Page 135 of Filthy Rich Vampires: For Eternity

“Find another way.” Each word was as sharp as a dagger tip.

“What is going on?” I demanded, striding up to them.

“Your mate is getting in touch with his primitive side,” Camila informed me.

I spun around, stepping close enough that I could shove an arm between them if necessary. Julian loosed a warning snarl, but I sighed. “Is this about London?”

Benedict took a step back, his eyes never leaving his brother. Their relationship had yet to recover from Benedict’s involvement with The Second Rite.

“The Fae Court demands an audience,” he said to me, those eyes still tracking Julian.

I put my hand on Julian’s shoulder. “Then, they’ll have it.”

His gaze tore from his brother and snagged on me. The Fae are dangerous.

“So, what’s new?” I shrugged, forcing a smile onto my lips. “If that’s what it takes to get into London, we’ll do it.”

They can’t be more dangerous than the Council.

I don’t like it.

I don’t like any of this, I reminded him silently, focusing on the magic thrumming inside me and willing it to reach out to soothe the darkness swirling inside him. But we can handle it.

Julian turned very, very slowly to me and pressed a kiss to my forehead. His eyes remained haunted, and I knew the cause of those ghosts.

We’ll talk about it later.

I nodded once.

“What is this about London?” Sabine demanded as she entered with Dominic and Thoren trailing behind her.

“Thea found someone to help her with her magic,” Julian said through gritted teeth.

“A Fae?” Her eyes widened with surprise.

“No, calling upon Bain and his court is an unexpected treat.” The final word snapped against his teeth.

Sabine instantly relaxed. “The important thing is that she gets help.”

Would she feel that way if I were getting help from a Fae?

His low snort was enough of an answer.

“And it will give the rest of us time to assess the situation in Venice,” she continued.

Sebastian started, “We can’t sit around—”

“We won’t,” she said sharply. “Do you think we’ve been sunning ourselves for the last hour?”

Thoren stepped forward and cleared his throat. “We need to ascertain more about the curse. We’ve been so worried about magic awakening, we haven’t considered who wanted to put it to sleep. There has to be something, somewhere.”

“I’ll look,” Lysander volunteered, earning him a bob of approval.

“In the meantime, we need to keep an eye on our enemies.” He looked at Sebastian. “We know the Mordicum are meeting in the city’s underground. I need you to watch for signs they’re making a move.”

“Hang out in seedy bars and clubs?” Sebastian shoved his hands in his pockets with a roguish grin. “Sounds terrible. When can I start?”

“And Willem?” Camila demanded. “Until he is dealt with, I am still head of this family.”

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