Shadow's Seduction (The Dacians #2)(46)

She tucked her dark hair behind her ear. “Well, you know . . . they saw him at the death matches, and . . .”

“They love him.” Abaddon’s motto was Might makes right. “Cas, I love him.” She couldn’t contain a beaming smile. “And he adores me.”

“Why wouldn’t he, Tina? Daciano doesn’t deserve you.”

Her brows drew together. “Cas . . .”

Changing the subject, he said, “Where’s Salem?” Her insolent phantom bodyguard.

“He secretly tagged along with me into Dacia, then took off! Now he’s loose somewhere in the kingdom.”

“Gods help the Dacians.”

“I know, right? Speaking of hidden kingdoms, we, uh, called a truce with the Vrekeners not long ago.”

Cas’s head snapped up. “What the hell? What did Raum say about this?” The grand duke of the Deathly Ones had eagerly turned over the dimension to Bettina.

“He wasn’t thrilled, but when I explained things, he came around.” Tilting her head, she asked, “Do you want to see him while you’re here?”

Cas wasn’t ready to face him yet. Maybe if he had a more solid footing in his life. Am I mated? Am I not? This limbo was maddening. “Don’t change the subject. Tell me about the Vrekeners.”

“So much has happened. The leader of the gang who attacked me was their king. After Trehan killed those assholes, a new ruler stepped up. Thronos Talos. His mate is a sorceress!”

Surprising. “She managed to get him to stand down?”

Bettina sipped her wine. “No, Thronos is a decent guy. I like him.”

Cas’s jaw slackened. She had detested and feared Vrekeners, every last one of them.

“The king who hurt me was the outlier,” she said. “The rest aren’t like him.”

“That we know of.” Give them time.

Moving away from that subject, she said, “Please tell me how long you were gone. I mean, technically.”

He swigged his brew. “Five hundred years or so.”

Now her jaw slackened. “Why would . . . how could you remain away that long?”

“Because that’s what it took for me to accept everything that happened.”

Confusion marked her expression. “It wasn’t that bad!”

“I fought for my honor and the honor of our people. Then I lost. Spectacularly.”

“For the love of gold, Caspion, he was so much older than you.”

In a low tone, he said, “Not anymore.”

She stilled. “You have to let go of your animosity against Trehan. He’s my husband, and you’re my dearest friend. I can’t lose either of you.”

“I don’t see us mending fences.” Even if he could ever forget the pain that vampire had delivered, Cas wouldn’t want to be anywhere near a Daciano to remind him of Mirceo.

“Trey feels awful about how he treated you. He was under the influence of a serious toxin during that fight. Does that count for nothing?”

Cas shrugged.

“He even offered to give you his scry crystal”—no longer an option—“to make amends, but also in recognition of your stellar career.”

As a tracker. Cas’s hunt for her attackers had been the most important of his life, now never to be completed—because of bloody Trehan.

Realization hit: Not only had Trehan avenged Bettina, that Dacian had also avenged Cas’s mate for the deaths of Mirceo’s parents!

Really fucking sick of that vampire.

She laid her hand on his arm. “You’ll have to put aside your anger if you want a future with Mirceo.”

Cas stilled. “Trehan told you.”

“Oh, Cas, is Mirceo truly yours? Could you and I both have found our mates?”

“Yes, he’s mine.”

“I admit I was surprised when I heard this. You were always with females, so I thought you were straight.”

“I am. Or I was. I’ve never desired a male before, but with Mirceo . . .” Cas exhaled. “I am very much not straight. I’ve never desired anyone like I do him.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “It’s like a fever.”

“Have you attempted him?”

“No. I don’t think he can be faithful. He doesn’t understand commitment, is too young to enter into one.” At that age, even Cas would’ve had difficulty, and he’d desired matehood.

“Have you let him drink from you? It can really bond two people.” A secretive smile played about her lips.

Let? Not at first. “He’s fed from me. You allow Trehan to drink from you?”

Her cheeks reddened. “Of course. He didn’t at first because of the bloodtaking taboo, but now . . .”

“You like it?”

Over the rim of her glass, she said, “I think you know the answer to that question.”

Even now Cas was overfull with blood, aching to be pierced. “But I don’t relish the idea of Mirceo having full access to my memories.” Cas longed to be attractive to his fated one, to appear forever strong and brave—the hero of old.

When he thought of the things Mirceo could see, sweat beaded his upper lip. “I couldn’t stand pity from him. Of all the people in the worlds, not him.”