have. Like all seers, she cannot see everything.”
“Then you certainly can’t expect me to.”
He nodded. “You are right. But if you will try, then I will arrange a meeting with the seer.”
I could suck it up and touch him for that prize. But what would he do if he didn’t get the answer he wanted? Should I lie to him to get him to help us?
I hated lying about something so important.
My gaze flicked to Grey. For him, though…
This could be our only chance.
I was definitely willing to lie to the scary vampire if I had to. I could always find a way to tell him the truth later, once we’d got what we wanted.
“Do not even think of lying,” Silviu said, his gaze hard.
I blinked at him again, trying to shape my features into innocent lines. “Of course not.”
Damn. He’d probably be able to tell if I lied. He’d lived so long that he’d surely learned how to read people.
“Do you want me to start now?” I asked.
He inclined his head. “Yes.”
I looked at Grey, who nodded.
I shifted to push my chair back, but his hand landed on my leg, gently pressing me down. He looked at Silviu. “Lay your arm on the table.”
Grey didn’t want me any closer to Silviu than I needed to be, and I appreciated it. I gave him a slight nod as Silviu stretched out his arm, palm down.
His dark dinner jacket was stark against his pale skin, and I raised my hand to rest my fingertips against the back of his hand. As my flesh neared his, a spark of energy passed between us.
It shocked me to my bones, a visceral lightning strike that made my eyes water. Grey gripped my thigh under that table, and I focused on his touch, grounding myself.
Slowly, I drew in a bracing breath, then rested my fingertips on the back of Silviu’s hand. Another electric shock pulsed into me, and I flinched. Grey growled low in his throat, but I ignored it. Instead, I focused on Silviu, not breaking contact despite the icy cold electricity that emitted from his skin.
Do you have a mate?
I directed my magic toward that one question, hoping to find the answer he wanted. I dreaded telling him no.
At first, there was nothing. His magic seemed to create a barrier between my power and his truth.
“You need to drop your shields,” I said. “I can’t see past them.”
He nodded, his eyes flickering with annoyance.
“It’s the only way this can work,” I insisted.
“Of course. Old habits die hard.” Bit by bit, I felt his magical shields drop. The electricity that had pulsed through me faded, leaving behind an empty darkness.
His eyes had not lied—his soul was like a black hole in outer space, sucking in everything in its vicinity. If I wasn’t careful, he’d suck me in, too. Even now, I felt hope flowing from me into him. Strength and energy.
I fought it, focusing on Grey’s touch. On his presence.
Do you have a Cursed Mate?
I asked the question again, reaching out with my power, using every trick I’d learned over the last weeks.
Slowly, an image began to form in my head.
A woman, beautiful and dark. Midnight eyes that flared with life, so different than Silviu’s. Full red lips and gleaming black hair. Tall and vibrant and powerful.
Her species was unknown, but she had magic. Lots of it.
My gaze flicked up to Silviu. “She’s beautiful.”
His eyes flared. “Who is she?”
I closed my eyes again, focusing on the image, trying to pick up anything I could find. A name, a place, a thought. Anything.
The woman stood in the middle of an enormous city, taller than nearly everyone around her. Their faces were shielded from my view, as were the details of the buildings themselves. It was impossible to see where exactly she was, but it felt far away.
“She’s in a city,” I said.
“Which one?”
“I cannot see.”
“Try harder.” His voice cracked like a whip.
I drew in a breath and pushed with my magic, trying to see more about the woman. Nothing came. I withdrew my hand from his, immediately feeling warmer. Less miserable.
Did I want to help him find this woman?
Would she thank me for it?
I felt Grey’s grip on my leg and looked at him.
The Devil of Darkvale.
He was the most feared man in Guild City. Perhaps the most feared man in Europe, save for Silviu, who never left his castle.
Most people wouldn’t envy me my position at his side. They’d assume it was a prison.