A Kiss of Blood (Vamp City #2)(61)

A cunning smile broke slowly over his face. “My friends, that was extraordinary. Never have I felt its like. If such a creature always creates such a response, no wonder she was used to the breaking point.” He lifted a weary, sated hand. “She is all yours, Arturo, my friend. But you will stay here. With her. And pleasure us both.”

Quinn felt Arturo tense. “Of course, Fabian. I shall be happy to be your guest for a while longer. Just as soon as I have found the sorceress and returned her to Cristoff, so that she might save our world.”

Fabian’s smile turned calculating. “While you search for the sorceress, Jillian will remain with me. Because then I know you will return, and quickly.” His voice rose. “This Slava is not to leave the castle,” he commanded. “Not unless she’s with me.”

Quinn’s stomach clenched.

Arturo took her hand. “She will remain at the castle with you, Fabian, as you wish. But while I am here, I would have her remain by my side. It brings me pleasure.”

Fabian’s eyes narrowed as his gaze moved between them. His mouth tightened. But, finally, he nodded grudgingly. “While you are here, she is yours.”

Her hand clung to Arturo’s, her heart still pounding though the effects of the elixir appeared to have dissipated with their lovemaking.

“I must take my leave, for now, and search for the sorceress, Fabian,” Arturo said calmly, his voice still husky with lingering passion.

“Later,” the vampire master snapped. “Sit and fondle her. I am not through with you two.”

Arturo’s hand tensed around hers, but he did as commanded, pulling her onto his lap as the other inhabitants of the room resumed their inventive rutting. She curled her arm around Arturo’s neck and stiffened only a little when his hand went to her breast, fondling her through her clothes. Despite the multiple orgasms, despite the elixir’s effects having worn off, her body lit up again with that simple touch. And beneath her hip, she felt his erection once more begin to rise.

Fabian was never going to let them out of here. And, at this rate, Vintry was going to die before they ever got a chance to talk to him.

If he wasn’t already dead.





Chapter Seventeen

It was another hour, and three orgasms later, before Fabian finally acceded to Arturo’s thinly veiled demand to find “Jillian” food and a bedchamber in which to sleep.

“See her fed, then return to me at once, Mazza,” Fabian called, as they reached the door behind their guard escort. “Our feast awaits!”

They’d no sooner entered the back hallway when another guard stepped forward.

“I’ll take them from here.”

Quinn immediately recognized the voice if not the man. Micah.

The original guard nodded and left.

“I found Vintry,” Micah said when they were out of earshot of the guard. He looked nothing like himself, his hair long and blond, his face broad as a bowling ball. His glamour was pretty amazing. Then again, so was her own. “He’s in the dungeon, locked in a cell in the very back. Alone. They’re afraid of his death wind. Access is through the second pantry, behind the wine casks, but I’ve yet to find the key to his cell.”

Micah was speaking fast and low. “I asked him if he could help the sorceress, and he said yes, he could, but he would not. He hates vampires, wants us all to die, etc., etc. Then he started yelling bloody murder for me to leave. A bitter old cuss.”

“I’d probably be bitter, too, if someone locked me in a dungeon to die,” Arturo muttered. “We’ll have to grab him out of there and run. Perhaps Tarellia can convince him to help us.”

“You’ll be implicated in his sudden disappearance. But you can spin it easily enough.”

“I can. Find us an empty bedchamber close to the dungeon where we can set up base.”

“Already done.” He led them down a second hall with far too many doors, which meant the rooms were microscopic. Probably the Slavas’ quarters. Pushing open one of the last doors, Micah stepped back for them to enter.

The room was just as she’d expected, a dingy little closet with a tiny bed that took up the majority of space. She took a seat on it since there was so little room to stand.

Arturo’s hand rested on her shoulder, but he turned back to Micah. “I must return to Fabian for the feast, but once it is done, we’ll move. Find the key.”

“Roger that.”

Arturo squeezed her shoulder. “Stay here, cara. I’ll find you food. You should be safe here.”

“I’ll keep an eye on her,” Micah promised.

Quinn wasn’t entirely sure she wanted Micah keeping an eye on her. There was no way she was sitting here twiddling her thumbs while Arturo attended Fabian. Not when Vintry could be freeing her magic and might die at any moment.

As Arturo started for the door, the sound of a commotion erupted nearby, along with the unmistakable sound of a crying child.

Arturo froze.

“What’s a kid doing here?” Micah muttered.

The two vampires strode forward as one. Quinn pushed off the bed and followed, horrified at the thought of a child’s witnessing, let alone experiencing, anything that happened in Vamp City.

They didn’t have to go far to find the source of the disturbance. A couple of doors down, the hall crossed with another. As they turned, Quinn caught sight of the two pantries Micah had mentioned, one with wine casks in the back.