Page 91 of The Vampire's Thirst
Brak raised both hands in the air. “Excuse the hell out of me. Didn’t know she was taken.”
Chiara tilted her chin up in defiance. “I’m not.”
Dax snarled.
Swiveling his neck, Thorn checked the men following Brak. “Who are these meatheads?”
“Recruits,” said the huge Firebrand, his long legs eating up the hallway. “They’re coming out of our asses faster than we can wipe. You’ll meet them all cuz you’ll be helping to train them.” Brak leaned in to whisper. “They need a lot of work along with some serious butt-kicking. Though I gotta say, they were awesome in the fight today.”
The men followed behind Brak like puppies hoping for a pat on the head, a yummy treat, or directions to a warm shower and bed.
“Where are we going?” Chiara threw her chin up to look at Dax, her hand in his as they walked through the long concrete hall, their footsteps echoing off bare walls.
“To Kole’s office. He’s the commander. Afterward, someone will settle you and Fin into new quarters.”
“Do you stay here?”
“No.”
“Where do you stay?”
“Here and there.”
“Could you be more specific?” Why was every conversation with Dax a struggle? As if he wanted all the toys and wasn’t sharing.
“Doesn’t matter. You don’t know your way around Covenkirk. The other Blood Coven descendants will take care of you. Tell you what’s what. The whole drill.”
Chiara tugged on Dax’s hand, pulling him to a stop. “Why can’t I stay with you?”
His inky midnight glare stabbed her in the chest. “Why would you want to do that, female?”
“I trust you.”
He fisted her upper arms. “Do not trust me, little witch. That would be a big mistake.”
“Too late. I already do.”
“Look. Ask anybody. I fuck shit up. I’m not an honorable male.”
Chiara smacked his hands away, rolling her shoulders to erase his painful grip. “I don’t care. I want to stay with you. I’m not comfortable with strangers.”
Fin, Thorn, Brak, and the battle-weary recruits had gone ahead. Dax grabbed her hand again, stepped up the pace, and dragged her along. “Enough of this convo. Issue settled.”
What a fangdick.
He was passing her off like a piece of worn clothing, a broken-down car, a chipped vase. She was stubborn, especially when she wanted something. She wanted Dax, but he dug his heels in. Pretty soon, she might tire of kicking and dragging.
****
WhenLort arrived on the cliff overlooking the garrison, Cerberus was already standing there, hands clasped behind his back, a lord-of-the-kingdom expression plastered on his condescending face. Today the Arisen Dawn leader was again disguised as a satyr. He’d better reveal himself to his army soon because they would not follow a ghost much longer. Lort already heard whispers of dissent.
Cerberus turned his back on the view, tilting a haughty chin toward his general.
Did he know the Bozeman outcome? Lort suspected he was a powerful mage, capable of using a spell to watch the action or capable of snatching the memories from a mind. Could be a spy in Arisen Dawn who reported everything to Cerberus before Lort got the chance. If it was, he would suck the blood from the snitch’s veins, pick his fangs with the squealer’s bones, sever the spy’s tongue with a serrated blade. But he doubted the existence of a snitch. Far more likely Cerberus was a warlock.
In the meantime, caution.
“The Battle for Bozeman went as planned, Cerberus. Our losses were many but as expected. We broke through their defenses and had the Earther army running scared. They regrouped but not in time.”
