A Kiss of Blood (Vamp City #2)(72)

“Seeing as how you fall into the human category, no. I could break your bones . . . or your skull.”

“Freaking Xena.”

Quinn snorted. “I wish.” Though she’d managed to channel Buffy for a while. Maybe, eventually, she’d be able to do that at will.

She hugged Zack hard, feeling his quick hug in return, then pulled back, letting him go. “Neo will come get me if you need me.”

“I know.”

“Love you, Zack.”

“Love you, too, sis.” He turned and loped back into the house, as if eager to get back to whatever he’d been pulled away from.

Quinn turned and joined the vampires, who were having a discussion of their own.

“We’ll join you in twos or threes,” Neo said. “I don’t want anyone becoming suspicious.”

Arturo nodded. “Agreed.”

Neo smiled at her. “Hi, Quinn.”

She returned the smile sleepily. “I’d like to talk to Amanda about Zack.”

“She’ll be joining you shortly,” Neo told her. “We’ll all be joining you. Immortals only, so there’s no danger if your power breaks loose.”

Another male strolled out of the house, and she recognized Arturo’s friend, Kassius. Tall as a tree, with short, curly, dark hair, he was the one responsible for the Slavas in Cristoff’s castle, and he watched over them like a mother hen.

He, too, gave her a quick, friendly smile. “Hello, Quinn.”

“Hi, Kassius.”

“What are you doing here?” Arturo asked, pleasure in his voice as he shook his friend’s hand.

Kassius’s expression turned grave. “They’re bringing children into Vamp City.”

“I know. Micah already smuggled one back out.”

“Traders brought three in the last shipment. I bought them and brought them here.” His mouth compressed, his jaw turning hard. “It’s a damn good thing tomorrow’s the equinox because this city has gone to hell.”

“Can you stay for a couple of hours? We’re about to discuss tomorrow. I’d like you there.”

“I can stay for a little while.”

Micah lifted a hand. “If Kas is going to accompany you, I’ll stay here and feed. I’ll meet you over there in time for the meeting.”

As Micah and Neo turned back for the house, Rinaldo brought several fresh mounts around. Arturo gave Quinn a leg up on one, then he and Kassius mounted the other two. The three started off, Quinn between them.

A short while later, they pulled up in front of what appeared to be a deserted house—two stories with a crumbling porch, shutters hanging askew or missing altogether, and the glass of most of the windows shattered. An old-style haunted mansion, they’d call it in the real world. Here it was just one of hundreds of shells left to disintegrate by a population that needed far less housing than their doppelganger world provided.

Arturo swung down. “Wait here while I ensure it is safe.” A moment later, he disappeared through the front door.

Quinn turned to Kassius. “Any luck finding Lily?”

He shook his head. “I sent a man to investigate. I’ll let you know as soon as I learn something.”

She nodded, praying they found Lily and got her out of there safely.

“You’ve found your power?” Kassius asked her quietly.

“I’ve found something. I’m still figuring out what I can do.”

“It will come.”

“I hope so. Kassius, I’m not sure if I ever thanked you properly for rescuing me from Cristoff’s dungeon. But thank you.”

He dipped his head in acknowledgment. “I was happy to do it. Happier still that Ax requested it. I had begun to fear we were losing him to the darkness, but you changed that.”

“Your own conscience was never compromised, was it?”

“I don’t believe so, no. I suspect my wolf blood is the reason.”

“You’re very loyal to Arturo.”

“We all are. I would follow him to the ends of the earth, sorceress. I sometimes think I have.”





Chapter Twenty

“All clear,” Arturo said, striding down the front steps of the crumbling house.

Before Quinn could dismount, Arturo was at her side, helping her down, sliding an arm around her waist.

“I’m okay,” she told him.

“Good.” But Arturo didn’t remove his arm as he led her into the dusty house that smelled of age, rot, and mildew.

“I’m surprised these places are still standing after a 140-plus years,” she murmured.

“Some are, some aren’t. Lack of sun keeps them from rotting as quickly as they would have in your world. And perhaps, a touch of the magic.”

Once they were in the house, Arturo released her and set about lighting candles and oil lamps, revealing walls and flooring as decrepit as she’d expected—chunks of plaster missing from the walls, the wooden floor lifted and broken in places. The furniture in the house was another matter. By rights, it should have looked as broken-down and ancient as the structure around it. Instead, a pair of worn, but by no means ancient leather recliners, flanked a new leather sofa. And against one wall stood half a dozen gray, folding metal chairs that looked like they’d been nabbed from the closest elementary-school auditorium.