"Do not fear, Drake. You shall be suitably rewarded for your efforts. My only interest in Sebastian was to lure Nefri from her lair. A scheme that worked to perfection, I might add."
Drake frowned. He did not like to recall that Nefri might be near. He could not possibly hope to match the ancient vampire's powers. Perhaps not even with the Medallion in hand.
"Nefri?" he muttered.
"Yes. Surely you have not forgotten that she continues to lurk near the maidens who hold the Medallion?"
He shifted uneasily. "Of course I have not forgotten. You promised she would not interfere."
"And she will not, as long as you do not ruin all with your childish fits of hysteria."
Hysteria? The vampire went too far. Drake narrowed his gaze. "Perhaps if you would warn me of your intentions ..."
In the blink of an eye the fog was once again striking out, clenching about Drake's throat until it threatened to crush it.
"Enough." The voice was frozen steel. "I will decide what you will or will not be told. Do not make the mistake of questioning me again."
Drake struggled to remain conscious, well aware that he had pressed the vampire too far.
Damn. He did not doubt the elder would dispose of him without a flicker of remorse.
"No, I understand. I will not question you again," he choked out in desperation.
The crushing grip remained. "And Drake, my patience wears thin. Retrieve the Medallion or you will wish that you could be simply destroyed."
"I... I will have it."
"Cats, cats, cats."
William was nearly bouncing up and down as the thin, rather dour-faced housekeeper shifted the large box from the counter and placed it upon the floor.
"Yes. Now sit down before you stomp 'em to bits," the woman muttered, although there was no missing the pleased glint in the pale blue eyes.
Standing on the far side of the kitchen, Amelia smiled. After a morning devoted to listening to William's disgruntled sighs and watching him wander through the house with restless frustration, she had realized she must do something to distract him.
The poor boy simply could not understand her insistence that he not visit the children in the stews, nor why he could not even stroll through the market. It was little wonder that he chafed at her restrictions.
At last, in desperation, she had made the bold decision to bring him to Sebastian's home to visit the kittens. She knew that was one certain way to distract him for at least an hour. And perhaps it would make him somewhat more content for the rest of the day.
And, of course, a tiny voice whispered in the back of her mind, she was not being entirely selfless. If she were being perfectly honest with herself this was precisely where she desired to be.
A renegade heat flared beneath her cheeks as she recalled her encounter with Sebastian in the garden.
It had been wicked. And dangerous. Far more dangerous than she ever could have suspected.
But it had also been the most glorious few moments in her life. And whether it made her a horrible person or not, she could not deny that she could not wait for an-other opportunity to taste passion once again.
She was perhaps shameless, and bold beyond reproach, but that did not keep her from imagining the feel of his hard arms and seeking lips. Oh yes, she was very anxious to flirt with the wicked peril once again.
Almost as if her siren's call had lured Sebastian through the large town house, Amelia felt the tingles that warned her of his approach. With little shame, she deliberately shifted until she was near the door. She had known he would come. That he would sense her presence as easily as she sensed his.
Quite prepared when he at last approached through the shadows, Amelia nevertheless found her breath being caught in her throat as her gaze skimmed over the silver gray coat and burgundy waistcoat. He wore high, glossy boots, and his thick hair was tied at the nape of his neck, as if he had been out riding. Then, compulsively, she was seeking the pale beauty of his countenance, searching for some reaction to her decidedly brash behavior.
What she discovered made her breath even more elusive. Halting directly at her side, he offered a slow, tantalizing smile.
"Amelia."
"Sebastian." A ridiculous bout of nerves had her unnecessarily smoothing the soft folds of her blue gown. "I hope you do not mind our intrusion. William was bored and demanding to be out of the house. I thought the kittens might prove to be an adequate distraction."