Alek sat back in his chair. “Ajax.”
My stomach sickened as the world around us came to a halt. Specks of dust lingered in the air—Genevieve’s hair was caught mid-ripple—and not a single other species was breathing. Ajax had stopped time for everyone but us vampires.
“It’s bringing a spy into our house,” I said immediately, knowing no one could hear us.
“A spy that can help find my sister,” Alek countered, his fingers drumming on the chair.
“A spy that can report our secrets back to her mother,” Ajax noted. “Unless you think she’s trustworthy?” He aimed that question at me.
Alek looked up at me with an arched eyebrow.
“Why the fuck are you two looking at me? I can tell you what she’s lied about, not what she’s going to do. Maybe she can’t lie about her intentions to me, but she could certainly change her mind after we send her home.”
“Good point,” Ajax noted. “Could Avianna be in another territory?”
“Possibly,” Alek admitted. “Lycan, human and witch are the most likely. Xavier would know the second any vampire as powerful as Saint or Samuel stepped on his land, let alone both of them.”
“Well at least we all agree on that,” Xavier said from across the chamber.
Our heads whipped in his direction.
“Cute parlor trick, but it kind of feels unfair to the others that only I’m privy to this little conversation.” He grinned with a shrug. “Oh fuck it, do go on.”
“He’s that powerful?” Ajax muttered.
“Apparently,” Xavier answered. “Do the logical thing, Alek. Take the witch queen’s offer, shelter her daughter, and stick one of your assassins on her so she can’t stumble into your little secret lair. Find your sister. Everyone wins.”
Alek blinked at the demon, then sighed. “Benedict, it has to be you. You’re the only one who can tell if she’s lying.”
“Fuck me,” I mumbled. Jocelyn would lie to me just to watch me burn. “Fine.” I’d do anything to help find Avianna, including enduring the hundreds of new tattoos that were no doubt headed my way.
“Ajax.”
Time started moving again.
“At least I got to go home and get a bag before this ultra-fun sleepover,” Jocelyn said with a healthy note of sarcasm as she threw her duffle bag onto the four-post bed in the chamber beside mine. “Same room, too.”
“Same amenities as before. Hit zero on the phone and one of the talem will help you with whatever you need.” I had to get out of this room, fast.
She smelled so fucking good that my fangs punched down and my entire body roared for sustenance. How long had it been since I’d had a good feeding? Days? Surely not long enough to feel this damned ravenous around a witch.
Our kind never fed from witches. It was forbidden. Then again, so was a member of another species’ royal house moving into the manor like it was summer camp, but here we were.
“And if I need to take a walk?” Jocelyn challenged, kicking off her boots and hopping up onto the bed.
“Then you call me. I put my number in your cell. Or you can bang on the wall if it’s daylight hours, though we’ll be confined to the indoors.” I leaned back against her wall and folded my arms across my chest.
“So you’re my permanent escort?” She arched a delicate brow.
“Think of me as your private security.”
She flipped her wrist and a ball of light appeared in her hand, crackling with an electrical energy I wanted nothing to do with. “Oh, Benny, I’m sure you know by now that I can take care of myself.”
“Listen, you burn the place down with that, and you answer to Alek.” I shrugged.
She scoffed and the light extinguished as if it had never been there. “Listen, I don’t want to be here anymore than you want me here.”
Truth.
“And I know that eleven p.m. is really just when your day kicks off, but I’ve had a really long evening.” She cracked a wide yawn as if to prove her point, not that I needed her to. Exhaustion came off the witch in waves I could practically see. She was beat. “We won’t be able to start until tomorrow.”
“Because you need coffee?” The sooner she helped us, the faster we could get to Avi, so I wasn’t against an early-night coffee run.
“You honestly think I would put off searching for my friend because I’m suffering from caffeine deprivation?” Her eyes narrowed on mine.
“Hey, you said it, not me.” I put my hands up.
“Damn, and I thought you were the vamp with the manners.” She rolled her eyes. “Look, my powers are tied to my energy level. I don’t exactly function at a hundred percent on a few hours of sleep, and there hasn’t been much shut-eye since Avi was taken. Get it?”
I blinked. “You’re serious.”
“I am.” She nodded.
“I’m not supposed to know that.” There was no tingling or burning on my forearms. She was telling the truth.