Page 11

Pulled up just off to the side of the airstrip was a motorcade of six SUVs. Vampires, wearing spotless black suits and standing at attention, were positioned in front of the vehicles—at least two vampires to every SUV.

Despite the still visible sun, none of the vampires wore sunglasses. None of them even twitched.

Ahh, yes. Killian’s brood. The Drakes.

Killian kept his Family on a tight leash. They were the best trained, most efficient, and most mentally sharp vampire Family I’d ever seen. Which might not be a distinction, considering the competition was the likes of Vígí and his Dreki Family who bleated like upset sheep whenever Vígi was melodramatic.

But the lackluster competition didn’t take away from the truth. Killian’s Drakes would maim anyone who even suggested to them that they simper. Which was justbeautiful.

Killian emerged from an SUV, slipping his phone into a pocket of his suit before he slammed the car door shut. His vampires parted for him. I idly wondered if the suited look was for intimidation or some kind of herd instinct to make fighting them more difficult, as I swaggered down the stairs.

I crossed the hot tarmac, and Killian bowed his head. “Elder Maledictus.” Behind him, his Family bowed to me angling their torsos in a bow much deeper than their leader.

“Hello, Killian.” I narrowed my eyes as I studied him, looking for any new signs of insanity or melancholy.

He hadn’t changed much from when I last saw him several decades ago. His suit was from a current designer and his haircut was more modern. He’d always favored the slightly mussed styles his black-brown hair was tousled in.

Looking at the two of us, we more resembled a sire and offspring than Killian resembled his actual sire. Ambrose had been as bright—in personality and appearance—as the sun.

Whatwasdifferent in Killian, however, was the set of his expression.

He was guarded—rightfully so—but there was something to his face. It was too relaxed—he didn’t have the tight expression that stated he felt most of the earth’s population consisted of intolerable idiots.

Killian blinked slowly, completely unbothered by my scrutiny. “It is an honor to host your visit,” he blandly said.

I laughed. “Really? You’re going to go with flattery? Killian, you disappoint me.”

Killian shrugged. “I thought boring you would make you leave sooner.”

I held a hand to my chest, feigning hurt. “I just arrived and you’re already talking of my leaving?”

Killian raised his dark eyebrows. “You never stay very long, regardless. But my siblings have requested that I occupy you for as long as possible.”

“And you’re tattling on them?”

“No.” Killian looked back at his minions. “I simply don’t care, and I don’t have the time or required enthusiasm to teach them that I don’t care.”

I chuckled. “You really are my favorite Dracos.”

“So you claim,” Killian said. “Shall we go?”

I glanced at the motorcade. “Yes.”

I waited until Killian led me to an SUV and we slipped in. One of his people—a vampire with a shoulder width to rival Vígí’s—slid into the driver’s seat and turned the vehicle on.

I took the blood pack Killian handed me and flipped it over, appearing to inspect the packaging. Instead, I angled my gaze so I could watch Killian’s reaction. “So tell me, what’s this I heard about you adopting a pet wizard?”

“Married,” Killian said.

“What?”

“I married a wizard.”

I looked up from the blood pack and stared at Killian, furrowing my brow. “I guess my hopes were always too high for you. Sooner or later, you were bound to become a lunatic like your siblings. Unless this is all a big power grab and you’re aiming to take down the Midwest wizards?”

That was almost certainly his plan. Killian didn’t even like humans, much less wizards—

“She’s my One,” Killian said.