Sunset to Sunrise (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7.5)(3)

“And from me,” I filled in for him.

“That goes both ways, you know,” he replied, his expression perfectly neutral, lacking condemnation. It was easy to see why Alexa felt so comfortable with him.

A tall, leggy knockout with bright blue hair caught my eye. Tattooed and pierced, she exuded a wild child vibe. I was interested in a taste of that.

“All the time in the world wouldn’t be enough,” I muttered.

I followed the blue haired temptress with my eyes, watching her sidle up to a vampire with a seductive smile. If I didn’t make my move she’d end up in his bed and that would be a real shame. Of course, with my room currently occupied I’d have to take her to Harley’s old room at the end of the hall. At Alexa’s command, that room was off limits to all but her. And in her absence, me.

“Have a good night, Willow.” I gave him a friendly clap on the back and rose to leave.

He stopped me with a hand on my arm and a strange glint in his green eyes. “Can I talk to you for a minute? I’m sure it’s nothing, but I overheard something a while ago. Maybe you’re not the person I should tell, but I’m not sure I should tell Alexa. Not yet.”

My curiosity piqued. I sat back down, the girl with the wild hair almost forgotten. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know.” Willow slid a sidelong glance at those seated nearby. Satisfied that they were human and unlikely to hear or care, he continued. “I heard a couple of vampires talking about Arys. I’m pretty sure they were plotting to kill him.”

There were several ways I could have reacted to that. My initial reaction was to laugh. Any vampire that thought they could simply kill Arys Knight was an idiot that would get his ass handed to him. My next reaction was merely a calm, quiet voice whispering in my mind, What if?

“Who was it?” Many a newbie vampire had gotten it into their head that by killing the most powerful one in the city, they would then be something to be feared. Unfortunately for them, it never worked that way.

Willow surveyed the bar. Then he gestured subtly to a table in the corner where two vampires sat with a human between them. “The one on the left, with the scar.”

I sized up the vampire in question. He was unfamiliar to me. If he was a powerhouse of any kind, I’d already know who he was. So this vampire thought he could take a shot at Arys and get away with it. That should be comical.

“Did they say anything else?” I asked.

“Nope. That’s all I heard.” Willow had turned his attention back to the tequila bottle sitting before him on the bar. He carefully poured another shot, and I wondered why he didn’t just swig right out of the bottle.

“That’s interesting. Of course, it will never happen. No sense mentioning it to Alexa. She has enough to worry about.”

Willow nodded, tossing back a shot. “That’s what I thought too. I just wanted to mention it to somebody who may stand a better chance of getting more info than me. I mean, you’re one of them.”

The way he said that struck a chord in me. I was suddenly sure the angel was testing me. He wasn’t wrong to think whatever it was he was thinking. I was sure he assumed I would take advantage of any scenario that might result in the end of Arys Knight.

And who could blame me if I did? Well, Alexa, perhaps. I couldn’t deny my deep loathing for the vampire she was bound to. Seeing them separated was a fantasy of mine that I’d accepted would never come true. Or could it?

“Yeah, I’ll see what I can dig up. More than likely it’s just a guy with a big mouth and a small dick.” Again I rose, this time my attention on the guy in question. “I’ll take care of it.”

Willow gave a half-assed wave, spilling his shot in the process. I hid a smile and excused myself. Whatever it was that caused a fallen angel to drink himself stupid every night, I didn’t want to know. As wrong as it might have been, I found comfort in knowing that I was not the only one who suffered.

For just a moment, I considered going after the fox with the blue hair. However, curiosity won out. Not for a second did I really think any vampire in this city had a hope in hell of taking Arys out. Still, as one with no love lost for the guy, I needed to know how serious this plot was.

I advanced on the table with the two vamps, fully aware of Willow’s watchful gaze. What harm was there in watching someone else take a shot at the reigning monarch of the city? It’s not as if I was considering it myself.

Intrigue kept me moving when a sliver of guilt tried to redirect my path. Without waiting for an invitation, I slid into the booth across from the vampires and their human friend.

They both looked at me with alarm. My reputation wasn’t so great these days. Most people were quick to avert their gazes and stay out of my way.

I didn’t give them a chance to speak. “So, tell me about your plan to kill Arys Knight. And don’t leave anything out.”

Chapter Two

They stared at me, dumbfounded. Then the one with a scar slashing across his lower jaw sneered. “What the f*ck are you talking about?” His glower was good, but it wasn’t convincing.

A metaphysical touch of his energy informed me that he had little real power and was likely less than a century old. I didn’t need to throw my power around to prove that I was not one to be trifled with. If he didn’t tell me what I wanted to hear, he’d be dust before he ever got a chance to try for Arys.