Page 29 of Skin Trade

She was, but that didn’t stop her mind panicking about it, imagining what Creven could do if he got the chance. She tried to calm herself, even tried to reassure herself with Seth’s words.

“We’re here,” Mathias announced after some silence. He pulled the car up outside a grand building. The sort of building that would have been advertised as a Victorian hotel. It held all the character to it; the high, tall building dominating the skyline. The way the arches above the windows were carved, the row of long steps up the front. Everything about it spoke of elegance and class.

“What is that?” Payton asked. Two marks darkened the ground just outside the place. They were so dark and black, there was a possibility whatever it was, would never clean out. It looked like someone had drawn around two people and then painted them in the darkest shade of black they could find.

“Ravena was executed a week ago,” Seth said. “She had owned Lush. This is why we are here.”

It just made the marks worse knowing that. Two people had died there, died right in front of where they were. “She was exposed to the sun?”

“To the sun, the thirsty, whichever got to her first.”

“Why?”

“Because she broke laws, many of them. She was sentenced to a true death.”

“But I don’t understand. There are two—”

“Marks. Yes. Her lover suffered the same fate she did. He was her blood slave.”

“Blood slave. No.” She frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense. Blood slaves are human. We don’t burn in sunlight.” She paused to look again at the marks. “Did she have a vampire blood slave? Is that even possible?”

“He was human, just like you.”

“But the sun. It couldn’t have burnt him.” Payton had never heard of such a thing.

“Aamon and Alexander are here,” Mathias said, cutting Payton off.

Payton tried to see what Mathias was looking at, or who he was looking at. But car after car arrived and got in the way. Vampires got out of their vehicles, each of them with a human companion.

“Wait in the car,” Seth said to Mathias. “We should not be more than two hours.” He turned back to Payton before getting out of the car himself. “When a bond is created so deeply between master and slave, it is more than a bond of servitude, but one of passion, love, lust. It is a bond so deep even death can use it to take both victims. The bonded take the abilities of the other.”

“They share what each can do?”

He nodded.

“But then wouldn’t the vampire share the ability to withstand the sun? Wouldn’t it work the other way too?”

“The stronger one always wins out.”

“And vampires are stronger by definition?”

“Exactly. Now come. Our host awaits.”

Chapter Nineteen

It was only because others were doing it that Payton slipped her hand into the crook of Seth’s elbow and rested her hand just on the inside of his arm. It seemed the proper way to do things. There were so many vampires here—so many powerful vampires. The energy rolled off them and collected in the middle of the room like a well of power. It vibrated along her skin and made her shiver. Seth said nothing as he led her in, but he did toss a questioning gaze her way.

“Is everyone here for a meeting?” she asked as they made their way up the stone steps and into the foyer.

It was grand inside. Exactly as she’d imagined when seeing the outside, tall ceilings, intricate decoration around the walls. A building taken out of a completely different era than the one they lived in.

“Most of them are here to spectate. Five of us attend the meeting. The rest ensure that proper procedure is carried out. Ravena was sentenced to her true death and now her property is divided up appropriately.”

“This is why you’re here?”

He nodded. “Hush now. Here is not the place for idle thoughts or voicing them.” She was seeing a different side to Seth. The mischief that often danced in his eyes was gone, replaced with that of a serious man. He led her through the main doors, which took them into an even bigger room. A large table stood in the middle, with chairs surrounding it. This was where the meeting would take place, she guessed.

“Seth,” a man said, his voice loud, but not deep. The way he spoke reminded her of a snake. Not that she’d ever heard a snake talk, but his words slithered out and she pushed back beside Seth, feeling out of her depth.

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