Night Play(80)

Bride discovered an extremely funny side to Valerius's views of the modern-day world. She got a full tour of the house and gardens as well as fascinating insights into how Roman royalty lived.

"So this was you?" she asked as they stood outside in his atrium. She was in front of a marble statue of a Roman general in full military regalia. There was no denying the similarity in the facial features between the statue and the man beside her.

"No," he said, his tone chilly for the first time in hours. "He was my grandfather and he was the greatest general of his day." There was pride in his voice, but it was edged by something that sounded strangely close to shame.

"He beat back the Greeks and reclaimed Rome for our people. Indeed, he was the one who destroyed the Macedonian threat and who single-handedly annihilated the greatest Greek general who had ever lived… Kyrian of Thrace." Real hatred gleamed in his eyes, but she wasn't sure who it was meant for. His grandfather or Kyrian.

"You mean Kyrian Hunter?" she asked. "The guy with the minivan who lives a few blocks over?"

Valerius's eyes sparked at that. "He's driving a mini-van?" There was no mistaking the humor in his tone.

"Well, yeah. I saw it parked out in front of his house and I know from Tabitha that Amanda drives a Camry."

He didn't say anything else for a few minutes and Bride had no clue as to his mood.

So she gazed up at his grandfather, who commanded attention even centuries later. "You look a lot like him."

"I know and I was expected to follow in his grand footsteps."

"Did you?"

This time there was no mistaking the shame in his eyes before he averted his gaze from her. "When my grandfather died, there were parades for a full week of people who mourned his passage." He lifted his brandy up to his grandfather in a silent salute.

Still, she saw through his facade. "You didn't care for him?"

Valerius looked surprised by her words. "I begrudged him every breath he took," he said quietly, then changed the subject to discuss his recent move from Washington, DC, to the den of iniquity that most people fondly called New Orleans.

As they headed back toward the house, Vane flashed in beside her.

Bride's heart wanned instantly at his presence.

"Sorry it took so long," Vane said before he kissed her on the cheek. His scent surrounded her, making her heart pound at his presence. It was good to have him back with her.

"They let you see him?"

He nodded.

"Is he any better?" Valerius asked, surprising her with the depth of sincere concern that she heard in his voice. While they had dined, he had told her about the night the Daimons had attacked Vane's pack and how he, Acheron, Vane, and Fang had fought them off.

Most of all, Valerius had told her how the two wolves had reacted at the death of their beloved sister.

How the last sight he'd had of Vane was him carrying his sister's body away for burial.

"No," Vane said with a sigh. "He's still comatose."

"My apologies." Valerius took a step back and inclined his head to them. "Since you are here now, I shall take my leave to attend my duties."

Valerius took three steps, then paused and turned back toward them. "By the way, Vane, you have a most charming mate. It would indeed be a pity for the world to lose such a treasure as she. My sword is ever yours to command and my house is here for you so long as she needs protection."

He turned with an imperious whirl and quickly left them alone.

Bride didn't know which of them was more stunned by Valerius's noble declaration.

"What did you do to him?" Vane asked her.

"Nothing. We just had dinner and toured the house and grounds."

He shook his head in disbelief. "See, you really are magic." He picked her hand up and placed a sweet kiss on her knuckles that made her stomach quiver. Placing her hand in the crook of his arm, "You look lovely tonight," he said, then made a single long-stemmed rose appear out of nowhere.

Bride took it from him and smelled it. "If you're trying to seduce me, Vane, you're a bit late. At this point, I'm pretty much a sure thing for you."

He laughed. "In my world the only thing that I'm ever sure about is that someone is most likely lurking in the next shadow to try and kill me."

She stopped and frowned. "You're not kidding, are you?"

"I wish I were. It's what makes being with you so frightening to me. I can't shake the feeling that I'm going to lose you somehow."

She placed a finger over his lips. "Don't talk like that. Have faith."

"All right," he said, kissing her finger. "Tell me, what would you like to do tonight?"