The Archer (The Blood Realm Series Book 3)(138)

Robin stepped forward with the comfort of someone used to charming strange crowds and gave an exaggerated bow. Marian took a decidedly less casual approach, creeping forward to stand beside him with her green gaze sweeping back and forth as if fully expecting to discover snipers planted about the place like potted flowers.

“Don’t be shy, love, we’re all friends here,” Adonis offered, giving her his most charming smile.

“Are we?”

Adonis’ smile wilted at the corners. Marian did not look like a woman excited to be invited to an evening with five royals, anticipating an offer few could brag of. Rather, she looked into the southwest corner of the room, her voice cold and level, her gaze steady.

Confused, Adonis looked to see who had heaped the tension on Marian’s delicate, but firmly muscled shoulders. They were guests here, and everyone in this room had agreed to that invitation. There was no reason for anyone to be offering her anything less than a warm greeting.

Kirill stood in the southwest corner, directly in the path of Marian’s somber stare. The vampire was tucked away beyond the edge of the large windows that lined the west wall of the study. His position gave him a view of the entire study, including the main door where Robin and Marian had approached from. The fact that he had his back to no one wasn’t lost on Adonis either.

The fire in the massive hearth threw thick beams of yellow-orange light throughout the room, but Kirill’s corner remained just shadowed enough that he could remain almost hidden and likely go unnoticed by anyone who wasn’t really looking—like Marian was.

“Kirill,” Adonis said carefully, “don’t be rude. Say hello to our new friends.”

The vampire ignored Adonis, his full attention focused on Robin and Marian. “Robin…Goodfellow.”

His voice lacked emotion, but anger glittered like shards of ice in his pale blue eyes. Out of his peripheral vision, Adonis saw Robin step in front of his wife. The redhead pressed her lips into a thin line and grabbed her husband by his arm, deliberately dragging him to her side.

“Sorry, love,” Robin said, not taking his eyes off the vampire. “Just trying chivalry on for size. Didn’t fit, no worries.”

“Now, now, Kirill,” Adonis said, fighting to keep the tension out of his voice. “You’re not wearing the welcome smile we’ve been working so hard on these past few months. Remember our lessons, big smile, no fangs?”

Robin, bless his heart, laughed right on cue. He was the only one.

Kirill stepped forward, shadows clinging to him like sticky webbing.

Marian’s bow was suddenly in her hand, an arrow nocked and held at attention. The tension Adonis had managed to keep out of his voice seized his spine in a painful grip. Kirill didn’t move, but his hands were out of sight beneath his cloak and Adonis knew he had enough weapons on him to make the rest of this evening very, very unpleasant. And he’d known Robin and Marian were fey before they’d invited them, so there was no doubt in Adonis’ mind that the vampire had iron weapons on his person—in bulk. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead and he took a very tentative step closer to Kirill, ready to throw himself between him and Marian if necessary.

That arrow is going to hurt.

“All right, now let’s just calm down.” He looked at Marian, keeping Kirill in his peripheral vision. “Marian, put the weapon down. No one’s going to hurt you. Kirill just takes some getting used to.” He looked at Kirill then. “He doesn’t realize how very creepy he can be without even trying.” He kept his voice light, trying to catch Kirill’s eye, willing him to understand how very serious he was.#p#分页标题#e#

“You did not come alone.” The vampire’s voice was whisper soft, a cool breeze over frozen tundra. The breathy quality of his voice was almost enough to dull the accusation that flew from his words like a projectile. “You were told to come alone.”

Robin hadn’t drawn his weapon, but Adonis had seen him draw before. His sidhe heritage made him fast, inhumanly fast. And even without his speed, his gift for glamour would let him conjure an image of himself unarmed and let him hold it before him for as long as he pleased while he took his time. In fact, there was no guarantee that he wasn’t doing exactly that even now…

Adonis’ wings itched and his tail lashed from side to side behind him. “Robin.” He kept his voice quiet, as if talking too loudly would cast them off the ledge into chaos. “Is there something you’d like to tell me?”

For one horrible second, Adonis thought Marian would release her arrow, take her shot and flee, dragging Robin after her. There was that sort of tension in her muscles, a deer preparing for flight from a predator. But then Robin’s shoulders sagged and he rested a hand on Marian’s shoulder, nodding for her to lower her bow. She clenched her teeth, but nodded, once, and the bow fell to her side.