“What is the demon looking for?” I asked with an even voice.

Vlad pulled out a chair at a small table and waited for me to sit. “I thought maybe you could tell me.”

I lowered into the seat as nervous flutters filled my stomach. There was no way to know if he was playing dumb or honestly didn’t know. I’d heard this man made politics and manipulation seem like an art, and I was horribly unprepared for a face-to-face grilling.

My thoughts drifted to Darius. I should’ve waited for him on that street corner. He would have known how to deal with Vlad. This was one time I was totally fine with being saved. Actually, hoping for it.

“I came here expecting the level-four demon that had been summoned,” I said. “I have no idea why a stronger demon showed up instead.”

“From what we surmise, this demon intruded on the summons. It had an agenda, and by taking the summons, it had willing participants to aid it in its pursuit.”

“I didn’t know that was possible.”

“If the demon is powerful enough to travel independently in the Brink, it certainly is. So tell me…” His smile wasn’t as disarming as he’d probably meant it to be. “What is Agnon searching for?”

“Agnon? That’s the demon’s name?”

He nodded. There was an opportunistic gleam in his eyes, and another wave of fear washed over me.

This was bad. I needed to get out of here.

And, of course, it was at that moment that my coffee arrived. Vlad got one, too, before the vampire lackey headed outside.

At least I only had one vampire to contend with if things went sour. Granted, that one vampire was probably too much for me to handle without burning down the coffee shop, but I’d definitely give it the ol’ college try. Seattle had plenty of coffee shops; they wouldn’t miss one.

“I really have no idea, Vlad,” I said, wrapping my hands around the warmth of the paper cup. “Like I said, I was brought here to track down a few mages who were sacrificing people in order to call a level-four demon. This new situation is as surprising to me as it is to you. Surprising, and daunting. I’m going to have to rely on my mage friends to banish it.”

He studied me in silence, his dark eyes holding mine. Suddenly, I was overcome with an intense urge to crumble at his feet and beg to reveal all I knew. I could feel it weighing on my shoulders and churning my guts. I didn’t know if this was some special superpower of his, or just the desire to buckle under his obvious expectations, but it was potent.

Vlad took a slow sip of coffee before carefully setting his cup back onto the table. “What would you say if I told you that the aswang you defeated started its journey in Northern California, and made a beeline from there to New Orleans? Straight to your house.”

I felt my brow lower as I tried to process what he’d said. “Huh?”

I didn’t quite get there.

“I was sure Darius knew about that. No matter.” He leaned back and crossed an ankle over his knee. “I see he has taken your blood.”

I flinched, but stopped myself from reaching for my neck. A vampire’s saliva healed the bite wound pretty quickly. Teamed with my healing capabilities, I knew that mark, and any others, were long gone.

“I promised Roger that Darius could take from me if he needed to, that’s all,” I said. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

His smile spoke volumes. He knew Darius and I had gotten a lot more intimate than the mere taking of blood.

That was embarrassing.

“As of late, Darius has made a habit of guarding you very closely,” Vlad went on. “You, and any information about you. Any records regarding your past or present have been hidden or destroyed. Even that which should be public record. For a vampire who has always relished having no ties from which he can’t immediately walk away, I find this curious. And now a demon shows up on the surface, looking for something it appears to value highly, and you just happen to show up at the same place, nearly at the same time. All these elements are a recipe for a hearty soup.”

“I don’t know much about soup, but Darius just wants what he can’t have. That’s the long and short of it. He wants to control me, and I want to stab him with sharp things.”

Vlad took another sip of coffee, his eyes still glued to mine. It felt like he was peeling back the front of my forehead to get a peek at my thoughts. I felt completely naked. Utterly exposed to his prying.

If I stayed here, I was bound to reveal something I didn’t want to.

How many times do you need to come to that conclusion before you stand up and walk out, idiot?

“What is it that makes you so unique, Reagan Somerset? What has this demon come to the surface to find?” He paused. His head tilted. “What has Darius stumbled upon?”

“Blood that tastes better than it smells, if he can be believed.” I rose and turned toward the door.

There was a blur of movement, and Vlad was suddenly blocking my way. Someone in the cafe gasped.

His smile had turned feral. “It is in your best interest to sit back down, Miss Somerset. We are not done speaking.”

Mad shivers driven by adrenaline worked through my body. This was about to get real. Where were the shifters when you needed them? “Yes, we are.”

Vlad’s body loosened, about to make a move. I braced myself, my power pounding within me.

Outside, a body flew across the length of the cafe window. It landed out of sight. The door swung open and in walked the best sight I’d ever seen.

“Vlad,” Darius said in a quiet whip crack of a voice. “Step away from her.”

Vlad’s eyes crinkled and his head tilted toward me, just a fraction. Approval. For what, I had no idea.

He turned around slowly, facing a vampire taller and broader than himself. Of course, that didn’t mean anything. Not to vampires their age.

“I was just speaking of you,” Vlad said, not stepping to the side. “You’ve thoroughly covered her in your scent. Was that by design?”

“I’ve already submitted the bonding paperwork,” Darius said, thankfully ignoring that gross question. “Per the bylaws, she has been claimed until they come to a decision. She is under my protection. You are wasting your time here.”

“I can easily deny your request,” Vlad responded.

“You could try.” The power and confidence in Darius’s voice fluttered my insides. “Of course, you would have to wait for Winston to return from his pilgrimage. The request is frozen until such a time. You know what it means to flout our laws.”

I shifted enough to see the sly grin soak up Vlad’s face. “I have taught you well. Too well, perhaps.” He took a step toward Darius and lowered his voice. “What have you found, old friend? It must be a diamond in the rough for you to act like this. Curiosity is eating away at me.”

Darius ignored that question, too. “Have you made contact with the demon?”

A predatory gleam flashed in Vlad’s eyes. “Let’s step outside.”

Darius pushed open the door, and both men looked at me, waiting for me to go first.

“You try to kidnap me, stalk me, threaten me, manipulate me, but oh look, you’ll hold the door for me,” I mumbled. “You guys are something else.”

“Is that not what you desire?” Vlad asked, following me out the door. Darius moved to my side, placing himself between Vlad and I.

“No. I’d rather be left alone.”

Vlad smiled like he didn’t believe me. To Darius, he said, “From what I can gather, the demon is from a sect known for their ambition. They have power in plenty, and play the game well. They’ve sent Agnon to the surface, promising rewards if it completes its mission. That’s all anyone knows, but the…coincidences are telling.” Vlad glanced at me.

“How does this demon affect your plans?” Darius asked.

Vlad spread his hands. “Not at all. I am merely along for the ride.”

“And the mages in the area—do they have any bearing on your intentions?”

“From what I hear, your people have already started to dabble in the politics of this area. I’ve granted you the professional courtesy of staying clear. I am not meeting with anyone outside of this specific situation while I am here.”