Fang marks.
Silviu waved his hands, and they stood, moving gracefully from the room in their sleek ballgowns.
Did they need rescuing?
Somehow, I thought not.
I was good at reading people, and there was no distress in them.
Silviu turned his gaze to us, and I barely resisted flinching under the icy stare. It hurt like hell—pain that radiated from my skin into my bones, as if he were literally shooting daggers with his eyes.
“Devil.” His voice was low and deep, yet icy all the same. “It has been a long time.”
“Indeed it has.” Grey did not incline his head, but his voice bore no malice.
“And whom do you bring to my castle?”
“My mate.” He didn't say my name, and I appreciated it.
Silviu’s eyebrows rose, and something flickered in his eyes. Envy, maybe, followed by irritation. A half second later, his expression was as bland as it had been when we’d entered. He gestured to the table. “Please, sit.”
Whatever meal they’d been planning to have had not yet started. Untouched silverware sat neatly by empty plates.
Grey approached, and I followed, my gaze keen on Silviu. I didn't want to look at him, but taking my eyes off him would be like looking away from a snake about to strike.
Grey took a seat that had been vacated by one of the women, indicating that I should sit next to him, farther from Silviu.
Grateful, I took the chair, trying to keep my expression bland as I looked at the vampire.
“Have a drink.” Silviu flicked a hand, and a goblet of dark red liquid appeared in front of Grey.
Blood, without question.
My glass appeared as well, filled with a sparkling golden substance that was probably champagne. Still, I wasn’t going to risk it.
Silviu leaned forward, staring hard at me. “Your mate? Truly?”
Grey nodded.
“How did you find her?” Silviu asked.
I didn’t like being spoken about like I wasn’t here. “I found him.”
Silviu’s gaze shot to mine. “You did, now?”
I nodded.
Silviu looked at Grey. Leaning back in his chair, he muttered, “Lucky bastard.”
“I think so,” Grey said.
“Though you now face death.”
“I wouldn’t trade knowing her for anything.”
Silviu nodded as if he understood, but how could he? He didn’t look like he’d ever be capable of caring for another.
“The curse does not give you long, does it?” Silviu asked.
Grey shook his head.
“Shame. All the same, I am envious. I didn’t think it would happen for you. For either of us.”
“You want this?” I asked, unable to help myself.
“I don’t want immortality anymore,” he replied. “After long enough, it becomes a curse. If I could end this life by finding my mate, I can’t imagine better. Even if I only had her for a little while.”
“I’m here to find a way out,” Grey said. “A way around the curse.”
Silviu nodded. “That is what I assumed. You want a meeting with the seer.”
“I do. Can you arrange it?”
Silviu looked between the two of us, and I wondered if he would ask for a price we could not pay.
“I can try, of course,” he said, his voice trailing off.
“What do you want in exchange?” Grey asked.
Silviu’s eyes went to me, and a shiver went down my spine. “What are you?”
I blinked. “What am I?”
“Species. What is your magic?”
“Um—” We still didn’t know exactly what I was. “I can read people and objects. A bit like a seer.”
He nodded. “Can you determine whether I have a mate?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?” His lip twisted with distaste.
“Not everything will show itself to me. But I can try.” Internally, I cringed at the idea of touching him. “You couldn’t ask this seer?”
“I have. Like all seers, she cannot see everything.”
“Then you certainly can’t expect me to.”
He nodded. “You are right. But if you will try, then I will arrange a meeting with the seer.”
I could suck it up and touch him for that prize. But what would he do if he didn’t get the answer he wanted? Should I lie to him to get him to help us?
I hated lying about something so important.
My gaze flicked to Grey. For him, though…
This could be our only chance.
I was definitely willing to lie to the scary vampire if I had to. I could always find a way to tell him the truth later, once we’d got what we wanted.
“Do not even think of lying,” Silviu said, his gaze hard.
I blinked at him again, trying to shape my features into innocent lines. “Of course not.”
Damn. He’d probably be able to tell if I lied. He’d lived so long that he’d surely learned how to read people.
“Do you want me to start now?” I asked.
He inclined his head. “Yes.”
I looked at Grey, who nodded.
I shifted to push my chair back, but his hand landed on my leg, gently pressing me down. He looked at Silviu. “Lay your arm on the table.”
Grey didn’t want me any closer to Silviu than I needed to be, and I appreciated it. I gave him a slight nod as Silviu stretched out his arm, palm down.
His dark dinner jacket was stark against his pale skin, and I raised my hand to rest my fingertips against the back of his hand. As my flesh neared his, a spark of energy passed between us.
It shocked me to my bones, a visceral lightning strike that made my eyes water. Grey gripped my thigh under that table, and I focused on his touch, grounding myself.
Slowly, I drew in a bracing breath, then rested my fingertips on the back of Silviu’s hand. Another electric shock pulsed into me, and I flinched. Grey growled low in his throat, but I ignored it. Instead, I focused on Silviu, not breaking contact despite the icy cold electricity that emitted from his skin.
Do you have a mate?
I directed my magic toward that one question, hoping to find the answer he wanted. I dreaded telling him no.
At first, there was nothing. His magic seemed to create a barrier between my power and his truth.
“You need to drop your shields,” I said. “I can’t see past them.”
He nodded, his eyes flickering with annoyance.
“It’s the only way this can work,” I insisted.
“Of course. Old habits die hard.” Bit by bit, I felt his magical shields drop. The electricity that had pulsed through me faded, leaving behind an empty darkness.
His eyes had not lied—his soul was like a black hole in outer space, sucking in everything in its vicinity. If I wasn’t careful, he’d suck me in, too. Even now, I felt hope flowing from me into him. Strength and energy.
I fought it, focusing on Grey’s touch. On his presence.
Do you have a Cursed Mate?
I asked the question again, reaching out with my power, using every trick I’d learned over the last weeks.
Slowly, an image began to form in my head.
A woman, beautiful and dark. Midnight eyes that flared with life, so different than Silviu’s. Full red lips and gleaming black hair. Tall and vibrant and powerful.
Her species was unknown, but she had magic. Lots of it.
My gaze flicked up to Silviu. “She’s beautiful.”
His eyes flared. “Who is she?”
I closed my eyes again, focusing on the image, trying to pick up anything I could find. A name, a place, a thought. Anything.
The woman stood in the middle of an enormous city, taller than nearly everyone around her. Their faces were shielded from my view, as were the details of the buildings themselves. It was impossible to see where exactly she was, but it felt far away.
“She’s in a city,” I said.
“Which one?”
“I cannot see.”
“Try harder.” His voice cracked like a whip.
I drew in a breath and pushed with my magic, trying to see more about the woman. Nothing came. I withdrew my hand from his, immediately feeling warmer. Less miserable.
Did I want to help him find this woman?
Would she thank me for it?
I felt Grey’s grip on my leg and looked at him.
The Devil of Darkvale.
He was the most feared man in Guild City. Perhaps the most feared man in Europe, save for Silviu, who never left his castle.
Most people wouldn’t envy me my position at his side. They’d assume it was a prison. Yet, I didn’t feel that way. Not now that I knew Grey.
Perhaps Silviu was this woman’s Devil of Darkvale.
I met Silviu’s cold gaze, not liking the desperation I saw in the depths. “I can work with my friend back in Guild City to turn the vision in my head into a picture for you. You can use that to find her.”
A scowl slashed across his face.
“It’s the best I can do,” I said. “That is all my magic showed me.”
He drew in a steadying breath, something cunning flashing through his eyes. The hair on the back of my neck rose, and I looked at Grey. Suspicion flickered in his gaze.
Finally, Silviu said, “Thank you. I understand this is all you can do. I will arrange for a meeting with the seer. A chamber will be made available to you while you wait.”
Even though I didn’t like the extra something in his voice, I couldn’t identify it. It was the best we could do, and I would keep my guard up.
“Thank you.” Grey stood.
Silviu and I joined him. Remington appeared from the shadows, and Silviu gestured to him. “Lead our guests to the Crimson Room. I will let you know when the seer will see you.”
Remington led us from the room, and I couldn’t help but look back at Silviu. He stared into the fire, the flickering light glinting off his pale form. It wreathed him in shades of gold that made him look almost human. Almost alive.
Then we were out the door, and Remington was leading us down a wide, dark corridor to a spiral staircase. We ascended, passing from one pool of light to the next. We reached a floor high up in the castle, then walked down another long hall.