A Kiss of Blood (Vamp City #2)(31)

“Go.” Cristoff waved him off with a casual motion, and Arturo strode from the pool deck and the castle.

As Arturo passed through the great wrought-iron gates, he felt sick at his stomach at what he’d witnessed and stunned that such a display would not have fazed him even a couple of weeks ago. He’d felt nothing before. Nothing.

Micah was right. His conscience really had been in hibernation. But it was no more. Quinn had changed him, he was certain of it, with her kiss and the sunshine that seeped inside him, warming his flesh, every time. That was magic, the same magic that would renew Vamp City.

Assuming he found a way to free it for her.

He must.

And Cristoff must never find out.

Quinn woke after a restless night. Or maybe it was just a few hours. It was impossible to know without the morning sun shining in a window. Or a bedside clock. She fumbled for the lighter, flicking it, then glanced at her watch in the light of the small flame. Eight thirty. In the morning, she assumed.

Climbing out of bed, she padded across the hall and quietly opened Zack’s door to find him sound asleep, hanging off the small bed in three different directions as he snored softly. Closing his door again, she stood still and listened, hearing voices in the distant rooms, and a short burst of laughter. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, easing the tension from her shoulders. Safety and welcome pervaded this place.

Grabbing her jeans, a cotton sweater, and clean underwear, she took a quick shower, then dressed. When she’d donned her boots and armed herself, she followed the smell of coffee and food back into the room with the conference table, where they’d gathered last night.

Neo, Mukdalla, and a male Quinn hadn’t seen before sat at one end, empty plates in front of them, steaming coffee mugs in hand. Neo looked up at her with surprise, and no recognition, shooting to his feet in a move that was distinctly threatening. In a vampire flash, he was across the room, his hand around her neck.

“Who are you?”

“Quinn,” she choked, reaching for her stake.

His eyes narrowed, then lit with sudden understanding. He released her and stepped back as she pulled the stake clear of her jacket pocket, ready to wield it.

“My apologies, sorceress. Your glamour’s worn off.”

Quinn’s heart was about to leap out of her chest as she stared at him, shaken from the sudden attack and the reminder that weapons only worked against vampires who weren’t expecting them.

“Are you okay, Quinn?” Mukdalla asked worriedly.

“I’m fine.” Neo hadn’t hurt her, he’d just startled her half to death. “On the plus side, I’m now fully awake.”

Neo smiled, but his expression remained apologetic. “I saw a stranger in our midst and thought we’d suffered a breach. I forgot you’d been glamoured.” He motioned to the table. “Come. Fill a plate and join us as we adjust ourselves to the real you.”

As her pulse slowly calmed, Quinn served herself from warming dishes filled with scrambled eggs, sausage, and hash browns. Behind her, the others returned to their discussion, tossing about names, arguing whether their first concern should be the mom with the three kids or the young man whose ailing mother was dependent upon him for support. Quinn assumed they were deciding whom to include in their next escape attempt and was glad the decision wasn’t up to her.

As she approached the table, Neo rose and pulled out the chair to his right for her. She sat, wondering if the gentlemanly manners were the norm with vampires or with males in general who’d been born before a certain time.

“How did you sleep?” Mukdalla asked cheerily, claiming the seat across from her, her eyes bright with warmth as if Quinn, whom she barely knew, was her favorite person in the world. And maybe she was. After all, it was Quinn who they believed would save their world.

It was odd to have so much weighing on her shoulders. The hopes of a world she still wasn’t convinced should be saved.

“I slept well,” she told the other woman. “Zack’s still asleep.”

Mukdalla placed her hand on the arm of the male beside her. “This is my husband, Rinaldo.”

The male nodded. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Quinn.”

“You, too.”

Rinaldo wasn’t a handsome man, not by any stretch of the imagination—his face was too long, his mouth too small. But he was no Trader, which was interesting. And his eyes, when he glanced at his wife, shone with love.

“He’s a vampire,” Mukdalla said, answering Quinn’s unspoken question. “We’ve been married for over four hundred years.

Quinn’s eyebrows shot up. “Congratulations?”

Neo chuckled. “Immortality takes some getting used to. It’s rare to find a mate one wishes to share eternity with.”

Mukdalla’s expression turned serious. “Rinaldo and Neo are both trapped by the failing magic. I don’t have to tell you how thrilled I am that you’re here, that you’re going to renew the magic.”

“I’ll do whatever I can.” Quinn hated to keep reminding them she had no idea if she’d be able to call the power she’d need to do it. And she couldn’t give voice to the nagging question of whether she even should. The more vampires she met, the more confused that question became because she was beginning to suspect there really was such a thing as a good vampire. Fortunately, that wasn’t a decision she had to make. As long as Zack’s life was entwined with V.C.’s magic, she would do everything she could to renew it.