“Then I’d suggest you have a long stake ready. Vlad seems to be quite fond of them.”
Roberto took back his corporeal form for a moment and his feral smile chilled me to the bone. The Angel literally glowed with vicious energy. He was a sick fuck and I never wanted to end up on his bad side. Angels were as unpredictable as Demons. Knowing his dirty secret would either save me at some point or make me a target.
“Are we going to just float in and wait for the idiot to talk to himself and admit his guilt?” Roberto asked, exasperated.
I was tempted to say yes just to piss the Angel off, but this was not the time to have fun at the expense of the uppity bastard.
“While I find that idea intriguing, I have a better plan in mind,” I said. “Jean Paul, morph now.”
“Wait, this Vampyre can morph?” Roberto asked, completely shocked.
“Mais oui,” Jean Paul answered the question with a shrug and a lopsided grin. “Watch and learn,” he added cockily.
The Angel’s sharp intake of breath at the insult had me biting back my own grin. I liked my new brother-in-law a lot. He was arrogant, talented, and deadly—a fine combination.
Without fanfare or sound, Jean Paul morphed into an identical version of Juliet. It was eerie and somewhat alarming as I had wanted to kill the woman with my bare hands only days ago. His voice was hers too. His mannerisms were a little off though.
“Damn it,” I said aloud as I tried to think of a solve.
I was unsure how well Vlad was acquainted with Juliet. Would he notice the differences? In his heightened state of distress, would he even notice she was there?
“Jean Paul, keep your movement to a minimum and your sentences short.”
“I will,” he said in her voice. “I’ve not been around her enough to know her ways. I’ll only do and say what I think is essential.”
“She’s vain,” Raquel cut in sheepishly.
“You’re supposed to be gone,” I told her.
“Correct,” she replied. “But since I’m still here, let me help.”
I nodded tersely. I wanted her safe and away from whatever was about to happen. It was also true that Vlad may be able to sense her and that would blow our cover. But my ulterior motive for her wellbeing was my main motivator.
“Juliet pulls on her hair when she’s unhappy and gestures with her hands often when she’s speaking. Her answers to questions are usually curt and she interrupts constantly,” Raquel offered in a hushed voice.
“Got it,” Jean Paul said.
“She also hates her family—especially me and Astrid.”
“Well, she certainly sound like a lovely gal. She’s one of the Royal children?” Roberto asked snidely. “Why are we trying to save them if this is the way they behave?”
Ignoring him was far better than flattening him.
“I want you to knock at the door and go in. We’ll be right behind you,” I instructed Jean Paul. “Are we ready?”
Everyone nodded and I felt Raquel slip away. It did wonders for my peace of mind that she wasn’t going to be present during what I was certain would turn deadly for someone—hopefully not one of us.
Roberto and I cloaked and covered our scent. Jean Paul did a few jumping jacks and practiced pulling on his long blond hair. He looked so much like the evil bitch that it was difficult to remember that it was Jean Paul in the form of Juliet.
With a final nod and a bit more hopping around, Jean Paul knocked on the door.
And the second act started.
Chapter 22
The room Vlad had escaped to wasn’t large. It was as white and luxurious as the rest of the Angel’s compound, but this one had some color. The walls were lined from floor to ceiling with icy white marble bookshelves, but the volumes housed in the heavy shelving at least lent some life to the room.
Vlad paced the short expanse as red flames shot erratically around the room.
“Hello, Vlad,” Juliet aka Jean Paul said as she stood in the open doorway.
I had moved into the room and positioned myself close to Vlad and prayed Roberto had done the same. On a good day, I could probably take Vlad down. I hoped today was one of those days. He had several thousand years on me and had tricks up his sleeve that I was unaware of, but he wasn’t gunning for me at the moment. I was counting on his fury to make him sloppy. However, a confession of what the fuck he was up to was necessary first.
“What are you doing here?” Vlad hissed as he approached her, yanked her into the room by the arm and slammed the door shut.
“I heard there was a party I wasn’t invited to—yet again. So I decided to crash it,” she snapped and shoved him away from her.
“Of course you did,” he replied and watched her through hooded eyes.
He still sparked dangerously, but there was a new energy in the room. Juliet walked the perimeter of the room and casually knocked books and trinkets from the shelves. My eyes stayed glued to Vlad as he took her actions in with interest.
“You failed your mission,” he said tightly. “Raquel is here at the Summit and I don’t see you holding the child.”
Juliet ignored him and continued on her destructive mission.
“Did you hear me?” he ground out as he grabbed her by the hair and forced her to make eye contact.
His fangs were out and his eyes blazed green. Juliet’s lips thinned to a displeased line and she spat in his face.
“Remove your hands or I’ll do it for you,” she threatened as her fangs descended and her eyes went green with fury.