“I need to make sure you don’t accidentally off my brother. I will be watching over him. Either we go together, or I go alone.”

He leaned his shoulder against the hearth mantel, examining his black claws. His silver rings shone in the firelight. “Then I’ll keep you trapped in here.”

“Asshole! So I’m back to being a prisoner? And you wonder why I don’t trust you with more information about myself?”

“You need to clean up this mess. And more . . .” He traced away for a split second, returning with a weighty book. He dropped it on his fireside chair. “You can read this and learn about the Lore.”

Lemme get right on that. “What’s in the book?”

“Everything you ever wanted to know about immortals.”

She pursed her lips. Of course it is. The treasure trove she needed most. “No dice, Rune. Nothing matters more to me than keeping my brother safe.”

He smirked. “I’ll do my best not to make him a collateral casualty.”

So arrogant! Rune seemed to take those vows to the Lore seriously. Why not try one? He loved it when she drank from him, so . . . “If we aren’t partners in killing Nïx, if I don’t go everywhere you go when involved in that mission, then I vow to the Lore I won’t drink blood.”

“You did not just say that.” He actually reeled a little. “You will be bound by that vow, compelled by it, even if you later decide differently. You gave few qualifiers—and no time limit.”

“What’s the big deal?”

“Say I returned here in five seconds with the Valkyrie’s head and your brother safely in tow. All your problems would be solved. Yet because you didn’t accompany me, you wouldn’t be able to drink blood—ever. The vow would prevent you from ingesting it. You’d be incapable of it!”

He had to be overreacting. No way a few words were so powerful.

“So I either have to partner with you or allow you to starve.” He pointed his finger at her. “Guess which way I’m leaning, vampire!” He was madder than he’d been about his stuff. “You shouldn’t throw those words around, much less so broadly! It was an immature move. Which is completely understandable given your age.”

“Look, I’ve never made a vow like that before I did with you, okay?”

“Yet you refuse to read the Book of Lore and educate yourself?”

Ugh! She wanted nothing more! “I’m having a hard time believing words could make me starve.”

He pulled that trinket from his pocket. “Vow to the Lore you’ll never take this talisman from me without my permission.”

“So it’s gone from trinket to talisman?” She stepped closer. “Tell me what that is.”

“Perhaps I will in time. If you make the vow.”

“Fine. I vow to the Lore I’ll never take that from you without your permission.”

He held it out to her.

When she reached for it, her hand veered to the right as if repelled by some invisible force. Brows drawn, she attempted again. Same result. She raised her chin. “Then my vow is bulletproof. Good. That means we’ll work together to kill Nïx.”

“I have done this by myself a time or two, vampire.”

“You’ve failed with her twice already. I botched your attempt from the roof—”

“Because I chose not to kill you.” He squared his shoulders, clearly unused to criticism about his skill. “In a nanosecond, I could have shot you and strung another arrow for the Valkyrie.”

“You couldn’t hit her when she attacked me. I assume you were trying?” When he’d been yelling for Jo.

He ground his fangs.

She had him! “Then that settles it. We’re partners in crime for this mission.”

“I’ll make sure it’s a very short mission.” He strode closer to her. “We begin now.”

“I need to get clothes from my place first.” She gestured at her bare feet.

“There’s more I want to say about your actions—my wrath is in no way appeased—but I’m curious about your home, since you found mine quaint.”

“After that, will we go to Nïx’s?” Jo tried to picture a mad Valkyrie’s crib. “Does she live in a different dimension?”

“She resides not far from New Orleans on a property called Val Hall. But there’s no need to go there. I have spies watching it every minute of the day. They’ll alert me if she returns there.”

“How?”

“This rune will glow.” He pointed to a band inked around his right wrist. “In any case, we hope she doesn’t. The wraiths guarding Val Hall make it the safest place for her.”

“Wraiths?”

“Spectral she-beings. They fly around the mansion, keeping intruders out.”

“How do you kill them?”

“You don’t; they’re already dead.” He took her arm. “It’d be best just to show you. But say nothing about what we intend. The nymphs concealed around Val Hall would overhear it.”

Concealed? “So?”

“So they’re there to help me for two reasons. One: I fucked them. Two: They believe I only want to sleep with Nïx. They can’t hear us arguing about how best to assassinate her.” He traced Jo to an overgrown stretch of misty bayou countryside.

Moss dangled from oaks. Fog draped the area. Lightning rods jutted all over the property, corralling repeated bolts.