"What are you? Friggin' Sherlock Holmes?"
She smiled. "Pretty much, except it usually doesn't take me as long to get to the truth."
He looked at her stonily. "I don't need you to teach me a moral lesson, babe. I know how the world works."
"I've no doubt about that. But you have a lot to learn about people. What they say and what they feel are seldom the same. I know right now that you hate my guts. You would like nothing better than to toss my ass out of here and slam the door shut. But notice you haven't done either one of those to me."
"So what's your point?"
"My point is this. Blood Rite Squires are the ones charged with keeping the dictates of the Council and keeping the lid on the Dark-Hunter world. That means they are willing to take whatever steps are necessary, including murder, to protect their secrets. I am sure somewhere in your past, you have had to do something distasteful to you in order to uphold your Squire's oath and perform your duties. When you were reading that textbook about Valerius did you ever wonder how much of it he enjoyed? Or did he simply do what he did because it was his job?"
Otto cocked his head at her. "Anyone ever tell you you should be an attorney?"
"Only Bill when we argue. Besides, I like killing bloodsuckers too much to ever be one of them." She held her hand out to him. "Tabitha Devereaux. Pleased to meet you."
His confusion engulfed her. He hesitated before he shook her proffered hand.
"Don't worry, Otto," she said with a smile. "I'm an acquired taste. Most of my best friends had to know me for years before they could even stand my presence. I'm like mold, I usually grow on you very slowly."
"You said it, not me."
She patted his arm. "Do me a favor, be nice to Penicula. I think there's a lot more to him than what we see."
"You're the only person I know who feels that way."
"Yeah, well, I guess I feel like all of us misfits need to hang together. At least that way we don't swing alone."
He gave her a confused scowl, but before he could comment, his cell phone rang.
Tabitha stepped away from him to give him privacy with his call. She wandered toward the foyer to ogle the really impressive tile work on the floor.
It wasn't until she stood in the doorway that she saw Valerius standing on the bottom stair. At first glance, he might pass for one of the statues that flanked the stairs, but unlike them he was flesh and blood.
Valerius stared at Tabitha as her words rang in his head. To his knowledge, no one had ever defended him.
Not once in all of his two thousand years of life and death.
Even if they had, he doubted they would have done so so eloquently. She was in the shadow of his doorway, her long auburn hair framing a face that was open and honest.
The face of a woman who wasn't afraid to stand up to anyone or anything. He'd never known anyone more courageous.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
"You heard?"
He gave a subtle nod.
"How much did you hear?"
"A lot."
She appeared uncomfortable with that. "You could have let us know you were here. It's not nice to eavesdrop."
"I know."
She moved to stand before him.
Valerius descended his step. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her so badly, but he couldn't.