Page 5

My little house-hunting mission was going wonderfully so far.

And it only got worse as I realized I was now staring at a pair of black boots. The tip of a sword flashed beneath my chin, and my heart skipped a beat.

Gently, the sword nudged my chin upward.

I looked up to find myself staring into Sion’s golden eyes.

“Elowen. I thought I smelled you.”

“Is that an insult?”

“In your case, no.” The tip of his sword rose, ever so gently nudging my chin to look at him.

He was leaving me down there on my knees.

I’d forgotten exactly howbighe was—twice my size and pure muscle.

Golden eyes stared down at me, narrowing. “I’m looking for my seneschal, who just disappeared from our castle. Vanished. By any chance, have you seen a large, blond vampire? Bran Velenus?”

I glanced at his sword that still rested beneath my chin, and it glinted under the sparks of light that streamed through the trees. “No idea who that is.”

“Regent of Gwethel in my absence. I have spent many years away from my kingdom. And when I returned, he became my seneschal. He’s also one of my oldest friends, but he left my castle without telling me where he was going.”

My throat tightened. Sion had friends? “Why would I have seen him?”

“I have no idea, but maybe he came round to see you…you know, your heart is racing, almost like you’re scared of telling the truth. Tell me, Elowen, is that fear or lust making your heart pound? I suppose when I’m around, both seem plausible.”

“Maybe my heart is racing because there’s a vampire pointing a sword at my throat.”

“So, lust then. I thought so.”

My jaw clenched. “Are you going to lower your sword?”

“Hmm. I must confess, I do usually enjoy a beautiful woman on her hands and knees before me, soaking wet, but this particular scenario isn’t exactly the way I like it.”

“Do you have any idea how much I hate you?”

He narrowed his eyes, but slowly, he lowered his sword. “So, Bran never came to see you?”

Slowly, I stood, gripping my spear. “No.”

Sion’s gaze swept down my body. And as it did, I looked at myself. Godric’s undershirt clung to me, nearly transparent. One of the mismatched socks has fallen to my ankle. My cheeks flushed, and I found my arms folding in front of my chest.

“Your letters said you were doing well and leading a normal life here. Why, then, are you swimming half naked in a river, dressed like a raggedy, scavenging urchin?”

Because I was, in fact, a raggedy, scavenging urchin.

I lifted my chin. “This is actually how people dress in the forest. It’s in fashion here.”

Amusement glinted in his eyes. “The gutter-waif look is popular, is it?”

“I do hope you’ll leave us alone now.” Gripping the stick, I took a step back from him. “Because I don’t know where your friend is, and I’m not going to Donn Hall.”

“Our oracle told us that the Order would find you soon if we didn’t intervene. I have no idea why she thinks you’re so bloody important, but she does, and every single vampire in Donn Hall believes every word out of her mouth. Including me. She’s never been wrong before. It seems the forest-dwelling gutter-waif is the answer to everything. If the gods existed, I’d say they had a fucked-up sense of humor.”

“So, I’m supposed to believe in this oracle, who you could be entirely lying about.”

Sion quirked an eyebrow. “She’salwaysright. Without our help, you and Leo will be in the Order’s dungeons soon. As usual, you are making the worst possible decisions.”