A pathetic creature, but what did it have to do with her? She returned her attention to the female at her side. “Is he mad?”

“If that was all that was wrong with him, I would have killed him the minute he stumbled close to our nest.” Solaris glanced toward the silent guard. “Open the window.”

With a grimace the warrior leaned sideways and slid the pane of glass open a few inches. Immediately a choking cloud of . . . aggression—the only word that came to her mind—filled the air.

Nefri shuddered, her fangs fully extended and aching for blood. “Good lord,” she rasped.

Solaris hissed as her muscles tensed and her eyes swirled with the power of an approaching hurricane. “He was in our territory for less than one day and he triggered a dozen fights that broke out among various demons, including two of my Harpies, and caused an entire pack of hellhounds to turn on one another,” she said between clenched teeth, as vulnerable to the evil in the air as Nefri. “Four of them are dead.”

Nefri took an instinctive step back. She was close to snapping. “Is he the only one?”

“The only one who has survived. We found several corpses that had been drained and two others that looked as if they’d fought to the death.”

“Please.” Nefri clenched her hands, her mind clouding with a bloodlust that she hadn’t felt in centuries. “Close the window.”

Solaris nodded toward the guard, who hurriedly slammed the glass shut. For a minute there was a heavy silence as each of them struggled to leash the violence that bubbled through their veins.

At last, giving a low curse, Solaris turned to stab Nefri with a frustrated glare. “Are you prepared to confess what is going on?”

Nefri gave a slow shake of her head, feeling a stab of betrayal. What had the Commission done?

This . . . spirit . . . or whatever the hell it was, had been locked behind the Veil for endless centuries and never once had the Oracles warned her that it could be a danger to her people, let alone turn them into savage zombies.

And now she was learning that Gaius’s bite might actually be infecting humans....

Holy hell.

“I don’t know. Truly,” she told her companion, her expression troubled. “I’ve never heard of a vampire’s bite causing this reaction in a human.”

“But you knew something was wrong?” the Harpy pressed.

“Yes, but I had no idea Gaius was causing such damage,” she carefully hedged before turning the conversation away from what brought her to Louisiana. “I felt the lingering consequences of the infection as we were traveling through the swamp. Is it fading?”

Solaris’s lips thinned, but she allowed herself to be diverted. “Yes. Once the human was locked away the hostility began to lessen. Hopefully it will be completely gone by tomorrow.”

The words didn’t ease the tight knot of dread in the pit of her stomach, but it did give her hope that if they moved with enough speed they could contain the worst of the plague.

“What do you intend to do with him?” she asked, nodding toward the cell.

“Study him for now,” Solaris said with a shrug. “He’ll be dead in a day or two.”

Nefri was caught off guard by the blunt announcement. “Dead? He’s not ill. At least not physically.”

“No, but he refuses to eat and he continues to damage himself no matter how often we sedate him. He won’t survive for long.”

Lord, what a mess.

Nefri pressed a hand to her temple, suddenly aware of her heavy weariness. Dawn was approaching at a rapid rate and she needed to rest and feed to regain her strength.

“I must speak with the Anasso,” she said, more to herself than the Harpies who eyed her with open suspicion. “He has to be warned.”

“First, will you tell me what is happening?”

“The only thing I can tell you is that I will do my best to track down Gaius and put an end to his contamination,” she promised.

Solaris arched a brow. “And if I decide I wish to keep an insurance policy until I can be certain the vampires clean up their mess?”

Nefri met the stormy gaze without flinching. She was an ancient clan chief who had faced down the most powerful demons. She didn’t allow herself to be intimidated.

Not by anyone.

“Then I would have to confess that it wasn’t Styx who sent me to capture Gaius.”

Solaris froze. “Then who?”

“The Commission.”

Santiago should have been happy as a freaking lark.

After being escorted into the Harpy nest, he’d found himself ensconced in a luxurious set of rooms. The large living room had an Oriental flavor with black and gold furnishings and jade figurines set on low lacquer tables. The connecting bedroom shared the Oriental theme, the king-size bed canopied in gold silk and the poofy chaise lounges covered in black satin.

Even the lavatory was matching in the dramatic color scheme, although he had no idea why women insisted on such elegance in a mere bathroom. Give him a shower and a bar of soap and he was satisfied.

Not that he didn’t spend several painful minutes imagining Nefri soaking in the marble tub that was deep enough to drown in and surrounded by a dozen different oils, soaps, and shampoos.

Oh, the things he could do to that female in that tub . . . her raven hair floating on the water and her lips parted in astonished pleasure as he knelt between her thighs.

It was the scent of female Harpy that pulled him out of his fantasies and back into the living room to discover Charis had returned, a smile of invitation on her beautiful face and her lean body still naked.

“Hello, gorgeous,” she purred, leaning against the edge of a sofa so her pale wings could contrast with the dark material and the arch in her back could emphasize her full breasts.

Never let it be said a Harpy didn’t know how to flaunt her assets.

“Have you come to release me?” he demanded.

She pouted, giving a toss of her dark curls. “Don’t you like our little nest?”

Santiago swallowed his impatience. The female looked harmless, but one misspoken word and he’d find himself being roasted by a barrage of fireballs.

“I’m always delighted to be in the company of beautiful women.”

She licked her lips. “How beautiful?”

“As beautiful as a freshly bloomed orchid.”

“Would you like to touch?”

His lips twisted. The female couldn’t know how much her simple question troubled him. She was tender, exquisite, and oozing with sexual invitation. Only a eunuch wouldn’t want to toss her on the sofa and give in to temptation.

But his body remained stubbornly indifferent to the pleasures the woman had on offer, his fangs refusing to lengthen, and his cock unimpressed. Instead, he was wracked by a compulsive need to find Nefri and make sure she hadn’t been hurt.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have time to enjoy the delights of Harpy hospitality.”

“Why not? Your female is busy with the Matron.” Abruptly straightening, Charis strolled toward him, running a finger down the line of her throat. “And I brought you dinner.”

His short burst of laughter held no humor. “It looks delicious, of course, and I can’t express how desperately I wish I wanted a sip or two.”

She halted, her brow furrowing in confusion. “Aren’t you hungry?”

“My appetite seems to have become extremely selective,” he said dryly.

The gray eyes flashed with anger, but Harpies had rigid rules of protocol and Charis had been well trained. “Very well,” she conceded defeat. “If you would prefer another female, that can be arranged.”

“I would prefer to return to my companion.”

“Why? You’re not mated.”

He shivered at the mere thought. This . . . obsession with her was bad enough. How much worse would it be if they were actually mated?

Mierda.

Aware that the Harpy was waiting for his response, he managed a thin smile. “I’ve pledged to protect her.”

“She’s in no immediate danger,” Charis said, her expression petulant. “And she won’t be leaving until we’re satisfied she isn’t responsible for the nasty humans invading our lands.”

Santiago’s irritation was replaced by a sharp curiosity. This had to be the reason they’d been forced to the Harpy nest. “Nasty humans?”

Charis wrinkled her nose. “They carry violence with them, infecting the entire area with their madness.”

Hmmm. He folded his arms over his chest. “Why do you think Nefri or I might be involved?”

“The Matron hasn’t shared her suspicions with the younger warriors, but the humans were bitten by two fangs. Most of us assumed it was a vampire who infected them.” She sent him a questioning gaze. “What else could it be?”

Gaius. It had to be.

He could feel it in his very bones.

“Yes, what else,” he muttered.

“Can we play now?”

Santiago barely noticed as Charis moved close enough to tug the leather band from his hair, allowing it to spill down his back. He was far more interested in the scent of jasmine and feminine power that sliced through him like a bolt of lightning.