Page 17 of Hunt the Dusk
You didn’t ask?
That’s not how the Order works.
No, I suppose not. You’re a mortal soldier for the white wings, after all.
When he put it like that, it made perfect sense. But then, hadn’t he said he’d been a soldier too? I guess if anyone could understand the ingrained instinct to follow orders, it would be him.
We chatted about the House of Shadows and Laudon’s plans to expand their business enterprises and somehow slipped into talk of books.
Kaster was well-read, and we shared a couple of favorite authors.I’d love to show you my library sometime.
He wanted me to go to his house? Would I?I’d love to see it.
Dessert arrived, and I was so focused on the conversation that I didn’t register the deep silence that had fallen across the restaurant until Kaster stopped speaking abruptly to look over my shoulder.
We have royalty in the house,he said.
My scalp pricked, goosebumps breaking across my skin a moment before Ezekiel’s clipped tones broke the silence. “And what do we have here?”
I set my fork down, lifting my gaze to meet his. “What does it look like?”
“Itlookslike a date,” Ezekiel said, his jaw tight. “Isthis a date, Miss Lighthart?”
I couldn’t deny the satisfaction of seeing him so riled up. “Yes. I’m on a date, so if you’ll excuse me, I’d?—”
He growled, low and primal, and my goosebumps spawned more goosebumps.
“What’s going on here?” Laudon appeared in the periphery of my vision. “Kaster, Miss Lighthart…Oh…”
I wanted to look away from Ezekiel, but he had me trapped in his glare, his eyes bleeding to the telltale honey color of rage and hunger.
It’s all right, Kaster said in my head.You can look at me, Orina. Break his gaze and look at me.
His voice dissolved the strange compulsion Ezekiel had asserted on me, and I blinked, breaking the connection.
“This is wonderful,” Laudon said, his tone a little too cheery to be natural. “It’s been too long since you went on a date,son.” He gave Kaster a fatherly pat. “Isn’t it wonderful, Ezekiel,old friend?”
Ezekiel drew a breath and stood tall. He adjusted his cuffs, the honey flames in his eyes cooling, and when he smiled, that too was cold and cutting. “In that case, I must apologize to you, Kaster. You see, Miss Lighthart has neglected to inform you of a most pertinent fact. The fact that she belongs to me.”
Rage flared in my chest. “I don’t belong to you. I don’t belong to?—”
He moved too fast for me to evade, and I was thrown over his shoulder and carried halfway across the restaurant before I realized what was happening.
The airwhooshedas a blur shot past me.
Ezekiel came to an abrupt halt.
Orina, are you all right?
Fuck…had Kaster just intercepted the vampire king?I’m fine, but you have to get out of the way.
“Laudon,” Ezekiel said coolly and evenly. “You’re one of my closest friends, and I don’t wish to cause you any distress, but if your son doesn’t move out of my path, Iwillrip off his head.”
“Kaster!” Laudon hurried past us. “Get out of the way.”
Orina?
The fact that he had the balls to stand up to Ezekiel, that he’d risk his head like this did strange things to my insides. But there was also no doubt in my mind that Ezekiel could end Kaster if he wished.
