Hmm. She’d trade her Ferragamo purse to hear that story. But later. After she knew what the hell she was doing in St. Louis.
And after she’d broken his nose. And made him spend a few days believing he was a mushroom.
“How did you get the locket past Valhalla’s security system?” she instead demanded.
He shrugged. “I have a talent for becoming invisible when I want to.”
He’d snuck into Valhalla? Was it even possible? Surely it would have taken a miracle to get past the magical layers that protected Valhalla, not to mention the high-tech alarms.
Or someone who had skills she’d never heard of.
“Who are you?”
“I told you, I’m Bas. A witch and businessman.”
She shook her head. A mere witch couldn’t have snared a powerful psychic with a compulsion spell. And he sure as hell couldn’t have gotten into Valhalla unnoticed.
“Who are you really?”
His lips twisted. “It depends on who you ask. To most of the world I’m B. D. Cavrilo, a highly successful businessman.”
“And to the rest?”
He hesitated, the beautiful features hardening to reveal the ruthless nature she’d already sensed.
“I’m the leader of a shadow society of high-bloods.”
Serra frowned. Was he screwing with her?
“Sounds very James Bond,” she taunted.
“Not really,” he denied. “We’re just trying to survive.”
“Why in the shadows?”
“Because we don’t play nice with others,” he said, obviously proud of their outsider attitude. “Those who follow me have turned their back on Valhalla. Either by choice or necessity.”
She wrinkled her nose, unimpressed. Long ago she might have been intrigued by a man who refused to play by the rules; now she just found them childish.
A true man understood that power came from protecting those weaker than himself, not flexing his muscles to prove he was a badass.
“You’re criminals?”
“Some.” He smiled at her blatant disapproval. “Others have an allergy to following the Mave’s rules.”
“But they’ll follow yours?”
“Follow is a debatable term,” he conceded. “They accept my protection in return for offering their services when I need them. Otherwise, I stay the hell out of their business.”
She couldn’t deny a curiosity. She’d met a few high-bloods who preferred to live as norms. And even a few who lived in complete isolation, far from Valhalla and civilization.
But she’d never met an entire community of high-bloods living in secret.
“What services?”
“It varies depending on their powers.”
He was deliberately vague, but Serra abruptly realized what had been staring her in the face.