Blood Trinity (Belador #1)(45)

Evalle sucked her breath in sharply. “You in a diaper … just can’t see it.” She sharpened her gaze on him. “You with an arrow aimed at someone’s heart … that I believe. And I know you’re lying. Kardos would never trust a stranger with something so personal. He’s a street survivor, not an idiot.” Well, actually not true, since he’d have to be mentally deranged to have a crush on Deek’s sister. “Release them, Vyan. I have no patience tonight, and I will cut your throat rather than deal with you.”

A strange glint darkened his eyes, like he was silently laughing or mocking her. “I have no quarrel with the Beladors. Guess I better set them free. When they wake up, you might want to tell them the tale of Hansel and Gretel.” He turned and disappeared into the black abyss he’d emerged from so fast that it took her several heartbeats to realize he was gone.

What was that action?

She stood there, completely stunned. That had been way too easy, and nothing with Vyan ever was.

She thought about his parting words. Had he just told her to warn the teens about a witch who lured children into a trap to eat them? Was he giving her a warning that a witch was behind this? It seemed inconceivable, and yet …

“Evalle?” Kardos’s tone held a note of fear in it. “What are you doing here?”

Turning around, she focused on Bettina’s shocked expression, which changed to confusion when the girl looked at her hand clasped in Kardos’s.

He realized they were holding hands at the same time. His cheeks flaming bright red, he quickly let go and stepped away.

Evalle let out a relieved breath that he did in fact have a modicum of survival instinct. “We have to get Bettina back quick, before—”

The sound of running feet rushed toward them.

Or was that the sound of hooves?

She felt ill at the doom that was headed their way.

“What are you doing with my sister?” a male voice bellowed.

Ah, crap. But at least Deek hadn’t changed into a centaur, which was the ultimate harbinger of his lethal intent. However, he and his brigade would reach them any second.

Bettina’s olive skin turned pasty white. “What am I doing here?”

Kardos’s cheeks turned even redder. “You asked me to take a walk with you.”

“I did not.”

I am so glad I don’t have kids. Evalle wanted to shake them both.

Instead, she turned around and braced herself to defend them from the death squad that was about to demand the heart out of the one person she needed desperately to interrogate.





TWELVE




Evalle held up her hand and hoped Deek didn’t take that as a sign of war. Hard to tell with a centaur, and too late she remembered the sign of an open palm was an insult to Greeks.

Was Deek an Italian or a Greek centaur? The name suggested Italian, but most were Greek.

Oy! She closed her palm.

Centaurs didn’t have a sense of humor.

Deek stopped in front of her, his seven men spread out to the side and behind him. He was beautiful, but like a cobra, deadly with one bite. “What’s my sister doing out here?”

“It’s not my fault,” Bettina called out from where she and Kardos stood behind Evalle.

“Shut. Up.” Evalle ignored Bettina’s gasp. The girl was spoiled beyond heiress level and had probably never heard those words in her life. But right now, Evalle had much more important things facing her than some brat’s feelings. Like a centaur ready to rearrange her body parts.

She forced a smile for Deek. “It’s not what you think—”

Deek cut her off. “Bullshit. I ran the security cameras to find Bettina.” He jerked his chin toward Kardos. “That underage punk walked right into my club without paying or getting stamped. Which means he entered by majik. My territory. My rules. He’s going with me. Now.”

Kardos had moved forward and stood on Evalle’s left. Bettina had done the same, ending up on Evalle’s right, which was telling. Did she believe she was safer with Evalle, or was she staying on this side as a show of support for Kardos in some way?

Or was she just being an obstinate teen?

Evalle figured now might be a good time to redirect Deek’s anger. “You got bigger problems than a teenage witch whose powers are too immature to be a danger.”

Kardos ground out a sound meant to counter her insult.

She gave him a quelling look and returned her attention to Deek. “Someone else lured him into your club and used majik to get them past your guards.”

Deek scoffed. “Who would dare such?”

She’d known he was going to ask that, but she couldn’t tell Deek about Vyan while VIPER was trying to quietly flush out the location of the Ngak Stone. It would serve Vyan right to turn Deek loose on the Kujoo. She bet Deek could find him, but having an enraged centaur in the middle of things could hamper covert operations—kind of like tossing a live grenade into a group of paranoid schizophrenics.

And no one wanted that rock to end up in Deek’s possession.

She turned her hands palms up. “I’m trying to figure out who he is myself.”

“What’d he look like?” Deek directed that question at Bettina, who took a step back.

Bettina shook her head. “I don’t know. I was in the club one minute, then Kardos asked me to take a walk—”