Inferno by Bianca D'Arc

average girl, but I don’t think I’m up to full blood status.”

    He looked up at her, tilting his head to the side, considering. “As I told Dante last night, you’re an enigma, Megan. I’ve never seen a soul like yours.”

    “Seen many, have you?” She decided to fight him with humor if possible. He was getting close to subjects she’d rather not discuss.

    “More than my share.” He sat back and seemed to concentrate on his meal.

    “If I’m an enigma, what are you? I’d say that’s a bit of the pot calling the kettle black, don’t you think?” Offense was sometimes the best defense.

    “ Touché , my dear.” He sent her a small smile. “I suppose you’ve earned the right to know who you’re dealing with. I’m half-human and half… Come on, won’t you even try to guess?” She liked a challenge. “Well, you’re not were . I’d recognize that right off. And you’re not like Dante. So that leaves a few other possibilities, all of which seem im possible.”

    “When you’ve exhausted all the possible answers, you have to start looking at the impossible ones. Come on, what’s your best guess?”

    “Well, I’ve heard stories about…um…fey. Though it’s said they rarely visit the mortal realm.”

    “True,” he said, beaming at her. “Still, your instincts are good. I’m half-fey.”

    “No way.”

    “Way.” His grin teased her.

    She sat back, her meal forgotten. She was sitting at the table with a real live elf!

    “No wonder you’re so magical. Even Dante seems a little in awe of your power.”

    “ Och , he’ll get over that soon enough and revert to our old relationship. He was injured, you see, during the battle with the Venifucus mage. I had to give him a little sip of my blood to save him, and it’s left him a little…weird.”

    “I heard that!” came Dante’s shout from down the hall. Duncan chuckled.

    “Mind your own business,” Duncan called back.

    Megan felt like she was in a fraternity house with two overgrown frat brothers lobbing insults at each other. The very idea of it made her laugh. Frat boys with ramped up supernatural powers.
    Too funny.

    “No wonder he’s so compelling. He got a dose of your magical whammy when he drank your blood, huh? I thought fey blood could kill a vampire.”

    “Right you are about that. Full fey blood is too strong even for our immortal friend, but I’m a cat of a different color. I’m only half-fey. To a bloodletter, my blood is a rare delicacy. It gives them too much power, so as a general rule it’s not done to give them even a taste. This was a special circumstance. I knew Dante years ago and have always known him to be a man of honor.”

    “You’re watching him, right? I mean, that’s why you’re here. Isn’t it?” He saluted her with his water glass. “You think on your feet. I like that in a woman. To answer your question, yes, I’m keeping an eye on him until the effects wear off, but I would probably be here anyway. As I said, Dante and I knew each other long ago. I’ve been away from this realm a long time and now that I’m back, it’s time to catch up with old friends. If war is on the horizon, you can be sure that Dante d’Angleterre will be on the front lines, as he was in the past.”

    “And you’ll be right beside him, won’t you?” She could almost see the glow of power as a golden light around this strange half-fey warrior. It drew her, calling to her sense of honor, of what was right. She had to resist. She had a mission of her own, a chance to finally clear her family name, and she had to see it through to the end no matter the cost.

    Dante sauntered into the kitchen, a large box in his hands. It tinkled as he moved, telling her there was glass inside. The faint odor of fermented grapes and alcohol reached her sensitive nose. It was wine.

    “I haven’t forgotten that you called me weird, fairy boy,” Dante muttered under his breath as he headed toward the largest wine