.

A screen lit up on the far wall and I had time to think these assholes sure like their movies before Axton’s hateful face appeared. Larger than life, surrounded by female vampires, his smile eager and angry at the same time. “Welcome,” he boomed. “Welcome, humans and nonhumans alike. I have a special show planned for you tonight.”

No one made a sound. Bastien, Remy, and I stood in a triangle, back-to-back, preparing for a fight—but Axton had more than a fight in mind. He really did want a show.

“Ms. Silver,” he said.

I began to shiver. I couldn’t help it. He might have been an asshole, but he was a powerful one, and he was old. There was magic inside him, and he sent that magic out to dance over my skin like electricity—from a screen on the wall. That should not have happened, even though he was live and watching me as I watched him. Which meant…

He was close.

“There will never be a time,” he said, “that a wolf will command a vampire—especially not a master. I do not care what the council decides, you are a little nothing, and I will make you suffer here tonight before I kill you.”

I could feel Remy’s stare, but I didn’t look at him.

Axton held out his hand. “Bastien. Brother. Do you align yourself with the enemy?”

“No I do not,” Bastien told him, stiffly formal. “For you are the enemy.”

“I should have killed you long ago,” Axton said, “when my father pulled you from his whore’s body and forced you upon my mother.”

“Why didn’t you?” Bastien asked, his eyes as empty as his voice. “Why did you always make sure there was a little spark in me to bring back?”

I heard his need to be loved and accepted, even though he tried to hide it. He wanted his brother to be his brother, but Axton would only ever be filled with hatred.

“Because it is more fun to torture you,” Axton said blandly. “But tonight, I will not allow you to survive. Tonight, you will go to the afterlife.”

“Axton.” I took a step closer to the screen, reflexively attempting to protect Bastien, which pissed me off a little. “Where’s Detective Moreno?”

“Oh, you want to see Detective Moreno? Of course, little wolf. Look.” He stepped to the side and the camera zoomed in on Rick, who was no longer upright against a brick wall. He lay on a table, and he was hurt, sure he was, but the worst of it was the look in his eyes.

To see that proud, strong man powerless and terrorized was something I would never forget. Neither would he. He was drugged, his eyes flickering back and forth, his lips dry and cracked, his body twitching. What did he think had happened to him? I couldn’t have said.

There were bite marks all over his body.

“So here’s the thing,” Axton told me. “I had a feeling you were going to keep my slave from me. And you cannot keep him, Kait Silver, you cannot. I love him.” He pounded his chest, and I almost believed he was that sincere, that torn up over the loss of his human slave.

Then he laughed. “No, seriously. I do want my slave returned to me. He holds Kaloni’s magic inside him, and I will need him to go into the ground with me when the fucking council sends their magic hands to collect me. But you did not bring him.” He shook his head, mournfully clicking his tongue. “You have sentenced your partner to death. I’m going to turn this sexy, tasty human, Kait.”

I closed my eyes. Better he kill him than turn him—but Rick would die either way. Then I grabbed Bastien’s arm. “Is he in this building?”

“You want him?” Axton called. “Come find him, little wolf. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Bastien slammed his fist into Sean’s face, and then the entire room went crazy. I fought at Bastien’s side as we forced our way through the room. I had to trust that he knew where he was going.

I hoped Rick would still be alive when we got there. That he would still be human. Later, if I freed him, I would worry about the fact that he was never going to forgive me for dragging him into my life.