held the gun casually, slightly pointed away from her. “I just want to talk.”
She held the notebook to her chest. The desk was between them, but that wouldn’t stop a bullet. “Then you shouldn’t have a gun pointed at me,” she said, her voice shaking.
“It’s not pointed at you.” He smiled, revealing smooth white teeth.
She’d expected fangs. Not sure why. She tilted her head. “Who are you?” If Ivar came crashing in the door, he’d get shot. And that green gun was one of those laser-spurting immortal guns.
His smile smoothed out. “My name is Dayne, and I’m the leader of the Kurjan nation.” When she didn’t panic or scream her head off, he continued. “Honestly, I just want to talk to you. I’ll leave as soon as you’ve heard me out. I waited to come near your office because I didn’t want the hybrid to sense me. It was uncomfortable in that vent system.”
She looked toward the sunny fall day outside, her stomach cramping painfully. Sweat broke out on her hands. “I thought the sun killed you.”
“It does. Hence the trip through your ancient and rather dusty ventilation system.” He wiped off his dusty gray button-down shirt, which was tucked into black jeans over large boots. Very large. “Wouldn’t you like to understand the composition of our skin, of our muscles, even our bones, that makes them susceptible to the sun?”
“I would very much,” she admitted. “But last time I checked, you people were tearing apart physicists.” Her heart beat so fast it hurt to breathe.
He rolled his eyes. “That wasn’t us. Why do the damn vampires blame us for everything?” He shook his head. “They have a wolf in the sheep pen, and they’re blaming us.” He lowered the gun even more. “I swear, it’s hard being everyone’s villain. Day in and day out. I should grow a mustache.”
Promise lifted one eyebrow. “I should tell you that not once in my life have I found anybody charming.”
He straightened and drew back a bit, his face classically angled. “Really?”
“Yes.”
“Huh.” He looked around the messy office, his voice low and light. “That’s unfortunate. Charm is my strong suit.”
She tilted her head, her body on alert in case she needed to flee. “It still isn’t working.”
His gaze sharpened, and he looked at her fully. “You are smart. I like that.”
“What do you want, Dayne?” she asked, edging toward the open window to stand full in the sunlight. It heated her, providing a slight sense of protection.
He watched her move, waiting until she had found a spot before continuing. “I’m asking you to use logic and not emotion. Ulric is the leader of our Cyst sect, which is our religious arm. They’re monks who look creepy.” He spread out his hands. “A thousand years ago, the Seven decided Ulric was becoming too powerful, and they imprisoned him in a hell dimension far away.”
She huffed. “Nobody is in a dimension. A dimension is not a place. Ulric is at a point somewhere in this universe or another universe. I assume in this time, but who knows if time was warped. But he is not in a dimension.”
Dayne shook his head. “Why did we ever give humans that word? We used it long before you did. I’ve heard rumor it’s Einstein’s fault.”
She swallowed. The conversation was getting odd. “You should leave.”
He sobered. “We want your help to get him out so he can be safe again. Sooner rather than later.”
“I’ve seen your Cyst at work,” she returned softly. “They’re soldiers, not monks.”
Dayne lifted his chin. “If you’ve studied religion at all through the centuries, often soldiers and monks are one and the same. He didn’t do anything wrong, but the Seven passed judgment all on their own. No trial, no defense, just imprisonment in hell. His bubble is going to break anyway, and we’d like to make sure he survives the event. Please help us.”
She steeled her shoulders. “Did you kill Dr. Rashad?”
“No.” Dayne kept the weapon pointed at the floor. “I’m telling you, it’s a different faction. Not Kurjans. Somebody within the vampire world, within the Realm, who doesn’t want the bubbles to burst. They don’t want Quade Kayrs back on earth any more than they do Ulric. Having the Seven in one place represents too much power. This world, the one you’re still trying to figure out, will implode from it. Gone. All of us.” He shrugged. “Except fairies. They can go elsewhere. At the end, the crazy fairies will survive.”
“Fae,” Promise said