Page 81 of Cursed to Be Mine
My gaze snaps back to Aleric. He smiles at me, then turns his full attention to my brother.
“It is a new era when the head of the Shadow Domain visits my home.” He inclines his head, his eyes not leaving Varius’ face. “And without any guards either.”
He looks pointedly at me and Talon, his eyes light with a mockery that bounces off me. Talon’s aura strengthens with magic, then quickly quiets again as his eyes flick to Varius. Orders have been given. No fighting. We’re here for peace.
“It became a new era when the Death Hunt started massacring your people,” Varius says.
“Yes, quite.” Aleric moves through the living room and kitchen, then continues on through the house to a study on the upper floor. Books line the walls on both sides from floor to ceiling, and a wide double window with an alcove stretches between them, opposite the door. A large dark-red tambootie-wood desk fills nearly a third of the room. A black leather swivel chair rests behind it. Only one other chair, positioned in front of it, is available. Talon and I are to stay standing.
Pulling the door shut behind me, I raise a hand and swivel my fingers. Magic flows around the room, sealing us in so no one can eavesdrop.
Aleric kicks back in his chair, not a hair seemingly risen in worry about being in a room where no one can hear him scream. “I want Anastasia Island, his territory in Miami, and his stretch from Georgia to NorthCarolina. That basically gives you all of Florida.”
“But leaves us surrounded by your territory.”
He smiles.
“I’ll give you” –his smile drops at my brother’s phrase claiming he’s in a position togiverather than to barter–“Anastasia Island and his streets in Miami, as well as his stretch from Tallahassee to Atlanta, which will strengthen your hold in Alabama. You can have the coast of South Carolina and the range of mountains all around Asheville, but the rest of Antonio’s territory is ours.”
Aleric’s gray eyes flash with a hint of mahogany as they narrow on my brother. “You drive a hard bargain.”
“We can always help the wolves wipe you out.”
“You think Antonio will stop with our extinction now that he’s made hybrids?”
The room chills.Why have we not heard of this?The idea of a mole weasels its way into my mind. Too often, we’ve had issues within our Family, Varius’ lack of magic a great catalyst for causing plays for power.
“How many has he made?” Varius demands.
“Four.”
“We’ll kill them tonight,” Talon cuts in, disgust twisting his face. Hybrids are seen as lessers to too many people.
“No need,” Aleric says, his words a blizzard across my skin. “He consumes them soon after birth.” A lazy smile mocks us. “I’m surprised Sau hasn’t felt the imbalance. She was always so sensitive to such things...”
At the mention of our mother, Talon’s aura blares with energy. Shadows move beneath my heels, out of sight but undoubtedly felt by my brother. I rein them back in before Talon feeds off my emotions and doessomething brash. He isn’t as stupid as Maddox, but his hatred for the vamps makes him volatile.
“Is she sick?” Aleric asks, looking at my brother, either unaware or completely uncaring that Talon is a second away from blasting him with magic.
“No.” Short and clipped, an end to the conversation.
“Is she grieving for that turdstain she called a mate?”
Talon shifts, and Varius turns his head to look at him. “Do you need to step out?”
A locked jaw and a shake of his head. Talon exhales, his magic quieting like a phone on vibrate.
Varius turns around. “I’m not here to talk about her.”
“So she is.” His lips tighten. “Maybe she should have run away with him when he begged her to.”
“Father was not a coward,” Talon says, taking a step forward. He halts immediately when I shift, a warning in my eyes.
“Being a coward was your father’s defining trait,” the vampire says. “Why do you think Sau had to take her own revenge for her dead children? If she had been allowed to lead, we would be living in a very different world.”
There is almost a hint of respect in his eyes, but when he turns to look back at my brother, it is gone, flattened by the talk of business. “I will accept the dividing of his territory you proposed.”
It wasn’t a proposal, but Varius doesn’t correct him.
