Page 12 of Tin God

She pursed her lips. “I would have guessed sugar.”

“Too sweet.”

She looked up and winked at him. “But youareso sweet, Carwyn.”

He growled, “You know better.”

“I do know better.” Katya handed him a heavy mug of fragrant coffee and smiled. “She thinks she’s doing the right thing, you know.”

He sipped the coffee, welcoming the bitter taste on his tongue. It matched his mood. “I’m sure she believes that.”

“You don’t think she can kill Zasha?” Katya raised an eyebrow. “Quite disloyal.”

“Not disloyal.” He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “Can we speak in confidence?”

“Weonlyspeak in confidence,” she said. “Nothing I say to you leaves this office.”

“Understood.” He hesitated, still reluctant to question his mate in front of another vampire.

But Brigid was in Katya’s territory, and she was hunting a vampire who had eluded immortals far older than his mate. “Zasha is stronger than Brigid.”

Katya nodded. “Most likely, yes. They’re much older, so that would make sense.”

“They have better control of their element.”

“Also likely, though Brigid’s skills are impressive for a young vampire. On the other hand, I’d say Brigid is smarter and more clear-thinking than Zasha.Thinkingwins battles. In my opinion, they are evenly matched.”

Carwyn said nothing.

Katya continued. “You need to give her some credit. She’s levelheaded and she has allies. That’s more than Zasha has going for them.”

Katya was probably thinking about Oleg. He was betting she didn’t know that Tenzin was working with Brigid, and he wasn’t going to tell her. He had no idea how Katya would react to a slightly sociopathic wind vampire flying around her territory—better not to bring it up.

Because Brigid needed Tenzin. As much faith as he had in his mate, Carwyn was terrified for her, and Tenzin was the one vampire he could think of who was as terrible as Zasha Sokholov.

Katya set her coffee to the side. “Since it’s just the two of us, you know that I’m mated, correct?”

“I’d heard he’s some vague relation to Leonora in Spain. Is that correct?”

“Very vague, very distant.” She settled back into her chair. “Have you ever met him?”

“No.”

“No, you have not.” She smiled. “We prefer it that way. He hates events. Won’t really participate in business. Doesn’t like most vampires at all really.”

Carwyn could almost feel his eyes glazing over. “That makes for a very boring eternity.”

“And yet he is happy.”

“How does he keep busy?”

“He’s a remarkable artist who paints under various names that you’ve heard of, and he hires humans to take his place.” She picked up her coffee. “Now you know more about my mate than ninety-nine percent of the world. You should be flattered.”

“I am. Why are you telling me?”

“Because you didn’t marry one like mine. You mated Brigid.” Katya said. “You’d be bored if she was any different.”

“She’s trying to shield me from all this.” His jaw twitched. “It’s annoying.”

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