Steal the Night (Thieves #5)(70)

Diana walked down the stairs, carrying the keys to the containment room. The British woman appeared younger and very energetic this morning. I was sure she and Hugo had a raucous good time last night. She had the look of a woman who had been well loved.

“Here we are, Your Highness.” She nodded to Lee and Neil as she moved past them. “It would be safest if I locked the three of you in with the prisoner.”

“Don’t worry, darlin’,” Lee said. “Neil and I can ensure your safety.”

“I wasn’t worried.” I trusted him implicitly. He would never allow me to get hurt.

I shot Diana an anxious look as she moved toward the door. “Was everyone…all right after last night? Did anyone warn you about...?” I left the question hanging out there because I wasn’t sure exactly how to ask if she had known orgies kind of followed my faery prince around.

Her small, satisfied smile told me she didn’t consider it a burden. “The gardener is going to have a fit. The back garden is dreadfully overgrown and the houseplants look like they exploded. Marcus explained what was happening just before he retired with the females of his household. Does that happen every time you..?” It was her turn to be a little evasive.

“No,” I said, not sure how much to share. “It’s not usually that strong, but we were a little emotional last night.”

“Hugo said the magic was amazing.” Diana’s hand went to her throat, which was smooth. I was surprised at that. I assumed vampires only shared their blood with companions. Hugo must truly care for the human. “I couldn’t feel it the way he did, but he looked like he’d gorged himself on companion blood. He looked almost human last night and his skin was so warm.”

“It’s a little like that,” I agreed. Vampires fed off of sexual energy, and Dev’s was unique. He was part Green Man and with Bris inside, he had the powers of an ascended god. It wasn’t the sex energy vampires got on a daily basis.

“The rumors are wrong about the three of you, aren’t they?”

“I don’t spend much time in vampire society.” I knew a little bit concerning the rumors about us but found myself very curious as to what Diana would say. “I don’t know what they say.” The assistant seemed wary about pressing on, but I wouldn’t let her back down now. “Please, I would rather know than wonder.”

She nodded briefly. “The rumor is that the king prefers the company of the faery to that of his companion.”

Lee belly laughed. “They think Donovan’s gay?”

Neil slapped at Lee’s arm. “There’s nothing wrong with being gay.”

“In vampire society, there is something wrong with preferring anyone to your companion,” Diana explained. “It’s why vampires who prefer men to women tend to never take a companion. Companions are rare and treasured. It upsets a vampire when he thinks a companion isn’t being treated well by her master.”

“I don’t think Marini treats his companion very well,” I pointed out, remembering Rose’s sad face.

“No one questions the head of the Council. It’s a sad fact of our lives. He can do what he likes and then turn around and accuse Daniel of the very crimes he commits. It’s obvious to anyone who has spent more than a few moments with you that both the king and the faery prince are enamored of the queen,” Diana said. “They both seemed very much in love.”

“We love each other. That’s all that matters, and no one else’s opinion should come into it. How much trouble are we going to have once Daniel takes the throne?”

“It won’t be easy,” the more knowledgeable woman admitted. “You’ll have to get to know the influential vampires. You’ll have to do some work to bring them into line. There will always be some who won’t approve.”

I supposed that wasn’t going to change any time soon. I didn’t like to contemplate the fact that Dev and I caused Daniel trouble, but we made up for it. Daniel wouldn’t be anywhere close to happy without us. He wouldn’t have nights like the one we just had if we weren’t around. I had to believe we were worth it.

“And just what are you up to, cara?” I heard from the stairs.

I frowned. “Do you ever sleep?”

Marcus entered, looking immaculately casual in slacks and a royal blue polo. “I slept very well last night. I was well fed and my body was exhausted from all the pleasure. That magic is more intense than the last time I felt it.”

He was referring to the time he, Marini, and Chad had snuck up on us. Chad was an illusionist. He could make you see things that weren’t there. When he wanted, he could make you look right through what was standing in front of you. Dev hadn’t integrated with Bris at the time, and though his magic had fed the vampires, it hadn’t rocked their world the way he could now.

“He’s better at it now, I guess,” I replied.

Marcus shook his head. “Or perhaps the fertility god, Bris, managed to reintegrate with his host last night.” I must have looked surprised because Marcus sighed. “Daniel trusts me, Zoey. He tells me almost everything. He could have warned me just how powerful that lust magic was going to get. I would have brought along more females.”

“How many did you have?” Neil was always curious and never let little things like tact get in his way.