Page 43 of Ancient Magic

“Demon blood?” Valen blinked. If Kane wasn’t a vampire, he would think he was drunk. “What are you talking about?”

“See for yourself.”

Kane stepped aside, revealing that he wasn’t in the guest quarters that Valen had prepared for him but instead was in the suite at the back of the building. He’d deliberately chosen the most remote rooms for Micha, assuming the male would prefer not to be squashed between Kane and Gabriel and the ambassador.

“Where’s Micha?” he demanded.

“How the hell should I know?” Kane growled.

Valen leaned forward, his brows drawing together as he studied the image that filled the monitor. The view was limited. The intercom wasn’t intended to be a security system. But it allowed him to see the broken bedpost and distinct drops of blood on the white comforter. Unless Micha had spent the day indulging in sex that was rough enough to cause someone an injury, then something bad had happened.

He was still processing what he was seeing when there was movement and the monitor was filled with the worried face of Ambassador Azra.

“Valen, we need to speak.”

No shit.

“I’ll be down.”

“No, Valen, we’ll be up,” Azra surprisingly insisted. “I’m not sure what’s happened, but we should check the security tapes. The sooner the better.”

“I can take care of that,” Valen said. “There’s no need for anyone—”

“You’ll wait for us,” Azra interrupted, his voice hard with an unexpected warning.

Valen stiffened, more ice spreading over the carpet. He was going to have to replace the stupid thing by the time his guests finally left. Of course, that was the least of his worries for now.

“You’re giving me orders? In my own lair?”

Azra stepped close to the monitor, revealing his dark eyes that held a power far more ancient than the ambassador. He was looking directly into the gaze of Sinjon, the ultimate ruler.

“There’s not just the scent of demons in Micha’s room,” Azra informed him. “I smell the seer that was at the party last night. It’s possible she spent the day at Micha’s invitation, but I prefer to avoid any hint there’s a less pleasant possibility.”

Without warning, the monitor went blank and at the same time there was a rush of footsteps and Peri was grabbing his arm in a grip tight enough to dig her nails through his sweater and into his flesh.

“Skye is with Micha?”

Valen turned to meet her disbelieving gaze. “They did spend time together during the party,” he reminded her. “Maybe they planned for Skye to return to finish whatever they started.”

Peri was shaking her head before he finished speaking. “She would have told Maya if she planned to come here to be with Micha. There wouldn’t be any reason to sneak out.”

“Maya isn’t a huge fan of vampires,” he wryly reminded her. “Skye might have wanted to avoid a lecture.”

Peri grudgingly considered his words, then shook her head again. “That doesn’t explain why she left behind her phone. Or where she is now.”

Valen moved to his desk to grab his own phone, pressing Micha’s number even as he led Peri out of the bedroom and into his private office. They didn’t have much time before Kane and Azra arrived demanding answers.

Answers he didn’t have.

It was no shocker that his call was dumped into Micha’s voicemail. The male probably left it packed in his bags. He wasn’t big on technology. With a low swear word, Valen shoved the phone into his pocket.

He desperately wanted to believe this was all no more than a misunderstanding, but Peri was right to be suspicious. Everything about the situation felt...off.

Crossing to the desk in the middle of the long room, Valen had opened the laptop and managed to pull up the security footage when there was a soft tap on the door.

“Enter,” Valen commanded, watching as his assistant pushed open the door and stepped into the office.

Renee was a powerful fairy with short, bleached-blond hair and dark gold eyes. Before Peri’s arrival, she’d run Valen’s life with rigid perfection; now the two women coexisted with a wary, armed truce.

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