A Valley of Darkness (A Shade of Vampire #52)(41)

“Oh, dear,” Rowan gasped, her eyes wide as she brought her hand to her mouth.

Caspian threw me a brief, cold glance before he stepped toward the Iman girl’s bed. I immediately pulled both swords out and pointed them at him. Heron and Jax brought their blades out as well, prompting Hansa and the other four Lords to bring their hands up in defensive gestures. Caspian stilled, his hands behind his back, perfectly calm. His glare, however, spoke volumes.

“You’re not getting anywhere near her,” I hissed.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Harper!” Hansa intervened, moving to stand between the tips of my blades and Caspian. “There’s no need for violence right now, as we don’t know what happened. Same goes for you, Jax, Heron… Come on!”

I had a hard time recognizing myself. I rarely acted on impulse like this, but there was something about Caspian that brought out a side of me that I’d never nurtured. I’d lived my whole life being affectionately referred to as the Cucumber, the cool-natured one, and yet Caspian’s presence alone was enough to make me tick.

Scarlett, Avril, Fiona, Caia, and Blaze slowly shifted closer to Patrik’s bed, clearing the way for us in case the Five Lords decided to fight fire with fire, though I highly doubted they would, given the alarmed looks on their faces—except Caspian, of course. He was carved from stone.

“We were summoned by the nurses,” Emilian said. “We’re here to understand what happened, just like you are.”

“What happened is that the Iman girl we rescued from the Valley of Screams is dead,” Jax spat, his blade aimed at the four Lords behind Caspian. Darius, Farrah, and Rowan glowered at him, but Emilian kept a straight, slightly concerned face. “Cause of death unknown. And Patrik, who was watching over her, had his memory scrubbed through mind-bending. So, yeah, we kind of know what happened!”

He glanced at Hansa as he said that. The succubus frowned, then turned to face me.

“We don’t know who’s involved,” she said, gritting her teeth. “This is a city filled with Maras. Technically speaking, they’re all suspects. Put your swords down, Harper.”

“Lord Kifo was the one warning me, telling me to take my team out of Neraka,” I shot back, my eyes fixed on Caspian. “Was it because he had something to hide? I must say, Minah’s unexplained death does not make him look good.”

“I second that,” Jax added.

Emilian came closer, enough for the tip of Jax’s sword to touch his chest. Heron moved to his brother’s side, keeping his blade aimed at Darius, Farrah, and Rowan.

“We know nothing about this, Jaxxon,” Emilian insisted. “By everything that I hold dear, by my daughter’s life, I swear to you… we know nothing about this!”

“You came down here quite fast,” Heron muttered.

“We have an alarm system, you oaf!” Farrah spat, visibly annoyed by the weapons pointed at her and her fellow Lords. “It’s connected to the infirmary, among other key locations in the city. All the nurses had to do was pull a specific lever, and we were all notified. Now, put that sword down before I impale you on it!”

“Farrah!” Emilian growled at her. “No need for verbal aggression, either!”

“I was only trying to examine the girl,” Caspian finally said, keeping his composure and further pissing me off. I was so angry at him, especially after what he’d said to Amalia last night. “That is all.”

He then moved back, and I noticed the corner of his mouth move a little.

Is he stifling a smirk?

“Is there something that amuses you about this situation?” I asked, trying hard not to throw one of my swords at him just for kicks.

“Not at all,” Caspian replied. “It’s just the second time you’ve pulled your swords on me in less than twenty-four hours. And believe me when I say this: I am not your enemy.”

Hansa’s confused gaze darted between Caspian and me, until it settled on my swords.

“This is one time I’m counting your swords out,” she said. “When was the other time, in the last twenty-four hours?”

“It’s nothing to worry about,” Caspian cut in, staring at me, his expression firm, still unreadable, and frustrating the hell out of me. “I was in the wrong. I thoroughly deserved it, and more.”

Was he apologizing? I suddenly felt the urge to scream. He was so annoying, shifting from jerk to gentleman with such speed and dexterity that I no longer understood what was happening. All I could do was blink a few times, then put my swords away.

Hansa let out a sigh of relief, then scowled at Jax and Heron.

“You two! Swords down! Now!”

The Mara brothers grunted simultaneously and put their weapons away. Jax and Heron were more alike than I’d initially thought. They’d clearly been trained by the same master swordsman—I could tell from their grips and the smoothness of each movement, from the moment each blade was drawn to the moment it was sheathed again. Their stances were nearly identical, and their distrust of the Exiled Maras was equally rampant, nurtured by suspicion, such as their potential involvement in Minah’s death.

“This is now a crime scene.” Jax didn’t concede. “No one is allowed to go near Minah’s body, other than members of GASP.”

The Five Lords nodded, their eyes fixed on the Iman girl. Patrik took a deep breath, then rummaged through his supply bag, taking out several satchels with a variety of herbs and crystal powders. He used a piece of chalk to draw a series of symbols on the floor around her bed, prompting me to step away and move closer to Jax and Heron. We watched quietly as the Druid performed a spell that encased Minah in a transparent, iridescent box.