watched her. She had a sudden vision of him sipping not from the glass but from her neck and looked immediately at Phil instead.
“Because they compelled him. He has something they need—magic. Blair won’t believe me, but I think he was trying to help me when he saw me in Blair’s company.”
“He was certainly trying to detach you from my company,” Blair allowed. “But there’s no evidence as to motive.”
“He was anxious,” Sera insisted.
“I have that effect on a lot of people.”
“At least admit you don’t know that he isn’t being compelled.”
“He didn’t look very compelled when he let the vampiress into his house the night before last. Besides, what’s so kind about inviting you into a house full of vampires?”
“You were the only vampire within spitting distance,” Sera retorted.
Phil stood up. “You two should be married or something,” he observed, weaving across the room to slosh some more whisky into his glass. “Seems to me the only thing we know is that there is a connection. Any more connections?”
“C & H. I’m going to look into that tomorrow,” Sera said reluctantly, leaning back against the cushions. Her wrist brushed against the silk, picking up an unexpected aura of peace. As if he never killed or was even angered in this room. Am I being manipulated? She took a last sip of whisky and set the glass down on the floor with determination. “Now I’m going home.”
She expected some opposition from Blair, at least, but, jumping to her feet, she was ridiculously piqued to discover that neither vampire was paying her the slightest attention. They were in fact, gazing at each other, as if in some tense yet silent communication. Without a word, Blair got up and left the room.
“Bye,” Sera said dryly to the closed door, torn between amusement and annoyance.
Phil rose to his feet with surprising elegance. For the first time since she’d met him, he held neither bottle nor glass. “Blair has unexpected company,” he said politely inside her mind. “He’s hoping you’ll wait until he returns before you leave.”
Sera scowled. “If he’s brought that girl back for his ‘supper’—”
Phil turned his head on one side to regard her. “What is it with you and Blair?”
She stared at him, suddenly overwhelmed by the memory of those few feverish moments in Blair’s arms. “Nothing! There is absolutely nothing between me and Blair. Two nights ago I didn’t know he or his kind existed.” She paused. “Now, it seems, we both have an interest in finding out what the hell is going on.”
Then, since Phil merely nodded sagely and she was insatiably curious, she asked, “You and Blair are old friends?”
Phil smiled amiably. “We’ve shared the odd meal over the centuries.”
Ignoring that, she asked, “How come you can ‘talk’ to each other without me hearing?”
“Practice. Like a different level, a different path.” His eyes, suddenly, were extremely focused and cold enough to remind her exactly what he was. “I’ve never encountered a human telepath as strong as you.”
“I’m not a telepath,” she argued. “Or at least, I don’t think I am. I can talk to the dead, that’s all.”
“Who were your parents?”
She blinked. “What?”
“Your parents. Gifts and disabilities are often passed through blood. I know ours are.”
“Mine aren’t. My parents were drug addicts who left me at the local clinic.” Although it was suddenly difficult, she managed to hold his gaze until a massive thud in the room below caused both their heads to snap downward as if they could see through the floor. “What the hell was that? Are his visitors—hostile?”
“Sounds like it,” Phil said without apparent interest as another bump and a swishing sound was heard beneath.
Instinct propelled Sera across the room to the door, but by the time she got there, Phil was before her. “Don’t worry,” he said, amused. “He doesn’t need us.”
Two odd thoughts crashed into her mind: that she shouldn’t be this worried about a vampire’s safety; and that she was, to all intents and purposes, a prisoner.
****
It was the discourtesy that irritated Blair. Fighting a vampire for territory was one thing; breaking into his home with a party of allies was just plain rude. As he made his silent way downstairs, he sensed four of them in close proximity, and more outside. It was hard for a vampire to surprise other vampires, so he knew he’d need to rely on speed.
His skin tingled; his fingers flexed and closed around the stake in his pocket. There were two lurking at the foot of