The Archer (The Blood Realm Series Book 3)(144)
“I don’t want to be a wet blanket at my own party,” Robin said under his breath, coming to stand next to Adonis. “But this, my friend, is not a good sign.”
“Don’t be discouraging, Robin,” Dubheasa scolded him. “This is a grand sign. I’ve been telling Marian for weeks it’s time to start getting more comfortable with her other form.” She slid her focus to Etienne, the smile on her face decidedly predatory. “Fair warning, Your Highness. A hellhound is rather different from most shapeshifters in more ways than one. If Marian has been practicing as I suggested, she will turn to shadow and then manifest as her hellhound form.” Her smile widened. “She’ll be on you before you can get out of those finely tailored pants of yours.”
“Hellhounds turn to shadow?” Adonis whispered.
Robin shrugged. “Not exactly, but that’s the easiest way to explain it.”
Etienne grinned, a toothy smile that was unsettling in many ways. “If you think Kirill isn’t going to return with more weapons than he left with—which I assure you was a great deal many more than were required for this meeting—then you are a fool,” he breathed. “You’ve pushed your luck too far, Your Majesty. He’ll kill you if it suits him.”
Marian snarled, and black shadows danced over her skin in a shivering promise of restrained violence. Robin tensed and Adonis took a breath, ready to say something, anything, to ease the tension. Dubheasa beat him to it. She laid a restraining hand on Marian’s shoulder, smiled, but shook her head. Marian relaxed instantly, her red eyes cooling to green as she straightened and stood for all the world as if she’d never so much as sneezed in Etienne’s direction.#p#分页标题#e#
Dubheasa waved her hand in an airily dismissive gesture. “My dear boy, there is not a doubt in my mind that Kirill already had the means to kill me when he was here. He would have prepared for that possibility as soon as he found out Adonis was inviting a sidhe to your realm.” She paused, slanting a glance at Patricio. “While we’re on the subject, if you wouldn’t mind terribly stepping back? Your sword is giving me a headache.”
Patricio blinked as if being addressed had caught him off guard. He looked from his sword to Dubheasa, then shrugged one shoulder, arching a wing in the process, and retreated a few steps to resume his original position leaning on the bookshelf. Adonis rolled his eyes. Not a civil word to say to me, but all too willing to cater to someone who tried to kill Etienne. Typical.
“It is good that you do not take Kirill’s…caution, personally,” Saamal observed. He hadn’t moved from his chair, and if the recent kerfuffle bothered him at all, he didn’t show it. “It is rather a key point in getting along with him.”
Etienne crossed his arms over his chest, and if Adonis were a braver man, he would have suggested the werewolf was sulking.
Whatever response he might have had was interrupted by a sudden wash of magic as the glass Kirill had passed through hummed with life. The gargoyle hovering over the window frame glanced down as Kirill passed through the glowing surface, stepping lightly down from the window sill.
He had a renewed calm that confirmed Etienne’s assertion that he would return with more weapons, and when he spoke, his voice held its characteristic cool. “The women will be here shortly.”
Dubheasa straightened at his arrival. If Adonis hadn’t been watching her, he would have missed the brief glance she cast at Etienne before pasting a warm smile on her pale face.
“Of course I’m not offended by Kirill’s precautions,” she said to Saamal. “It makes me feel quite included, really. After all, I would be the odd one out if I was the only person in this room the vampire hadn’t come up with a plan for killing.”
Adonis’ stomach bottomed out. Dear gods, she’s going to start a war.
“What?” Etienne demanded.
Robin stilled, then crooked his finger at Marian. She pressed her lips together, but strode over to him.
“If you’d said ‘come,’ I would have smacked you,” she informed him under her breath.
“And I would have deserved it,” Robin soothed. Then he cleared his throat. “At this time, I feel I owe you an apology. I can see now that just because something is true doesn’t mean it’s appropriate to voice out loud.”
Marian snorted. “Miracle of miracles.”
“Speaking of miracles,” Adonis muttered, “we might need one.”
All three of them watched Etienne staring at the vampire. Adonis saw the wheels in his head turning, saw him study Kirill with the intensity of a predator contemplating larger than average prey. Kirill for his part, didn’t seem the least bit perturbed at the conversation that had continued around him, nor did he seem surprised at the rise in Etienne’s hostility. Of course, by this time, that was probably old hat. It was practically traditional for Etienne to offer some threat to the vampire. Though, there was something different this time. Etienne wasn’t just angry, he was…thinking. As usual, Kirill’s face gave nothing away, his cool blue eyes as serene as the countryside after the first snow. Perhaps it was that unflappable, unapologetic stare that cinched it for Etienne.