Marcus leaned toward his mentor. “She and Daniel were together before Daniel’s turn.”
“Yes, that explains much.” Marini nodded. “Poor sap. The connection is much stronger when there was a human relationship before. It tends to give the companion the upper hand. You wouldn’t find another vampire master so easy to handle.”
“I don’t intend to have another vampire master,” I replied, settling myself in Dev’s arms. “I’m content with the one I have.”
Marini pinned me with his black eyes. “You never can tell when your whole world can change. Don’t worry your lovely head. The Council will always take care of their beautiful companions.” He switched his stare to Dev. “We would also take care of our good friends. You might not mind belonging to a vampire, Prince.”
I felt Dev stiffen behind me, but his voice remained casual. “Oh, I rather like belonging to myself. It’s for the best, really. My brother already doesn’t approve of my lifestyle. He’s indulgent, of course. Just today he had lunch with my darling girl here.”
I nodded, and that was easy because it was true. Marini didn’t have to know that little meeting had eventually ended in a bloodbath. “I found the future king entertaining.”
Especially when Daniel was attempting to kill him.
Dev continued. “He would prefer I settled down and performed my duties, but he is my brother. I’m afraid if he found out I had actually made myself some vampire’s slave, you would be looking at a war with Faery. That might not be such a huge deal if it were just the Seelie, but I’m beloved by the Unseelie as well. I fit in with them better than my brother. I shall do what I’ve always done and seek my pleasure while it lasts and then move on.”
I wish he didn’t say that with such complete conviction. Sometimes Dev’s acting skills scared me. I could never lie as well as he did, and I had to believe he was lying. Despite what Declan said, that necklace he’d given me felt like a commitment, and I was planning on holding him to it. If he tried to get bored with me, I would just have to liven up his life, and if he thought he could hide in some sithein, he would be surprised when I showed up to drag his ass back home.
Marcus stood up and offered me his hand. “Louis, I beg leave to dance with Mrs. Donovan. Daniel is probably close to ready for us and I haven’t gotten my hands on her all evening.”
Louis waved his hand dismissively. “Go. Paw the girl while her husband is gone. I’ll stay here and talk further with the prince. He’s an intriguing gentleman.”
Marcus pulled me up, and Dev gave me an encouraging smile. I found myself on a small dance floor. The music was slower now and had a sultry beat. We were the only ones on the floor and many eyes were on us. Marcus pulled me close.
“I’m sorry for earlier, cara,” he whispered against my ear. I could barely make out what he was saying. “I tried to talk Marini out of it, but he was most insistent. To tell you the truth, I believe he wanted to spy. The three of you together was a welcome distraction. I believe if you’d been doing something less entertaining, he might have looked into places we would have regretted.”
“Well, at least it was for a good cause,” I said sarcastically. I didn’t like the thought that Marini was getting suspicious. If he’d spent any time at all in Dev’s office, he would have found the laptop. Dev had it password protected, but that was anything but foolproof. There were also some interesting files in his safe. I was proof positive that his safe was not the most secure of locations. “He won’t be able to try that again. Dev will make sure of it. He’ll be a hell of a lot more careful now. I just wish you had coughed or something to give me a damn heads up.”
Marcus smiled down at me, a devilish little look. “I’m afraid that I’m not a gentleman when it comes to you. I enjoyed the show far too much to allow it to end prematurely. It also pointed out some rather ugly truths to me. Devinshea isn’t some whim on your part. He isn’t a third indulging some perversity. You’re in love with him as you love your husband.”
“I do love him,” I admitted freely. “He’s as important to me as Daniel.”
“I fear I shall have to love you from afar, cara,” Marcus said wistfully. “It’s probably better that way. I’m too much a man of my time.”
“Which time is that, Marcus?” I let my voice get slightly louder. We could talk about this in the open.
“Long ago. I was born in Rome when there was still a senate.”
“Ancient Rome.” Something teased at the surface of my brain. There was something playing around there that I couldn’t quite catch.
“I remember the bread and the circuses, and I certainly remember the coliseum,” he mused with a smile. “Rome was fading somewhat by the time I was born. Its hidden history is fascinating. You wouldn’t believe the wolves who ruled Rome. At one point, it was a werewolf stronghold.”
“The Strong Arm of Remus,” I whispered, figuring it out. I knew from mythology that Romulus and Remus were brothers and wolves. The legend was they had founded Rome. “Have you ever heard of an object called by that name?”
“Of course,” Marcus said as though it should be self-evident. “It’s a great legend.”
“Halfer doesn’t think so.” I briefly gave him an overview of the way I spent my day. “The creature said he wanted me dead before July the fifteenth. I don’t know what any of it means.”
“Nor do I, cara. I’ll think on it.” His face fell as the other Council members began to leave. “Daniel is apparently ready for us. It’s time for me to go. I’ll call on you in the morning and tell you all I know about this object. For tonight, you and your Lancelot should leave. I’ll attempt to make the meeting last as long as possible so Louis doesn’t come looking for you again.”
Marcus kissed my wrist and left the dance floor. I glanced around the parlor but somehow I’d gotten turned around. The vampire club was one of those odd places that seemed larger after a while. It was a type of magic some supernatural species use to confuse humans, and now standing there without Dev or Daniel, I was feeling mighty human. I was lost and I didn’t recognize anyone. I took a deep breath and tried not to panic. It was all just an illusion. I found the bar and walked straight up to the man behind it. I only hoped he was human.
“How can I help you, mistress?” he asked.
“I’m a little turned around, I’m afraid,” I admitted.
He nodded. “Yeah, that will happen to you. You’re new?”
“It’s my first time. My husband doesn’t really like me spending a lot of time around other vamps.”
“Well, ma’am, you should really stay close to a vampire until you’re used to the place. If you have a physical connection to one of the vampires, then the place makes sense. If you’re on your own, it can get confusing.”
What he didn’t have to say was why the place was confusing. If a human happened to find her way in, it would be difficult for her to get back out. She would be an easy meal. The club was a trap.
Someone could have mentioned that to me. It might have been nice for Marcus to deliver me to someone who could have helped me follow that advice of his. I decided to just stay put and sit myself on a barstool until Danny could come and lead me out. I glanced around, a little worried. I hoped the magic didn’t work on faeries. Dev would look for me, and I didn’t want him to get lost.
Suddenly there was a tap on my shoulder. I twisted the stool around to see Stacy Sears looking at me with a frown on her face.
“Mistress,” she acknowledged.
I felt an unwelcome surge of sympathy for the girl. She was in a bad position, and Danny had placed her in an even worse one. He’d always been oblivious when it came to women who were interested in him. Danny had only ever been in love with me, and it apparently hadn’t occurred to him that someone else could fall for him. It was ridiculous because he was gorgeous and kind, but it was just who he was. I didn’t blame her at all for falling for him.
“How can I help you?” I asked politely, hoping we could both forget that I had almost smacked her for looking at my man. I needed to work on my anger issues.
“Marcus asked me to come find you.” Stacy didn’t quite meet my eyes. “He realized he left you. He forgets sometimes that you’re human like the rest of us.” There was the tiniest bitterness in that last statement, but I let it go. I would be bitter, too. “I was the only one without a duty. I can try to find someone else if I displease you.”
I shook my head because that just seemed silly. “Can you take me to Mr. Quinn?”
“Yes, mistress,” she replied. “Those are my orders. If you will follow me, he’s waiting for you. Don’t let your eyes stray too far. Things can fool you in here. The building itself wants you to stay. It will do what it can to trap you.”
Jumping down from the barstool, I began to follow the blonde, not taking my eyes off her back. “How do you manage it?”
She glanced behind at me. “After a while, the magic recognizes you and stops trying to trap you. It’s there for humans who wander in and could cause trouble. If you wander in uninvited, you really should expect to never leave. It’s our way.”