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Chapter twenty-seven

Rae was afraid again, but not of him. At the thought of being underground, perhaps.

Aidan wasn’t certain. She’d covered up the fear as soon as he’d mentioned it, but the weight of it still lingered just enough for him to detect.

She walked in front of him, as was customary with Odaliks, but he kept so close his chest almost brushed against her back with every step, close enough he kept a hand firmly on the silver silk at her hip.

She’d worn a short slip of a dress, almost as short as the skirt she’d been wearing when he’d bunched it around her waist and taken her, and he was certain she was bare beneath it.

“My lord,” Cormac said in greeting as they waited for the elevator that would lead them beneath the warehouse, Orion accompanying them.

“Cormac,” Aidan ground out, his memories of the sounds Rae had made when he was inside her dispersing at the Vampire’s voice. “My Odalik, Rae Farren.”

Cormac held out a hand. A human greeting, waiting for Rae to take it.

“Nice ring,” she said with a grin as her fingers closed around his.

A gift from his mate , Aidan told her, watching Cormac’s reaction as Rae examined the silver.

She wore more of her own creations than usual: bangles at her wrists, a webbed necklace that covered the bare expanse of her chest and settled between her breasts where the fabric divided, the fine chain somehow looped into the silk.

Across the bridge of her nose sat another fine silver bar, polished to a shine almost as bright as the pale blue of her eyes.

She’d pulled her hair high on her head, soft coils of dark purple brushing against her neck, two pins holding her hair in place that Aidan was certain were very thin daggers.

Cormac merely spouted some excuse about his love for good craftsmanship, not realising he was flattering the creator of the piece his mate had gifted him.

Rae smiled as the elevator doors slid open and complimented the Vampire on his choices before stepping inside the carriage, but her unease from earlier still lingered.

You’re staring, Vampire , she said without glancing up at Aidan.

You realise you just complimented yourself?

He felt her laughter in his thoughts, though she remained silent beside him as the elevator descended.

You would give yourself a pat on the back too if you managed to make that piece without melting it.

It took five attempts to get right. Enchanted with one of my strongest protection spells.

You’d have to cut the finger clean off his hand to inflict any other physical damage.

I’ll remember that.

Orion grilled Cormac on security, questions Aidan knew they already had answers to. Orion knew it too, but he was thorough.

Rae shifted beside him as the elevator continued its descent. You forgot to mention earlier that Scarlett was his mate.

It wasn’t relevant , he told her, resisting the urge to study her face again. She’d smothered her feelings well, but he knew her tells now. The way she shifted her weight. The way she twisted the ring at her thumb with her finger.

I’d say it is, came Rae’s reply. She’s Fae?

A Witch.

Rae was silent, and this time Aidan looked down at her, blue eyes meeting his.

Cormac was turned , he explained. Scarlett wanted her mate protected.

Pretty but not smart . Words she’d said to him before, with just as much humour now even though he could only hear her in his thoughts. She’ll have added to it. My spell. She’ll have bolstered it with her own.

Humans are selling your creations for money. Doesn’t that bother you?

Rae smoothed the collar of his jacket, ever the doting Odalik as she gazed up at him and winked. Not even a little.

That wasn’t the answer he’d expected. The elevator slowed, the doors sliding open to a basement full of Vampires, and Aidan’s arm instinctively slid around Rae’s waist. Cormac’s place was nothing like the warehouse above; it was dark, opulent, and excessive.

The perfect meeting place for what remained of the council.

Of the nine families, there were always Providents waiting in the shadows to step into a council position, and Baelin had already briefed Aidan on all the Vampires vying for the title.

All eyes turned to them as Cormac announced their arrival.

Or more specifically, their attention turned to Rae.

To her credit, she didn’t balk under the stare of so many Vampires.

Part of what made the Witches so secretive was that they were difficult to identify from humans despite their immortality.

But secretive or not, Vampires were so fixated on their feud with the Fae that seeking out Witches was the last thing on their mind.

If Aidan were the kind to pray, he would have sent a silent thanks to one of the gods for that.

Malik and Karina were the first to approach, introducing themselves to Rae not out of respect, but to see what information they might leech from her.

A silent insult to their lord, though Aidan didn’t care.

He didn’t have time for council politics tonight.

Rae’s mental shields were the strongest he’d ever come across, and the only Vampire powerful enough to shatter them, and her mind along with it, was him.

So she was safe from their probing, at least.

“You are as beautiful as the other council members described,” Karina said to Rae, her amber eyes flitting between them. “You have excellent taste, my lord.”

“Oh, he’s not with me for my looks.” Rae looked over her shoulder, and Aidan braced himself to get her out of there with whatever came out of her mouth next. “He’s with me because I’m an easy lay, right, my lord ?”

Aidan gripped her chin gently. “You possess many talents, lux mea,” he told her. And he meant it. Every challenge she faced, she rose up to meet it. Every task she set herself to, she achieved. But Karina was right.

Oh, you haven’t even seen the start of my talents, Rae said in his thoughts, her eyes on his. If this is the best the council can regurgitate after that snake Sysmus went into hiding, I think your position is safe for now.

Aidan chuckled, releasing Rae’s chin only to slide an arm around her waist. “Gather the others,” he told Karina, dismissing her and her husband without taking his eyes away from the Witch at his side.

You’re staring again, Vampire. Rae clapped her hands together. “Oh, visk! Cormac, you’re a male after my heart. Thank you.” The Vampire handed her a glass of the amber liquid, and with a saccharine smile, Rae’s accompanying dismissal of Karina and Malik was complete.

She was right in her assessment of them both; their family had always sought the lord’s title but never succeeded.

Beside Rae, Cormac passed Aidan a glass.

“Allow me to give you both a tour.” He waited for Aidan’s nod of approval before leading the way through the throng, stopping to allow council members and their Ascendants to approach.

Of the nine families, there were four new council members and their accompanying Ascendants, some with their partners in tow.

Soft lighting and walls lined with crimson fabric surrounded them, floor-to-ceiling paintings of writhing bodies swallowed by shadows, and heavy gold chandeliers hung from the ceiling above.

At first, Aidan had thought Cormac’s taste was merely decadent, but the more time he spent in the turned Vampire’s presence, he realised it was all part of the act.

Cormac was a lamb among lions, and he knew it, so this image of opulence he’d created was merely armour.

Orion remained a few steps behind, curiosity tumbling from the other council members at Baelin’s absence.

Let them be curious, Aidan had told his Ascendant before he’d left.

It was more important that Baelin remained top side tonight, though Aidan found himself wishing he’d brought Quinn along to shadow Rae instead of leaving him at the manor to babysit the damn rutok.

They followed Cormac through the interconnecting rooms. Some held daybeds covered in dark fabric, one a large table overflowing with food that no one other than Rae would touch.

Smaller rooms sat around the perimeter that Cormac offered no explanation for, but no Vampire needed.

They were feeding rooms for those who wanted to take from the vein directly.

Twelve humans in total, all of them high from being fed on, Aidan knew with a little flex of his abilities. A few empty rooms, all locked.

Rae was wound tighter than he’d ever seen her, and Aidan resisted the urge to pull her into one of the empty rooms just to give her a minute to get it together, but it would call too much attention to her. You good, Farren?

Never better. Let’s get what we came for.

Cormac opened a door ahead of them. “Ah. Here we are. The main event.” The Vampire’s voice pulled Aidan’s attention away from Rae, his arm falling from her waist as he flexed his Provident abilities over the male chained to the wall before them. Gades, Sysmus’ Ascendant.

“Perhaps a little demonstration, my lord, of that unrivalled power. Something to whet our appetites,” Cormac said dryly.

Aidan didn’t give a fuck about putting on a show.

He tore into Gades’ mind with the full force of his Provident abilities, a silent plea on the Vampire’s lips a heartbeat too slow for Aidan’s attack.

Images, names, answers, locations, Aidan searched through all of it, took all of it, Gades’ eyes rolling into the back of his head, his body hanging limply against his chains and his chest rising slowly with laboured breaths.