Page 66 of Of Blood and Smoke

“Did you not see the way he was looking at you?” She was so naive sometimes; it was cute. “And I don’t care for the friends he appears to be making.” In retrospect, I should’ve been more careful when I’d asked Christina to invite the who’s who of New York.

Further exploration of the room revealed other beings I did not expect. I ran into an archangel, another high-level demon, and then a couple vampires. The latter which I now found myself seated with at a semi-private table, along with Micha.

They introduced themselves as Nicholas and Kiam. The two of them had traveled from Canada to be here, at my event.

Micha wasted no time. “I don’t imagine you are here strictly for altruistic reasons.”

Nicholas answered, “Perhaps not, but not in relation to you.” He sat back and swirled his glass, the cabernet sauvignon and blood mixture set aside for VIP guests releasing a heady fragrance into the air. “We’ve heard of your ambitions, Josiah.”

Instinctively, I searched for Della and didn’t relax until I saw her huddled with Ashley and Andy, and the two guards, Bryan and Moses. “Yes? What of them?”

“Relax, we mean you and yours no harm.” He sipped his beverage, and I saw his nails were shaped for optimum violence, coming to a steep tapered point.

“You are rebelling against the thorn in our side,the collective.This is unprecedented,” he mused.

Staring at him, I waited. When he didn’t say anything else, I relaxed in my seat and crossed my legs, setting an ankle on my knee.

Kiam spoke up, not engaging in the silent stand-off. “We’d like to offer our support.”

Micha’s shoe scraped the carpet, his only outward sign of surprise.

“And why is that?” I asked.

“Did you really think you were the only one who fell in love with a human and was restricted?” Nicholas asked.

“It is common knowledge vampires and humans mate,” Micha stated. “Since when did that change?”

Kiam chuckled under his breath. “The higher vampire clans are forbidden from the union. It is an effort to keep our bloodlines clean. I assumed you were aware, having identified more with your vampire roots than demon. If you were demon-based, we would not be speaking with you.”

I’d known of the rampant racism and prejudice between the two species, but I was not aware of the restrictions Kiam mentioned. By letting me know the privileged information, it was a sign the vampires had accepted me. It was an honor.

Tilting my head in a nod, I replied, “Thank you.”

He copied my motion and Nicholas said, “Once the pure bloodlines began becoming too watered down, the edict wasset in place. Neither Kiam nor I are natural born, despite our standing.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because neither of us believe it should matter. What one is, is what one is. Behavior matters more than matter of birth.”

Micha retorted, “And yet you would spare no demon your blade nor your bite.”

The two vampires exchanged a glance. “Mind your role,” Kiam spat. “You know not what you speak of.”

Micha shrugged. He was a moody fucker at times. “I’m assuming the two of you have met your matches and are being prohibited? Why come to me?” I politely asked.

Nicholas pressed his lips together. “Not I, but Kiam...perhaps. I am already mated.” The other man kept glaring at Micha, the two men daring the other to act on the baser instincts of violence. Micha wouldn’t, not tonight.

“Our being here is a welcome, of sorts, and a show of support. For both your material pursuits and matters of the heart. We wanted to let you know you can call on us if needed, and we would like the same in return.”

Both the introverted and controlling sides of me balked at the offer. It’d only been recently that I’d started making more public appearances, thanks to Della. I knew I couldn’t stay in seclusion forever, no matter how appealing the idea was, and I didn’t want to accept outside help. Too many things could go wrong.

And I had no idea who’d invited the two men, but I imagined our public relations team, along with Christina, invited every corporate giant they could think of. I declined the urge to ask Nicholas and Kiam what industry they represented but it went without saying it was in the medical field due to their need of blood for sustenance.

Already, I was tired of the noise and chatter. I didn’t want to be here; I’d had enough of politics at the Court. If I had myway, I’d take my Little One to a faraway fortress, and we’d never leave the bedroom. I’d shower her with flowers, jewelry, and luxury, spending my days between her legs licking her juices and drinking her blood, never coming up for air.

While that was my idea of heaven, it wasn’t realistic. Life beckoned, and it was the entire reason I’d left the Second Realm—to experience it and everything it had to offer. To spread my wings, so to speak. But dealing with these things would ensure I had a secure life here in the Third. I let out a deep breath.

Micha met my gaze, and I knew him well enough to know he found their offer acceptable. Ultimately, the decision was up to me, but I respected his input. “That is acceptable,” I said.

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