Page 114 of The Vampire's Thirst
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Ladies,” Braelyn shouted at the women gathered in her stronghold apartment. When no one paid attention, her eyes pleaded with Denim, who stuck a finger and thumb in her mouth and whistled.
The chit-chat stopped.
Braelyn nodded at the satyr’s mate. “Always wanted to be able to do that.”
“All present and accounted for,” said Denim. “Except for Nico. He’s busy with Firebrand stuff. Besides, you said this was a gals-only event.”
“Why aren’t you with the Firebrands?” Margo followed the question with a sip of wine from her goblet.
“You are my peeps. So, I told Kole and Ram I had a female problem. It’s surprising, but when you say that to guys, they never ask questions. They just wag their chins and let you do whatever you want.”
“So true.” Lizette snorted, very unlike her usual polished, professional demeanor.
Braelyn stroked a hand down Chiara’s arm. “Thank you for coming, but you don’t need to be here. We know you’re worried about Dax. We all understand if you give this a miss.”
Chiara stared at Braelyn, her eyes reddened by tears and lined with puffy dark circles. “I don’t have the right to worry about him. Dax and I aren’t involved.”
“Of course not. Cause he’s an ass.” Margo’s red curls bounced with an angry shake of her head.
Chiara blinked but then shrugged. “He’s not. He’s just…”
Braelyn interrupted. “Yeah. A misunderstood asshole vamp.”
She nodded. “Maybe, but you’re right. I care about him. I’ll stay, though. The distraction is good.”
Margo nibbled on a piece of Gruyere from the tray on the coffee table. “Sorry about calling the vampire a glute. All the guys have attitude. The kind with a capital A.”
“You got that straight. Let’s get to business then. Here’s the latest about Jace’s friend Celene. Skyler?” Braelyn scooped fingers through her spiked hair.
“I located her in North Shelters, the shifter region. My vision didn’t last long, but she’s in a farmhouse under guard.” Skyler stopped talking when the door creaked. “Hush, everybody.”
All eyes turned as a gorgeous quirky woman bounced into the room, wearing her signature long skirt, tinkling bracelets, and unlaced combat boots. “Hey. Blood bitches. I’m here for the fun. Somebody pour me a big glass of red.”
Shocked looks swung to Braelyn. “Most of you know Rein’s aunt. Chiara, Fin, and Jace, you may not. Let me introduce Indigo. She’s a witch with amazing powers.”
Indigo walked around the room, high-fiving all the women. “You forgotfemme fatale, conjuressextraordinaire, jet-setting slut, and finder of all things lost.” She threw herself onto the floor at Margo’s feet and accepted the full glass of pinot noir shoved into her hand. With a nod of thanks, she continued. “I’m here to help. Hey, Red, I hope you appreciated my heads-up on adding all those extra beds to the barracks.”
Margo nodded.
Indigo gave her a thumbs-up. “Please, continue, niece-in-law.”
“Do you know what we’re planning?” asked Denim.
“Of course. A big gryphon whispered in my ear. For those who don’t know, Oskar’s my pet. He knows all. Sees all. Blabs all. Don’t ever tell him a secret. He has loose lips.”
Braelyn winked at Indigo. “Or I invited her.”
The witch tapped her chin. “You’re right. I get confused sometimes.” She patted Margo’s knee. “Don’t I, Red?”
Margo smiled as people do when they listen to a crazy person. Braelyn, however, suspected Indigo was saner than she let on. Every once in a while, her violet eyes sparked with hyper-awareness, observant of every action around her. But sometimes playing crazy got better results.
“Anyway, carry on. Don’t mind me.” Indigo took a drink of wine. “Yum. Pass the cheese and crackers.”
Braelyn handed the platter of snacks to Margo, who started them around the room again. “After Jace and Skyler came to me with information about Celene’s whereabouts, I called each of you. You all wanted in on the rescue gig. The Firebrands have a lot on their plates, and Jace’s ex-roomie is our biz anyway since she’s one of us. To get the ball rolling, I contacted Denim since she has military and police training. She drew up the broad strokes of a plan for us to fine-tune. Skyler’s done her thing. Now, it’s up to the rest of us. How many guards are we looking at, Jace?”
“When I was there, we had only one or two at a time. I’m guessing three or four now. Skyler, how many did you see?”
