“Why don’t you just kill them all?” she asked. No way in hell would she partner with a freaking vampire.
Marcus smiled. “I like this woman.”
Roland nodded.
Bastien shook his head. “The point is to have them spread the word to the other vampires that they should do everything they can to stay out of the hands of the human mercenaries. We can’t let the soldiers get their hands on the virus.”#p#分页标题#e#
Seth nodded. “Do it. I know you don’t like it, but vampires outnumber us and could be a valuable tool we could use to thwart our new enemies. Recruit those you can. Kill the rest. David, have you anything you wish to add?”
The other elder looked to Chris. “Only that I will make myself available anytime you wish me to examine the thoughts of network employees you think may be involved in this.”
Chris gave an abrupt nod.
“All right” Seth said. “Meeting adjourned. Safe hunting, everyone.”
Several mumbled a response.
Étienne’s hand on Krysta’s thigh relaxed.
“Étienne,” David said as they rose, “would you, Krysta, Sean, and Cameron join Seth, Chris, and I in my study?”
Krysta cursed inwardly. They had been that close to getting away unscathed.
“Of course,” Étienne responded.
Seth strode around the table, Chris on his heels, and joined David as he walked through the throng and crossed the living room.
Trying to ignore the stares she drew, Krysta peered through the black-clad bodies and glimpsed a wicker basket on the floor near one of the sofas.
Kittens?
The multicolored fur pile shifted, revealing a little triangle-shaped face.
Yes, kittens. In a house full of incredibly powerful men and women who instantly seemed less intimidating.
Well, everyone except Roland and the two elders.
She returned her gaze to Seth and David’s broad backs.
Following them to the study, she felt a bit like a child being called to the principal’s office. To distract herself she studied the elders’ auras.
So bright and beautiful. Almost mesmerizing.
You’re drooling, Étienne spoke in her mind.
Krysta detected a bit of rancor in his tone. What?
You can’t take your eyes off them.
It isn’t what you think. Their auras are different.
He rested a hand on her lower back. Different from what?
Different from yours. From mine. From vampires’. From humans’. I’ve never seen anything like it.
The two elders shared a look as they entered a darkened hallway.
Were they listening?
David and Seth paused before an open doorway and motioned for them to enter.
Étienne and Krysta proceeded inside, followed by Chris, Cameron, and Sean, then the elders. As Seth started to close the door, Darnell slipped inside.
Smiling, Seth closed the door.
Nice study. Books lined floor-to-ceiling shelves on every wall, and the room had ten- or twelve-foot ceilings. The little home she and Sean rented had ceilings that ranged from eight feet to a mere six and a half. These men wouldn’t even be able to stand upright in her kitchen, so she imagined they appreciated the extra headroom here.
Potted plants abounded, filling the room with color. A massive desk had been planted close enough to the large windows to allow anyone seated in the chair behind it to benefit from the natural light without sitting directly in it. Five chairs faced the desk. Two looked as though they had been there for years. Three more appeared to be new additions, probably added for this little get-together.
Some distance away, a smaller desk resided, something vaguely feminine in its appearance.
As they all congregated near the large desk, she waited anxiously to see what would happen. Would the interrogation Étienne feared begin now? Would they threaten her? Threaten Sean? Bury their memories of all of this?
Did they think her in league with the mercenaries? She had killed two of them. Didn’t that count for anything and show where her loyalties lay?
Wait. Was she saying she was loyal to the immortals?
She thought about everything she had learned at the meeting and from her time with Étienne.
Hell. Why not? They seemed like good guys.
Seth and David smiled.
Seth held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Krysta.”
“Oh.” She took it. And, wow, was it large. Her own hand looked like a child’s in his. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you, too.”
He covered their clasped hands with his other hand. Her own heated with a tingling warmth that swept up her arm and rippled through her body.
She gasped. “What just happened?”
He patted her hand, then released her and shook Sean’s hand. “I healed your injuries,” he said as he stepped back.
She looked at Sean, whose eyes widened.
“Just like that?” Sean asked.