Davina (Davy Harwood #3)(29)

“The human told me you were torturing this one.” Her eyes glanced down to Kates on the table.

Lucan narrowed his eyes. He didn’t like what he was seeing or what he was hearing. “You’re a vampire.”

“So?”

She was challenging him. Lucan frowned. Jiyama had never challenged him before. He scratched his forehead. “What are you doing here?”

“She told me you were doing this.” Jiyama pointed to Kates and the table. “She said you had a lover here, and you were torturing her.”

“She’s for me to play with. Why are you judging me for this?”

“Because it’s wrong.”

Lucan’s frown deepened. This wasn’t the Jiyama he knew. “You’re a vampire. You drink from humans. This,” he pointed to Kates, “is nothing out of the ordinary. I’ve seen you out there, Jiyama. You enjoy playing with your meals.”

“She’s not a meal for you.” Jiyama continued to gaze at him. “Anymore.”

His jaw clenched. “This is The Immortal’s power over you. You gave her your power, and she infected you because of it.”

“No.” Jiyama shook her head. “You have this human here because you still feel for her. You’re going to turn her.”

That last sentence came out like an accusation. Lucan tilted his head to the side. His hand came up to rest against his cheek. He needed a moment to realize what was happening here. Jiyama was jealous. He thought it was disapproval, but it wasn’t. She had loved him since finding him at an early age. It was assumed among her family and the rest of the Mori clan that he would wed her, but she never pushed him. Lucan had enjoyed his freedom. Going where he wanted. Being with who he wanted, and she was right. As she said the words, he realized that was the real reason he kept Kates around.

He was going to turn her, but not till he was done having fun with her.

His eyes closed to slits, watching Jiyama carefully. She was the predator to Kates in that moment. He could see the words forming in her mind. She was going to kill Kates. He saw the intention on her face, and he forced himself to speak casually. She couldn’t know the extent of his wishes, not for Kates. He said, “She is still of use to me.”

“Why?” Jiyama still looked down at Kates. “The Immortal is gone. She will not come back.”

He shook his head, softening his tone. “She will.” His hand lifted.

Jiyama’s eyes snapped to it.

He caught himself, but still lowered it to touch the back of Kates’s calf. He had been about to caress it, but instead he touched the tip of his finger to her skin. His nail cut into it, filling the air with fresh blood. Jiyama’s gaze was focused on that now, floating toward him and the blood. Her nostrils flared and he knew Kates’s blood had done exactly what he wanted. She wanted to feed now, not to kill his ex-girlfriend.

As Jiyama stood next to him, pressing into his side, he added, “The Immortal will return for her.”

“Why?” But the Mori vampiress wasn’t listening. She was too distracted by the blood. Lucan pressed harder into Kates’s leg and more blood spilled out. He knew the power it had over Jiyama. This was slayer blood. It was the best kind to a vampire. The slayers used to use their own blood to entrap vampires and in a way, maybe that was still happening. Lucan remembered being ensnared by Kates. Perhaps that was why he still wanted to keep her.

If he didn’t obtain The Immortal thread, he would become a vampire again. That was when he would turn Kates, but he wanted to be the one to do it. He wanted to be her sire, to have that connection with her for eternity. And part of that was keeping her alive—for now. If Jiyama killed her, she might take Kates’s body away. He needed her body to have the witches bring her back to life, and if Jiyama turned Kates herself, he didn’t know if she could be turned back to human without Davy’s assistance. Too many variables had entered the room when Jiyama found Kates. Lucan wanted to control everything, so he needed to distract Jiyama and then remove her as soon as possible.

He ran a hand up Jiyama’s arm, feeling the shudder that he created in her, and his hand cupped the back of her neck. Jiyama started to tremble against him, her small breasts rubbing against his chest. He lowered his head, his mouth right next to her ear, and he whispered, “Drink, Jiyama. Taste what vampires have thirsted over for centuries. Taste a slayer’s blood.”

He smelled her wanton desire in the air. He knew she was close. One taste and Jiyama would forget everything she saw in this room. The feeding would overpower her. He pressed her head down, pushing her close to Kates’s blood. His finger cut more into Kates’s skin. The slayer didn’t move, and he looked up—she had passed out.