Page 102 of The Guardian's Curse

He chuckled. “Would you be angry if I told you I thought about seducing her when we first met?”

“I would think you were blind if you had not considered it,” he said. “Or that you had struck your head.”

Paris nodded solemnly. “She adores you, Allie. She’s brought you back to life. So if destiny intends for you to have her, then I will make sure destiny has her way. You have my word.”

“Thank you,” Alistair said. “You have given me much more grace than I deserve. I am lucky to have you.” Using the present tense felt dangerous; did he, in fact, still have Paris?

He chuckled again as they pulled into the private drive. “I certainly have, and you certainly are.” The other man’s agreement was a relief.

Another black car was parked in the drive, right in front of the house. Paris parked in the garage, next to the vehicle he had loaned to Shoshanna. Before getting out, he simply squeezed Alistair’s hand. “We’ll get her back, mon ami.”

Inside the house, he found a house full of vampires crowded around Lucia, who was bundled in blankets on the couch. The house was sweltering with the fireplace still going and the heat running. She wore a bright pink bathrobe that had to be the work of Safira, who was gently brushing her damp blonde hair and weaving it into an intricate braid.

The smell of warm food filled the house, reminding him of Shoshanna. Several large paper bags were strewn across the stone countertop. There had to be enough food for an army.

Lucia clutched a bowl with a spoon, but she appeared preoccupied with the black cat who was purring noisily as he kneaded the pile of blankets over her lap. He wasn’t sure if the opportunistic feline was attracted to the strange new woman, who had a heartbeat and warm blood like his mistress, or if he smelled her food.

Traitor, he thought. As pleased as he was to see Lucia alive and well, he wanted only Shoshanna.

Julian had made himself at home, sitting at Alistair’s piano bench. He lifted his eyes to Alistair and nodded, then gestured to the living room as if he was giving him permission to sit in his own house. Alistair suppressed a comment and settled into the chair across from him. As his weight pressed into the cushion, the scent of Shoshanna billowed up from it, making his heart ache. Julian nodded to Safira. “Will you take her to bed? She should rest.”

Safira took the bowl from her, and stood aside as Dominic gently lifted Lucia. He spoke in Czech, his voice unusually gentle. “Little bird, you need to rest,” he said.

“Will Kova be here soon? I can wait,” she asked.

“It’ll be a few days,” he said. “He has a long way to travel.”

“I see,” Lucia said. She pointed back to the couch. “Will the cat come?”

Safira chuckled and scooped up the black cat, following behind them to put Lucia to bed.

Nikko watched her go. His grim look echoed Alistair’s own thoughts. “Someone has to tell her soon.”

“After she’s had a chance to rest and recuperate a while,” Julian said. “I hate lying to her, but she will need a gentle hand. This is already a tremendous shock.” He crossed his legs and leaned back against the piano. “Our contact in the Casteron court called tonight. Elliott McAvoy just killed Cristiano Moretti.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Paris asked. “Did they tear his head off?”

“No,” Julian said calmly. “He challenged Cristiano for the throne. Cristiano accepted a challenge by combat, and he lost. Elliott is now the Baron of all the Casteron vampires here in Atlanta.”

“What about the Covenant?” Alistair asked. The last thing they needed was a clan of feral vampires driven mad by the broken binding.

“If the Baron is defeated in combat, his challenger drinks from him to anchor the Covenant. If it is not already official, it will be before sunrise,” Julian said grimly.

“Good God,” Alistair breathed. “And Shoshanna?”

“Elliott used her as his weapon,” he said. “She incapacitated Cristiano, and Elliot dealt the final blow. Natalia wasn’t certain, but she believes the two witches are enthralled to him. They flank him on the throne now.”

He buried his head in his hands. “If he lays a hand on her...”

“We must tread carefully,” Julian said. “There were some who were clearly loyal to Cristiano, and they left with Vanessa. But the majority remained. Like it or not, Elliott is now a rightful Baron. He speaks for the Casteron here in Atlanta.”

“And he now holds the key to unraveling all the security at Infinity,” Paris said mildly.

“I’m aware,” Julian replied. “That still does not give us a right to simply go in and kill him.”

“Then I’ll challenge him,” Alistair said. “And when I kill him, I’ll reclaim what he stole.”

“It’s not that simple,” Julian said. “You’re not from their court.”

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