“My point is, that I have a tendency to act first and think later,” Cezar said with a grimace. “Trust me, I’ve learned to regret the habit, but it hasn’t changed who I am. I can’t promise you I won’t…”
“Be a pain in the ass?” she finished sweetly.
He gave her chin a pinch. “Something like that.”
There was another rap on the door. “Cezar?”
Ignoring the distinct edge of irritation in his king’s voice, Cezar stepped close enough to shock her with the force of his nearly bare body.
“A minute,” he rasped, his eyes glittering as he stared down at Anna’s pale face. Without warning he leaned down and captured her lips in a rough, demanding kiss. Anna gave a soft moan of pleasure, but before she could even begin to respond, his head lifted and he was regarding her with an intensity that made her breath catch in her throat. “You will never be a poor relation again, Anna Randal,” he whispered. “You were born to rule the world.”
She gave a small jerk at his outlandish words. Or maybe it was just a delayed reaction to his scorching kiss.
Holy crap, her lips would be tingling for a month.
“What did you say?”
He smiled mysteriously, but didn’t bother to answer her question.
Of course not. She could threaten and demand all she wanted, but the whole partner thing would be at his freaking convenience.
Turning, Cezar pulled open the door, revealing the towering vampire who waited in the hall with a grim impatience.
“My lord, you have news?” he demanded.
Anna resisted the urge to back away from the leather-clad giant who turned to stab her with a searching gaze. Yikes. He looked quite capable of sacrificing her on the spot.
“What of the female?”
Anna’s quaking knees stiffened. Female? Female?
The oversized vampire was lucky she didn’t have full use of her powers. He would look mighty funny plastered to the ceiling or tumbling down the hall like a soccer ball.
Perhaps sensing her flare of annoyance, Cezar reached out to grasp her hand, giving her fingers a little squeeze.
“She insists on knowing whatever information you have.”
A heavy, chiseled brow arched, but rather than the argument she was expecting the demon merely offered a smile. A smile that might have been more reassuring if it hadn’t included a pair of lethal fangs that could bite through a tank.
“Very well.” His unnerving attention switched back to Cezar. “The fairy is dead.”
“Sybil?” Anna breathed in shock.
Styx gave a short nod, his long braid threaded with turquoise beads swinging across his back. “Yes.”
“Good God.”
Cezar’s face revealed no shock. Instead it was a hard mask of granite that sent a chill down her spine.
“How did it happen?” he demanded in flat tones, his body coiled with anger. “You said her cell was protected.”
A matching anger briefly touched Styx’s eyes. He seemed like the sort of man who disliked it when things didn’t go as he planned.
“It was, and I don’t have a clue as to how she died. She has no visible wounds, and Gunter swears that no one entered or left the cell. She’s simply dead.” Styx reached up to touch a medallion that hung around his neck. “I’ve called for Levet to come and examine the body once night has fully fallen.”
“Levet?” Cezar scowled at the other man. “Dios, why?”
“He can sense magic that we cannot,” Styx said.