Page 61 of Across the Sapphire Sea
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Elias, One Year Ago
Elias—bored to tears and struggling to ignore his anger at Valeri as much as possible—startled when a soft knock sounded at the door.
No one but the owner of the leather shop knew they lived here, and Horsten was fast asleep on the ground floor. Elias heard his steady breathing and the occasional bellowing snore.
Who could possibly be at the door at this hour?
The knock sounded again, quietly, as if the knocker knew Elias would hear him. He listened carefully. Slow and steady breathing, but no heartbeat. It must be another vampire, but the only one Elias knew was Lajos. And Valeri had been impossibly cautious to be sure Lajos didn’t find their den, sometimes dragging Elias dozens of blocks in the wrong direction to lay a false trail.
Elias rose, drew close, and whispered, “Who’s there?”
“Elias, it’s Lajos,” the vampire murmured on the other side of the wood. “I must speak with you.”
Jitters coursed through Elias’s veins. Already his nerves were on edge, worried for Valeri, and now he must deal with Lajos as well? Something about the other vampire had rubbed him the wrong way from the start.
Valeri would probably be angry if Elias let Lajos in. But it would be rude to ask him to go away. He stared at the lock, willing the hardware to make the decision for him.
“I mean you no harm,” said Lajos. Which, Elias thought, was exactly the sort of thing someone who meant him harm might say. “I know where your sire is, and what he’s doing. Open the door, someone must warn you. Let it be me.”
With a reluctant sigh, Elias turned the lock, gripped the knob, and hoped he wasn’t making a mistake.
Lajos stood at the threshold, his carrot-colored hair loose around his shoulders, expression pleased, green eyes glittering like jewels. His appearance held a certain sort of ethereal beauty, and his petite stature made him deceptively approachable. Elias wasn’t fooled: his exquisite charm concealed a viper whose bite had the power to poison.
“Thank you,” Lajos said with a nod in greeting. “May I come in?”
Though Elias feared he would regret it, he stepped aside and allowed Lajos to enter. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Lajos let out a twinkling laugh. “Oh stop, Elias dear, please. I know you detest me.”
Elias opened his mouth to protest, then thought better of it. “Well then, what is it you want? Valeri won’t be pleased you’re here.”
“Afraid he’ll punish you?”
“What? No! But you’ll understand if I don’t want to provoke him with visitors I don’t even like.” Elias shrugged. It was rude, but Lajos already knew the truth. Why hide his disdain?
Lajos shook his head sadly. “What a pity. Your sire doesn’t deserve you. If you ever tire of him, you’re welcome to come to me. I would appreciate you.” Lajos’s lazy green gaze drifted from Elias’s head to his toes. “Allof you.”
Elias cringed. “Stop that. I’m not interested. Get to the point or get out.”
Lajos sauntered to the lounge and dropped onto it in a cozy sprawl. His burnt ochre tunic stood out against the gold brocade. So this would not be a quick visit, then. Elias sat in the chair opposite, crossed his legs, and waited for Lajos to fill the strained silence.
“Valeri courts danger with this foolish campaign of his.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
Lajos’s lips curled to a sly grin. “My apologies. Perhaps I’ve underestimated you. Tell me, Elias, what are your thoughts on your sire’s pursuits?”
It sounded like a trick question. Tell the truth, and risk Lajos thinking Elias was on his side and not Valeri’s. Lie, and he’d believe Elias supported Valeri’s endless quest.
Elias kept his tone even and decided not to answer at all. “Haveyoutried talking him out of it? Tell me, how did that go?”
The jingle of Lajos’s laughter bounced around the small room.
Elias found no humor in their situation. “Is my lover in danger?”
Lajos’s expression grew serious. “Yes.”
