Page 106 of Kiss of Light

“You have blood on you. May I…?”

“Be my guest.”

She shivered as he pressed the tip of his tongue to the corner of her mouth. The cut had healed already but he licked the dried blood from her skin.

“Best not to enter Palissandra smelling of blood,” he said quietly.

Then he turned and resumed the convoluted path towards the other side of no-man’s land. She followed silently, trying not to break his focus now that she knew what was swimming in the soil beneath them.

She was concentrating so much on putting her feet exactly where his were that she didn’t immediately realise when they left no-man’s land. She only looked up when he stopped abruptly and she almost walked into his back.

A vast wall loomed ahead of them. Palissandra’s outer boundary she guessed. But of rather more concern were the dozen vampires who had just materialised around them.

They were dressed in black and silver, and carried the insignia of a crown on their chests. Soldiers, then. Each one carried a blade, and each one had their canines fully extended. Lemar slowly raised his hands.

“Home sweet home,” he said.

Forty Five

“You’re here without authorisation.” The Vetali who spoke was a captain, judging by the pips on his collar.

“Apologies. I couldn’t send word due to complications,” Lemar said.

“Why didn’t you use the Gate?”

“There wereothercomplications.”

“You seem to have a lot of them.”

“You have no idea.”

The Vetali’s gaze flicked to Tala.

“Outsiders aren’t welcome here. Especially not shaitun.”

Lemar’s expression hardened.

“Since when?

“Since his Highness the Prince put out an edict. All non-Vetali citizens are to be detained until their identities are verified.” The captain moved towards Tala and she saw he was carrying handcuffs. Lemar stepped between them.

“She’s with me.”

“Then you canbothbe detained. Take them to the holding cells.”

The Vetali reached for Tala and Lemar knocked his hand away. Immediately a dozen silver blades were pointed at his throat.

Tala put her hand on the hilt of her one remaining dagger, but Lemar gave the minutest shake of his head. She understood. A straight fight with a dozen highly-trained Vetali would not end well. Lemar faced the captain.

“I order you to stand down,” he said coldly. The Vetali laughed.

“Youorderme? And who exactly are you?”

“Count Darian Lemar the Third. Son of Prince Vassago and heir to Palissandra.” He let it sink in. “What’s the matter? Is my face not on the coins anymore?”

To his credit, the captain’s expression didn’t change. He gave a signal to his men and they lowered their blades. The captain studied him.

“You’ve been away a long time.”

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