Did I mention vampires have a low tolerance?
I found Kami waiting for me in front of the Gherkin. “Nice show. Next time I’d suggest dialing up the drama a smidge. Maybe throw in a crying baby on a ledge.”
“The wizard escaped.”
Her face tightened. “That stinks. Teleporter?”
I nodded.
“Any idea what he was trying to achieve?”
“Other than ruin your date? Nope.”
She cracked a smile. “The date was ruined when I shook Peter’s hand and it was sweaty. I could’ve forgiven him misleading me about his job, but…” She grimaced. “If you’re going to lay a sweaty hand on me, we’d both better be naked.”
“Well, at least he didn’t die,” I said.
As though hearing his name invoked, Peter cut through from the crowd. “No offense, Kami, but I think I’ll stick to women who don’t have special names for their weapons.”
Kami shrugged. “Your loss.”
Peter walked away.
“Two coins says he starts running before he reaches the corner,” I said.
“I’ll take that bet.”
Side-by-side we watched him go. About halfway down the block, he picked up the pace and two steps later launched into a full-blown run. I held out my hand.
Kami muttered as she dug into her pocket. “Stupid matchmaker and her dating profiles. So freakin’ inaccurate.”
The crowd parted as though driven back by an invisible hand. At first I worried there was another disturbance on the horizon until I saw him.
Him as in the Lord of Shadows. Seriously? I’d only been joking earlier.
He headed straight toward me, his gait almost predatory. “I should have guessed I’d find you in the midst of all this chaos.”
Kami’s eyes widened slightly.
“Kami, I’d like you to meet…” I was about to offer one of his nicknames, but quickly realized that might be a mistake. It was risky enough to insult him in private. I’d have to be suicidal to insult the Demon of House Duncan in front of a crowd. There could be repercussions.
“Prince Callan,” he finished for me.
Kami stared. “House Lewis? That Prince Callan?” Her gaze darted to me. “Or is it House Duncan? I don’t know how it works with a hostage.” She clamped a hand over her mouth. “Am I allowed to call you a hostage?”
He smiled. “If you’re anything like your friend, I imagine you’ll call me whatever you like.”
She laughed. “Oh, you’ve gotten to know her already then. Nice.”
The prince angled his head toward the rooftop. “What happened?”
“There was an incident with a dragon. It’s all good now though,” I said.
Amusement danced in his green eyes. “Care to elaborate?”
“Not really. How did you know I was here?” If he admitted to following me again, crowd or no crowd, we were going to have words.
“If you must know, I was attending a meeting with my finance team and we heard the ruckus.”
“You have a finance team?” I asked.
“If not, I just left behind some very confused vampires in three-piece suits.”
Kami’s words tumbled out. “There was a wizard trying to control a dragon and make him breathe fire on the Gherkin. London took control of the dragon and went after him, but he teleported before she got to him.”
I pressed my lips together to keep myself from yelling at Kami. Why had she felt the need to disclose all that to a vampire? Even worse, to Prince Callan?
He looked at me. “Are you injured?”
I blinked. Not the question I was expecting.
“I’m fine,” I said.
“Good. If you’re done here, why don’t you walk with me? My meeting is finished. You can update me on the particulars of this dragon incident. Perhaps it’s relevant to our mutual concern.”
I shot a helpless look at Kami.
“Am I invited?” she asked.
“No,” I said quickly. She’d said quite enough to the prince already.
The prince looped his arm through mine and guided me away from the Gherkin. I felt like I was under arrest.
“Where are we going?” I had visions of me being imprisoned in some secret lair he’d been preparing since the moment we met. I bet the primal part of him would enjoy watching me try to fight my way out.
Then again, was there a part of him that wasn’t primal?
Yes. I’d seen a glimpse of him only moments ago when he asked if I was injured. The concern seemed genuine.
“I have a place nearby. We can talk privately there.”
My skin tingled at the prospect.
He kept his arm looped through mine and I couldn’t decide whether he was being gallant or forceful.
We arrived at a row of white terraced houses with shiny black doors except for one on the end which boasted a shiny red door. No need to guess which one we were about to enter.
“Mine is the one with the red door.”
Shocker.
Prince Callan might not be a blood relation of House Lewis, but he’d definitely become one of them.
“Do you really not mind being called a hostage?” The question slipped out before I had a chance to stop it.
“It depends.” He climbed the steps and produced a key from his pocket.
“Do you think of yourself that way?”
He seemed surprised by the question. “Once upon a time maybe, but not anymore. I’m no longer a child. I’m a powerful vampire in my own right. If I wanted to leave, I would.”
“If you left, you’d violate the terms of the treaty.” If memory served, he was bound to House Lewis for another ten years before he would be permitted to return to his birth family.
The prince lingered on the doorstep. “Since you’ve been so agreeable coming here without a fight, I’ll tell you a secret. House Lewis would be perfectly fine with me returning to Scotland. It’s only the fear of a public outcry that prevents them from allowing it. The vampires in the city would scream bloody murder. That’s the trouble with immortals. Long memories.”
Yes, that was the problem.
“What is this place?” I asked.
“Somewhere safe.”
“This is where you keep your mistresses, isn’t it?”
“I don’t keep anyone. They come and go as they please.”
“You mean they come and go as you please.”
He unlocked the door and pushed it open. The moment I crossed the threshold, my magic surged and I clamped down. Hard.
“I like having a place to go where I can’t be bothered,” he said, oblivious to my visceral response. “There are no servants here. No one making demands of me.”
I couldn’t say that about my flat. There was always an animal in need of something.
The first thing I noticed was the black and white tile floor. It had to be original to the house.
I tapped my boot on the tile. “This is pre-Eternal Night.”
“So it is. Well spotted.”
My gaze traveled around the foyer, taking in the other features. Original wainscoting. A tray ceiling.
“Wow. You found a real diamond in the rough.” The city was filled with once-grand houses that had fallen on hard times.
“I certainly have,” he said.