helpline. I feel cheapened.” She regarded her nails. “I’ve blinded men for less.” Scribe was again busy behind them, more tentatively dousing the last of the fires, but he paused to nod, as if he’d definitely seen that one happen.
“I’m sorry. I should have known,” Kaderin said. “Everyone says it’s impossible to get information out of you.”
“You’d best step lightly, Valkyrie,” she warned, but she was amused. She glided forward to put her arm around Kaderin, startling her. Riora’s touch was warm and soft, as she shepherded her to the side. Then, in a low tone, she said, “Here’s a hint. If you come across the blade of the blind mystic Honorius, know that he charmed it never to miss its target.”
Before Kaderin could ask her more about this cryptic hint, Riora turned abruptly. “Oh, here comes your vampire. He can’t stand it anymore.”
Kaderin tried to deny that he was hers, but Riora spoke over her. “Look at him watching you so greedily! And how arrogant his stance! What thrilling hubris—and broad shoulders.” She gave a growl in her throat. “Shall I stall him while you leave? It won’t be a chore.”
Kaderin pressed her lips in irritation, then felt ridiculous. She couldn’t be jealous over a vampire. “I’d appreciate that. Though I don’t think it possible to stall him for more than a few hours.”
“Cheeky, Valkyrie,” Riora said, her gaze never wavering from Sebastian. “You have a day.”
* * *
“Vampire,” Riora murmured as Sebastian strode by. “A word with you.”
He impatiently turned to her but continued glancing at Kaderin as she crossed the length of the temple. She met the werewolf near the arched doorway, and they had a terse exchange.
“Relax—yes, she’s getting away from you. But then, nothing has changed since five minutes ago, when she never wanted to see you again. So, who carved you up? Was it that naughty red-clawed Lykae presently threatening Kaderin?”
Sebastian was going to kill him. “We had an altercation,” he said absently, beginning to stride to Kaderin. “I must go—”
Riora appeared in front of him. “How did you find this place?” she asked, her voice becoming more forceful. “I don’t recall sending you an invitation, neither does Scribe here”—she snapped her fingers, and the man dropped his candle snuffer to hurry to her side—“and I’m not certain I appreciate you crashing my party.”
“I traced here.” He had to remember he could reach Kaderin at any time. And that he had better not anger the deity who had given him the favor of competing.
“You couldn’t ever have been here.”
Finally, the Lykae loped away. Kaderin gave the Scot a vulgar hand gesture behind his back, then stared in obvious bafflement at her own finger.
“I traced to Kaderin.” When Sebastian saw Kaderin dig a phone from her jacket, then slip through the doorway, he turned back to Riora with his jaw clenched. “She was my destination.”
Riora’s lips curled as if she were delighted. Suddenly, her eyes seemed to burn. “But, vampire, that’s impossible.”
In a distracted tone, he said, “Perhaps it was considered so before, but—”
“How did you do it?” She placed her forefinger on the altar and used it to press herself up to a sitting position at the edge.
He hurriedly explained how the variable constraints couldn’t be separated. You couldn’t have one possible and the other impossible when they were so similar. If it was a feat of mental dexterity and sense-memory detail, then it followed that tracing could be taken to extremes not seen before.
“Ut-ter-ly fascinating.” She turned to the small man, fanning herself. “Scribe, I think I’m in love. He’s like my very own foot soldier!
How shall I reward him?”
Scribe said, “To tell by his grinding teeth and bulging jaw, I’d say he has only one desire at present.” Sebastian saw that Scribe did not appreciate his interest in the
“I’m sorry. I should have known,” Kaderin said. “Everyone says it’s impossible to get information out of you.”
“You’d best step lightly, Valkyrie,” she warned, but she was amused. She glided forward to put her arm around Kaderin, startling her. Riora’s touch was warm and soft, as she shepherded her to the side. Then, in a low tone, she said, “Here’s a hint. If you come across the blade of the blind mystic Honorius, know that he charmed it never to miss its target.”
Before Kaderin could ask her more about this cryptic hint, Riora turned abruptly. “Oh, here comes your vampire. He can’t stand it anymore.”
Kaderin tried to deny that he was hers, but Riora spoke over her. “Look at him watching you so greedily! And how arrogant his stance! What thrilling hubris—and broad shoulders.” She gave a growl in her throat. “Shall I stall him while you leave? It won’t be a chore.”
Kaderin pressed her lips in irritation, then felt ridiculous. She couldn’t be jealous over a vampire. “I’d appreciate that. Though I don’t think it possible to stall him for more than a few hours.”
“Cheeky, Valkyrie,” Riora said, her gaze never wavering from Sebastian. “You have a day.”
* * *
“Vampire,” Riora murmured as Sebastian strode by. “A word with you.”
He impatiently turned to her but continued glancing at Kaderin as she crossed the length of the temple. She met the werewolf near the arched doorway, and they had a terse exchange.
“Relax—yes, she’s getting away from you. But then, nothing has changed since five minutes ago, when she never wanted to see you again. So, who carved you up? Was it that naughty red-clawed Lykae presently threatening Kaderin?”
Sebastian was going to kill him. “We had an altercation,” he said absently, beginning to stride to Kaderin. “I must go—”
Riora appeared in front of him. “How did you find this place?” she asked, her voice becoming more forceful. “I don’t recall sending you an invitation, neither does Scribe here”—she snapped her fingers, and the man dropped his candle snuffer to hurry to her side—“and I’m not certain I appreciate you crashing my party.”
“I traced here.” He had to remember he could reach Kaderin at any time. And that he had better not anger the deity who had given him the favor of competing.
“You couldn’t ever have been here.”
Finally, the Lykae loped away. Kaderin gave the Scot a vulgar hand gesture behind his back, then stared in obvious bafflement at her own finger.
“I traced to Kaderin.” When Sebastian saw Kaderin dig a phone from her jacket, then slip through the doorway, he turned back to Riora with his jaw clenched. “She was my destination.”
Riora’s lips curled as if she were delighted. Suddenly, her eyes seemed to burn. “But, vampire, that’s impossible.”
In a distracted tone, he said, “Perhaps it was considered so before, but—”
“How did you do it?” She placed her forefinger on the altar and used it to press herself up to a sitting position at the edge.
He hurriedly explained how the variable constraints couldn’t be separated. You couldn’t have one possible and the other impossible when they were so similar. If it was a feat of mental dexterity and sense-memory detail, then it followed that tracing could be taken to extremes not seen before.
“Ut-ter-ly fascinating.” She turned to the small man, fanning herself. “Scribe, I think I’m in love. He’s like my very own foot soldier!
How shall I reward him?”
Scribe said, “To tell by his grinding teeth and bulging jaw, I’d say he has only one desire at present.” Sebastian saw that Scribe did not appreciate his interest in the
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