Page 102 of That Mafioso Magic
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, I feel the magic coursing through you. You break that link, you may end up hurting yourself more. Like, say, lose all of the abilities being a vampire has given you,” Salino said. “You were not turned in a conventional way, as shifters can’t be turned by a vampire. You destroy the one thing giving you that power… what if that’s the price you pay?”
This time, Sage was silent, and Salino reached over, taking his chin into his hand. “Yesss, my lovely lion. You are powerful and I sense it. I sense the spells you conjured and know that you have killed many. I’m a part of you now, Sage, just like you’re a part of me.” He leaned forward and licked Sage’s lips.
Sage pulled back and rose to his full height. “My warning still stands, Salino. Do not threaten anyone I care about ever again.”
Salino was looking up at Sage and he smiled, then nodded. “Fine. And to show you that I can play nice, I will not exert my power over you… unless you leave me no other choice.”
“It better be a life-or-death situation,” Sage said.
Salino waved his hand as if dismissing the very intense conversation the two just had. “In any case, I haven’t quite worked out all of the details of what I want from the two of you. What the ramifications will be and how to protect myself from said ramifications. So sorry to disappoint you, but I will not be laying out all of my cards on the table today.”
“I already know you want to be the new Emperor,” Sage said.
“Easier said than done,” Salino stated.
“Well, what could be the issues?” I asked, finally inserting myself into the conversation.
Salino’s gaze panned over to me and I just had to marvel at his beautiful green eyes with the golden streaks. I also loved Sage’s new vampire eyes, gray with golden highlights.
“Well, for one thing, vampires who would seek to kill me, who are far older and stronger than I am. I certainly don’t want to go through the trouble of becoming Emperor only to be killed shortly afterward,” Salino said.
“Well, then maybe you should just be satisfied with your position of Archduke. Why isn’t that good enough?” Sage asked.
“Because, it’snotgood enough,” Salino snarled. “My reasons for wanting to ascend are my own.”
With that statement, the double doors opened and two vampires walked in. The female from earlier and another, whom I assumed was Yolanda. She looked like the female Sage had described, who he had been forced to turn.
Salino gestured to her. “There is your child and I am proud to inform you that she is a hybrid, like you. Pride and Dynasty. Take her, but you should return… alone… so that I may train you further. There is a lot about being a vampire you simply don’t know.”
Sage walked over to Yolanda, looking her up and down. There was a pleased look on his face, so I guessed learning that she was a hybrid was good news to him as well. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yes, sir.”
He smiled, then gently caressed her cheek. He turned to face Salino again. “I’ll come by in a day or two. I need a bit more time to get my home in order with this one.”
Salino stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth. “That’s fine. See you then,” he said once he’d swallowed. “Nakago can show you out.”
I rose and followed Sage and Yolanda as Nakago led us to the elevator. We didn’t talk until we were out of the building all together and inside my car. “Jesus, that was intense!” I said.
“That bastard… I hate how he always seems to have an ace up his sleeve,” Sage groused.
“You don’t become the Archduke in vampire hierarchy without being a crafty bastard.”
“He may be a pain in the ass, but he is also a very powerful ally,” Sage conceded.
“Do you think your power is somehow flowing into him?” I asked.
Sage shrugged. “I have no idea. He said he sensed what I did. I have no clue as to how. What I am and what he is to me is too unfamiliar for either of us to have any answers, to be sure.”
I mulled over what Sage said, because it was true. We three were in uncharted territory and feeling ourselves out as we walked through the unknown. No doubt we were going to bump into some shit. I just hoped the mistakes we made or would make didn’t leave any permanent scars or worse. I turned to look at Yolanda in the rearview mirror. She was sitting next to Sage and rather quiet.
“Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” I said, since it was my first time. The night I’d saved Lacey, Sage had taken care of her and sent her off to Salino before we could meet, because I was still on the plane heading back to Chicago from Orlando.
“Nice to meet you as well,” Yolanda said.
“We have a lot to talk about. We need to get fully acquainted,” Sage told her.
