wrapped around her throat.
And Phaedra held him, too, with one of her hands wrapped around his throat. Olivia could see that her black talons had sunk into his skin. Vampyre blood trickled from the small puncture wounds. She thought of all the Vampyre groupies, nicknamed bottom feeders, who would pay a fortune for that tiny, precious trickle of the Nightkind King’s potent blood.
“Now this has become an interesting evening,” said Julian. His rough, aquiline face had turned brutal. He and Phaedra stared at each other down the lengths of their arms.
Olivia groaned under her breath. “This has become a disaster.”
“It’s perfect,” said Sebastian.
Chapter Five
In just a few moments, Phaedra had affirmed her worth in Sebastian’s eyes and justified his decision in keeping her on the team. As far as he was concerned, she and the Vampyre could tear each other into pieces. Then he could call the Elder tribunal, rightfully claim he had nothing to do with any of it, and they could all sit back in comfort to watch somebody else clean up the mess.
In the meantime, hoping that Bailey was within telepathic range, he said, Where are you?
Bailey said, I’m in my bunk. What’s up?
He didn’t waste time on details. Call everybody who left for shore leave. Tell them to haul their asses back to the ship now. No excuses.
Bailey’s telepathic voice turned crisp. You got it. Where are you?
On deck. Julian’s here.
Do you need me there?
I’ll let you know. Stay put for now.
Huddled into his chest, Olivia still trembled in his arms. He glanced at her, and something powerful and violent surged up inside him at the expression on her tense, pale face. She looked shell-shocked and very frightened.
“It’s all right,” he whispered. “You’re all right.”
“I don’t feel all right,” she confessed. Her fists remained clenched in his T-shirt. “I really want to go to him. I don’t, but I do.”
“Dammit,” he muttered. He wanted to punch something. Someone. He tightened his arms around her.
And somehow, in spite of all that, he liked the fact that she had reached for him when she needed to, and that she still held on to him.
He was a dickhead.
On the dock, Julian and Phaedra remained locked in their standoff, their individual Powers clashing like thunder against Sebastian’s magical senses.
This time when Julian smiled, it was like watching a sword being drawn. “Our Power is designed to draw and trap our prey,” he said. “In a few of us, the trait develops quite significantly as we age. You cannot dematerialize when I have a hold on you, Djinn.”
Phaedra’s expression never changed, and she gave back to the Nightkind King hardness for hardness, blade for blade.
She told him, “I have no intention of dematerializing. I am not, nor will I ever be, your prey. Leave the human alone, explain your presence and then leave.”
Eyes glowing red, one of the ghouls hissed, “How dare you lay hands upon our King and speak to him in such a fashion?”
Sebastian wasn’t very good at distinguishing individual features among ghouls, but he thought this one was female, and she wore the uniform of a captain. The ghoul prowled forward, followed by the other Nightkind, closing in on Phaedra and Julian.
The Djinn’s eyes went supernova, blazing as bright as any other beacon in the night. She said, “You would be wise to listen to me. My grandfather is Soren, first generation Djinn and head of the Elder tribunal. My father is Khalil, prince of the House Marid, the strongest of all five of the Djinn Houses. Do you really want to make war upon me and my associations?”
Sebastian almost wished he had a bowl of popcorn. He could watch the shit they threw down all night. But Olivia’s distress was deep and genuine, and nothing of what had just happened had anything to do with the job he had promised Carling that he would do.
He rubbed Olivia’s arms as he raised his voice. “Phaedra, back down.”
The
And Phaedra held him, too, with one of her hands wrapped around his throat. Olivia could see that her black talons had sunk into his skin. Vampyre blood trickled from the small puncture wounds. She thought of all the Vampyre groupies, nicknamed bottom feeders, who would pay a fortune for that tiny, precious trickle of the Nightkind King’s potent blood.
“Now this has become an interesting evening,” said Julian. His rough, aquiline face had turned brutal. He and Phaedra stared at each other down the lengths of their arms.
Olivia groaned under her breath. “This has become a disaster.”
“It’s perfect,” said Sebastian.
Chapter Five
In just a few moments, Phaedra had affirmed her worth in Sebastian’s eyes and justified his decision in keeping her on the team. As far as he was concerned, she and the Vampyre could tear each other into pieces. Then he could call the Elder tribunal, rightfully claim he had nothing to do with any of it, and they could all sit back in comfort to watch somebody else clean up the mess.
In the meantime, hoping that Bailey was within telepathic range, he said, Where are you?
Bailey said, I’m in my bunk. What’s up?
He didn’t waste time on details. Call everybody who left for shore leave. Tell them to haul their asses back to the ship now. No excuses.
Bailey’s telepathic voice turned crisp. You got it. Where are you?
On deck. Julian’s here.
Do you need me there?
I’ll let you know. Stay put for now.
Huddled into his chest, Olivia still trembled in his arms. He glanced at her, and something powerful and violent surged up inside him at the expression on her tense, pale face. She looked shell-shocked and very frightened.
“It’s all right,” he whispered. “You’re all right.”
“I don’t feel all right,” she confessed. Her fists remained clenched in his T-shirt. “I really want to go to him. I don’t, but I do.”
“Dammit,” he muttered. He wanted to punch something. Someone. He tightened his arms around her.
And somehow, in spite of all that, he liked the fact that she had reached for him when she needed to, and that she still held on to him.
He was a dickhead.
On the dock, Julian and Phaedra remained locked in their standoff, their individual Powers clashing like thunder against Sebastian’s magical senses.
This time when Julian smiled, it was like watching a sword being drawn. “Our Power is designed to draw and trap our prey,” he said. “In a few of us, the trait develops quite significantly as we age. You cannot dematerialize when I have a hold on you, Djinn.”
Phaedra’s expression never changed, and she gave back to the Nightkind King hardness for hardness, blade for blade.
She told him, “I have no intention of dematerializing. I am not, nor will I ever be, your prey. Leave the human alone, explain your presence and then leave.”
Eyes glowing red, one of the ghouls hissed, “How dare you lay hands upon our King and speak to him in such a fashion?”
Sebastian wasn’t very good at distinguishing individual features among ghouls, but he thought this one was female, and she wore the uniform of a captain. The ghoul prowled forward, followed by the other Nightkind, closing in on Phaedra and Julian.
The Djinn’s eyes went supernova, blazing as bright as any other beacon in the night. She said, “You would be wise to listen to me. My grandfather is Soren, first generation Djinn and head of the Elder tribunal. My father is Khalil, prince of the House Marid, the strongest of all five of the Djinn Houses. Do you really want to make war upon me and my associations?”
Sebastian almost wished he had a bowl of popcorn. He could watch the shit they threw down all night. But Olivia’s distress was deep and genuine, and nothing of what had just happened had anything to do with the job he had promised Carling that he would do.
He rubbed Olivia’s arms as he raised his voice. “Phaedra, back down.”
The
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