Page 51 of Destined for Dreams
“Very well.” He nodded. “Lead the way.”
They took a small elevator up to the room, which was larger than his last accommodations in Belarus. It had a sitting area next to a large bay window with two leather chairs and a plush red rug. There was also a king size bed, a desk, and a refreshment stand. Sofia’s high heels clicked on the hardwood floor as she moved to take a seat by the window.
“See? I told you the room was good.”
The female nephilim had been born in the region now known as Spain, but she’d traveled the world for the past two thousand years or so until her accent was hardly recognizable. Bartol would have described it as cultured with a hint of seductiveness. There was a time when he had found Sofia to be one of the most beautiful women he’d ever met, but now all he could think of was Cori. His mate didn’t have the bold good looks of the female before him, but she had a saucy edge he’d come to appreciate.
“The room is more than adequate,” he said, pretending to show interest in his surroundings. “But why are you here and not Benjamin?”
“The master has been busy, and I thought it would be better if I handled this myself.”
Nephilim tended to avoid leadership positions, which was the reason they rarely ruled a region. They preferred to live their lives without being tethered down to one place. Instead, they made agreements with the local masters so that they could live within their territory without causing conflict or trouble. One of the typical stipulations was not to interfere in the politics or issues of that region unless specifically requested to do so.
Bartol moved to the bay window and stared down at the pedestrians below. “We agreed it was over between us.”
“I’m not here for that,” she said dismissively. “I heard you have a mate now, but it doesn’t mean I can’t help you as a friend. These are dangerous times.”
Well, if she wanted to handle it that way, he’d play along. He could be all business. “Tell me about the demon that came here and the things he did.”
“You break my heart, Bartol.” Sofia pressed a hand to her generous chest. “Lucas warned me you’d be quiet and withdrawn, but I could not imagine such a thing. Even with your friends, you were a charmer before. Now they say you cannot even stand to be touched.”
“The man you knew is gone.”
A brief flash of hurt crossed her expression. “Then how did you manage to mate?”
“The woman was rather persistent.”
“Ah, so she seduced you.” Sofia let out a light laugh. “Now that is ironic. I will have to come to Fairbanks someday and meet this woman who could penetrate the strong barriers you’ve put up between yourself and the rest of the world. She sounds delightful.”
He was growing impatient. “Tell me about the demon.”
Sofia let out a loud sigh and collected herself.
“He compelled thirty men and women to eat each other to death inside a church,” she said, shuddering. This was a woman who took eating delicately—and only the finest foods—to another level. No doubt she’d been horrified by such a massacre.
“Were they members of the congregation?” he asked.
“No.” She shook her head. “It was a mockery, really. All of them were self-proclaimed atheists from a variety of backgrounds including thieves, whores, pimps, and gamblers.”
Zoe hadn’t mentioned that detail. “I take it the church and authorities noticed this as well.”
“Of course, though they didn’t release that information right away.”
Bartol paced the room. “The demon has been attacking religious people, but in this case, it was the institution itself.”
Sofia shrugged. “You know they get bored and like to vary their methods.”
“Do the humans have any idea who did it?”
She curled her fingers into her palms. “They haven’t determined it was a demon, which might have been better for us. Instead, they suspect the supernatural community. A hunt has begun for anyone they think capable of such an act. More than a dozen witches and young vampires have died already.”
This was exactly why he would have been against supernaturals coming out if anyone had consulted him. He’d always known they’d never be accepted by most humans, and now many members of their community were vulnerable. Revealing themselves had allowed the nerou to become free, but Bartol often wondered if another way couldn’t have been found. It wasn’t as if anyone had truly tried talking to the angels about it in some time, and with the world having changed so much, they might have been more amenable.
“Is that what is keeping Benjamin busy? Protecting his people?”
“It’s been difficult for him.” Sofia’s voice softened. “Playing nice with the humans is not easy now that we’re out to the world, and he’s had to make some difficult choices in an effort to make things work.”
“You’re close to him,” Bartol surmised.
