A Kiss of Blood: A Vamp City Novel by Pamela Palmer

through his shaggy curls and met her gaze with a spark of life that had been missing for the past ten days. “Hungry.”
    “Have Susie prepare a meal for two,” Arturo told Ernesta, then sent Micah a questioning glance. When the other vampire shook his head, presumably not interested in human food, Arturo added, “And send Horace in.”
    Micah settled his big vampire body on one of the chairs. As Quinn joined Zack on the sofa, Horace, Arturo’s sole male servant, appeared in the doorway. He was a balding, stocky male with a graying beard that glowed with a Slava’s phosphorescence.
    “Master.” He said the word as a soldier might say “Captain” to a respected and revered commanding officer.
    “What news, Horace?” Arturo asked, crossing one ankle over his knee.
    The older man stroked his bushy beard. “Well now, a new sunbeam broke through right outside the slave auction yesterday, just as it was ending. A wide one, wider than anyone had ever seen. More’n fifteen vamps were caught in it, including that bitch Francesca.”
    Quinn started with surprise, and no small amount of relief. She’d briefly been one of Francesca’s slaves and was delighted that no one else would suffer that monster’s torment.
    “Any word on the sorceress?”
    Quinn frowned, wondering why he was asking Horace about her when she was sitting right there.
    “Nah. Some say she’s a shifter and turned herself into a bug and escaped Cristoff that way. Others say she’s far more powerful than Cristoff knew and transported herself out of his prison. But no one’s seen her.”
    “Thank you, Horace. I need you to send word to Mukdalla. Tell her I have a couple of gifts for her, and I’m in immediate need of transport to pick them up.”
    With a deferential nod, Horace turned and left.
    Eyes narrowed, Quinn turned to Arturo. “What was that all about? He doesn’t know who I am?”
    “You’re glamoured, cara. ”
    She grimaced. “Right.” She’d forgotten about that.
    “But it wouldn’t matter either way. He doesn’t remember having met you. None of my servants do. Nor do they remember seeing Zack.”
    “You took their memories?”
    “I did. And I’ll take them again when we leave. For their protection as well as yours.”
    Quinn leaned forward, her arms on her knees. “What’s the plan, Vampire? Don’t leave me in the dark. I assume Zack and I are the gifts in need of transport?”
    “You are.” He leaned forward, mirroring her, until their faces were but a couple of feet apart. As he watched her, his eyes softened, deepening, his gaze probing as if he meant to coax her to lower her defenses. Instead, she leaned back, putting distance between them.
    His brows flickered down in disappointment, his expression clearing, turning military cool once more. “Later tonight, we’ll transfer you to a place of safety.”
    She frowned. “You’re not going.”
    “You go nowhere without me. Micah and I will follow at a distance, keeping watch over you. We will rendezvous with you there.”
    “Wherever ‘there’ is.”
    With a gleam in his eyes, he gave a nod, then glanced at Micah. “Show Zack to the dining room, amico mio. I should like a moment alone with Quinn.”
    She wasn’t sure she wanted a moment alone with him. But she said nothing as Micah gave his friend an assessing look, then rose. “Let’s find you some food, Zack.”
    Zack jumped up more quickly than he’d moved for days, easing the clamp around her heart. When they were alone, she turned back to the vampire, curious and wary.
    Arturo watched her, searching her face . . . No, not her face. “I have missed you, tesoro, ” he said quietly, his dark eyes gleaming, his voice rich with seduction.
    She snorted. “You’re really going to do this, now? Try to get me back into your bed?”
    With a quick grin and a shake of his head, he leaned back in his chair, eyeing her wryly. “Why do you think I am not sincere?”
    “Not sincere that you’ve missed me or