Blood Trinity (Belador #1)(26)
“Anybody know what this is about?” Trey scratched his head, rumpling his light brown hair, which suffered from perpetual bedhead. He sat up, dropped his feet to the stone floor and propped his elbows on his knees, holding his head in his hands. The heather gray T-shirt and jeans he wore covered a body that would give most nightclub bouncers pause before tackling.
“I don’t have a clue.” Evalle set her water down and watched the entrance.
Trey yawned, eyes red with lack of sleep. “I could do with a little more notice next time.”
Married life must be keeping him up late. He’d taken a wife two years ago. Childhood sweetheart. A nice young witch who, along with her sister, upheld the laws of their coven and practiced a spiritual life within the bright light of peace and compassion. Beladors were rarely allowed to mate outside the tribe, but Brina had approved the marriage. Tzader had told her their union removed the emptiness inside Trey, and he was right.
Trey did seem happier these days, at peace.
Lucky bastard.
Evalle felt a twinge of something akin to envy, a stupid emotion she shoved way back in her mind. She didn’t want what he had, not if it meant the risk of being vulnerable again.
Never.
She envied the peace he felt, that was all.
Besides, she couldn’t get involved with anyone. Not until she figured out where Alterants came from and understood her place in the world. Something that was her number one priority at night whenever she had a chance to breathe.
Of course, that came after her obligations to VIPER. Then there was her job at the morgue and taking college classes online.
Yeah, she really had no life.
But this wasn’t the time or place to think about that. Right now, they had a meeting to attend.
She stifled a yawn herself. “This better be important.”
“Sen cutting into your beauty sleep, precious?” Casper winked at her.
“Like he gives a flip when any of us sleep, since he doesn’t ever seem to.” She should probably get up and walk around to keep from nodding off in this cool air.
The loud thump of boot heels approached, banging the slate floor in the long hallway. All VIPER doors were ten feet tall and four feet wide to accommodate the majority of body shapes.
“We’re waiting on two more,” Sen said as he entered. No salutations, his SOP. What agent was he allowing to arrive late? That didn’t sound like their unforgiving Sen.
And if Lucien was a mystery, Sen was a dark secret. Speculation on Sen ranged from god to demigod to the devil himself.
She’d made the Lucifer suggestion.
At six feet in height, he stood with his arms crossed over his chest. His black jeans rode snug against his hips. She’d seen him taller and thicker. Sen’s body seemed to be a fluid thing, never in one state for very long.
Gone was the dark chestnut ponytail he’d had at the last VIPER meeting, replaced by short, thick hair.
Trey made a sound of irritation. “What’s going on?”
“There’s a serious problem in the southeast.” Sen didn’t elaborate.
Evalle snorted. “We have problems everywhere …” When no one else spoke up, she went on. “So how big a problem are we talking and where exactly is it?”
Utter contempt radiated from Sen’s glare.
Tzader’s warning went through her head, reminding her she would gain nothing by pushing Sen.
Nothing but torture.
Still …
Who or what was he waiting on?
Sen allowed no one to delay his meetings. Something was a beat off with all of this.
She picked up the approach of someone different. Energy and a swirl of anxiety rushed into the room and scuffed her arms. Her senses had hinted at an empathic gift for a couple years, but this was the strongest assault she’d had to date.
In that same instant the other three agents became alert.
All eyes went to the doorway as a woman entered.
Chin-length blond hair framed a perfect face. The stunning hazel eyes and smooth, unblemished skin would be enough to hate her for, but she sealed the deal with average height and a figure models tortured themselves to maintain.
Then she smiled.
In that instant, Evalle’s empathic sense went wild. As expected, she sensed lust from the men …
But what caught her off guard was a lash of hatred from one of the men so severe that when it whipped through the room she felt the sting on her skin.
What the hell was that? And who had it come from?
FIVE
“This is Adrianna Lafontaine,” Sen said as the blond female took several steps into the war room and paused as though allowing everyone to enjoy her beauty. Her fire red jacket and short skirt ordered all eyes to start at the top and continue to the sparkling red shoes.
Evalle wished she could reach Tzader right now to find out if he knew anything about Adrianna. Everything about this woman raised Evalle’s alarms.
“And this is Storm.” Sen’s second introduction yanked Evalle’s gaze to the man who’d walked in behind Adrianna.
His presence spoke louder than any introduction. Black hair fell to his shoulders—an obsidian color that was matched by his dark eyes. Sun-drenched skin and high, proud cheekbones spoke of ancestors who’d lived in North America long before invaders had shown up. Pebble-sized mixed stones interspersed with inch-long carved claws were strung on a length of rawhide tied around his neck. He wore a lightweight leather jacket over a white T-shirt tucked inside worn jeans … jeans he filled out nicely.