He would know. If the lesson earlier is anything to go by, I won’t be successfully shielding for some time. “I suppose I am.”
“It looks good on you.”
We find the other two in the kitchen, Rylan making a pot of coffee and Wolf staring at the fully stocked fridge as if it might jump out and bite him. “Humans and their desire for options. It’s food. Why should it need to be so fancy?”
“Spoken like a vampire.”
He motions at the fridge. “Pick your poison.”
“I’m more than capable of making my own food.” I slip out from beneath Malachi’s arm and walk to the fridge. As ridiculous as I think Wolf’s being, he’s right; there are a truly overwhelming number of options here. I grab an apple and wander to the pantry door a few feet away. Thankfully, the owner has a veritable storefront of power bars. I pick a couple and head back into the kitchen.
All there vampires look at me with disbelief.
Rylan raises his brows. “All those options and you choosethat?”
“I don’t know how to cook all that many things and I’m starving, so I don’t want to take the time to deal with it right now. Power bars were good enough for me before. I don’t see why they shouldn’t be good enough for me now.”
Malachi’s frowning as if solving a complicated problem. “I thought you preferred them because they’re easy to carry on the run.”
“That is one of the reasons I prefer them, yes.” From their expressions, they’re not going to let it go, so I feel compelled to explain. “While there are humans and dhampirs in my father’s compound, they’re hardly a priority compared to the vampires. The food they’re provided is designed to keep them alive and healthy so they can continue to act as walking blood banks and, at times, breeders. Power bars were the tastiest of the bunch.”
Wolf shakes his head slowly. “That is rather pathetic, love.”
“It is what it is.” I take my power bars and apple to the counter wrapping around half of the kitchen island and sit down. “Good food matters less than keeping myself alive. That’s always been the priority.”
“It can still be the priority if you’re eating other food.” Malachi crosses his arms over his chest.
Rylan pours coffee into a mug and passes it to me. “I’ll learn to cook.” When all three of us stare at him, he shrugs. “It’s a necessary skill if we have someone who consumes food.”
“Rylan—” I don’t know what I’m going to say, because I never get a chance to finish that sentence.
There’s a burst of power in the room and all the shadows seem to surge forth to a center point. One moment, there’s the four of us. The next, Azazel stands in our midst. He slides his hands into his pockets and gives the room a long look. “Interesting.”
As one, the vampires explode into motion. Malachi grabs me and shoves me between him and the wall, his big body blocking out the rest of the room. I hear Rylan curse and a scuffle. Peering around Malachi’s arm finds Wolf pinning Rylan to the counter.
He gives the other vampire a shake. “Focus. He’s a demon. If you attack him, he’ll slice you to pieces.”
Azazel examines his fingertips. Are they sharper than they appeared at first glance? I can’t tell from this angle. The shadows move around him almost as if alive. For a moment I get the impression of a hulking beast with giant horns curving from its head. In the next breath, it’s gone, and there’s only the handsome dark-haired man who seems to carry an aura of danger on a level I’ve never experienced before meeting him. Even having been in the same room as he was yesterday isn’t enough to make me used to the sensation.
The demon shifts, and the three vampires tense in response. His slow grin says he did it on purpose. “What a charming little nest you’ve created, seraph. Have you considered my deal?”
“She’s not making any deal.”
Azazel cuts a look at Malachi. “I didn’t ask you.” He narrows dark eyes. “Fire-bringer. I’d like to see how you do inmyrealm, vampire. We demons can show you what true fire means.”
“Now, now, Azazel.” Wolf lets loose his high, mad laugh. “There’s no need to prove you’re the baddest motherfucker in this room. We’re all convinced.” Rylan opens his mouth, but Wolf slams his hand over it before the other vampire can speak. “Answer the nice demon, love.”
Right. Okay. I take in a slow breath. “I’ve decided not to make a deal with you.” There’s only the slightest tremor in my voice to indicate how stressful this situation is.
“Pity.” Azazel examines his fingertips again. This time, I’mcertainthey’re sharper than they were. They haven’t shifted the way Rylan’s—and now mine—do. The fingers are exactly the same. Just…sharper. “Ah well. Since we’re such good friends, Wolf, I suppose I should tell you that there’s a group of six vampires heading up the mountain in this direction. Good luck.” He disappears as suddenly as he arrived.
For one breathless moment, we’re all perfectly still.
As if on cue, there’s a niggling feeling at the very edge of my mind. I didn’t notice it with Azazel’s presence masking everything, but now there’s no denying the fact. It’s identical to what I felt last time. I swallow past my suddenly dry throat. “He’s right. They’re here.”
Then Malachi surges forward. “Wolf, with me. Rylan, protect Mina.”
“Of course.” He sweeps me off my feet before I can take a single step. The house passes in a rush, Rylan sprinting down a hall I haven’t had a chance to explore. He ducks into a room filled with monitors and slams the door shut.