Page 165 of Blood Stone

Kate looked from Nial to Sebastian, surprised curling through her. “Hey!” she said loudly.

Sebastian glanced at her. Nial didn’t.

“Just because I’m not vampire doesn’t mean you to get to ignore me,” she told Sebastian.

He shook his head a little. “We’re not. Well we’re not ignoring you because you’re human. We’re focusing on the real issue. Roman’s allegiance.”

“Roman’s allegiance is to me and Garrett. Anything else is peripheral and irrelevant. Do you have any more questions?” Kate snapped.

She had everyone’s attention now. Nial’s gaze flickered to Roman before settling on her again. “You’re together? All three of you?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but yes,” Kate said coolly.

Sebastian smiled.

“What?” she demanded.

“I just lost five thousand dollars.”

“And you’re smiling?”

Sebastian’s smile broadened. “Winter always makes losing a pleasure.”

Nial glanced at him and Sebastian’s smile broadened even more. “Like Roman said, take a pill, Nial. This puts a different spin on it.”

Nial crossed his arms. “And meanwhile, they still have Winter.”

Sebastian’s smile faded. He looked at Roman.

Roman sighed. “We’re back to this again?”

“It’s not that we don’t believe you,” Sebastian began.

“Yes, it’s exactly that,” Nial countered. “A year ago, I got a taste of their methods. The Pro Libertatis don’t ask you to work for them. They demand. And when you don’t bend to their demands, their methods become a lot more persuasive.”

Roman scowled. “So?”

“So, no offense, Byzantine, but I’ve walked this earth a few more years than you. I’ve learned a handful more tricks, you would agree?”

Kate frowned as she stared at Nial. He was older than Roman? How old was he, exactly? How much history was he personally acquainted with? Come to that, how much history did each of them carry around in their minds, these walking encyclopaedias of lived experiences? Roman had known Murad. Who had Nial been friends with in his lifetime?

Roman’s scowl deepened. “Agreed,” he growled.

Nial nodded. “If I, with all my tricks, was unable to shake free of them for more than a year, I find it hard to believe you’re still walking free of their noose.”

“Perhaps I don’t have the vulnerabilities you did,” Roman said, glancing at Sebastian.

Kate put it together with an almost audible click in her mind. These Pro Libertatis, whoever they were, had obviously used Sebastian as leverage to force Nial to do whatever it was they had wanted him to do for them, a year ago. She would have to get details later, from someone who knew them.

She felt a little sickened as she realized what this implied about the Pro Libertatis. They used whatever means necessary to achieve their goals, including extortion, emotional blackmail and the threat of physical violence against their own kind.

“They have that same leverage to use against you, Roman,” she said. “Why didn’t they use it?”

Nial glanced at her. It was a mere flicker of his eyes, before they settled on Roman once more. “It’s a good question. You can understand my concern. Everything says they should have used Garrett against you. You say they didn’t. It’s hard to believe.”

Roman’s brows were almost meeting in the middle. Kate could see his temper was roused. But the very still posture of both Nial and Sebastian couldn’t be underestimated, either. They were alert, ready to spring at the slightest provocation. The tension in the room was pressing against her chest and making her heart work harder than she had ever felt it strive before.

“They tried, okay?” Roman said, at last.