Page 49 of Wicked Allure
The three of them stood to attention as she arrived near them. She gave them all a nod.
“At ease. Report. What have you found?” she asked, immediately getting to business.
They relaxed. Talbot motioned to the maps they had strewn on top of the vehicle. She stood next to him and folded her arms.
If she wasn’t able to be with Tomesha on this night, she’d do the next best thing on the agenda.
Hunt a traitor.
“We’ve gained access to the most recent map and even older ones to compare. We’ve located a cottage deep in the woods where Roderick suggested.” Talbot tapped on an area of a map.
It was far from the town. Roderick had been right. If this was Sol—Solomon—he’d removed himself from the townspeople.
But why would he continue to stay in an area where a military post was? She’d have thought that if one was hiding from the king and queen, they’d remain far from military. Dru narrowed her eyes on the map.
There was a reason he was staying close by.
Dru’s suspicion was growing for the vampire. If Roderick was right and the vampire was working with the lycans, it would make perfect sense for him to take the risk to remain near the military post.
“We drove out there, but the best way for us to get close to the house would be by foot,” Niles said. The warrior glanced over at Dru. “From what I hear, not many of the locals go out to that part of the woods anymore.”
“Why?” Dru asked.
“Apparently it’s filled with traps. The owner of that cottage doesn’t want anyone to get close to his property,” Niles replied.
“And the last time the lycans attacked, guess what direction they came from?” Orenda asked. A devious glint appeared in her gaze.
“Let me guess,” Dru murmured sarcastically. She moved forward and studied the map. It didn’t look impenetrable, but if the old vampire warrior had outfitted it with traps, it was going to be damn dangerous. He was a vampire who’d fought by the king’s side at one time. That made this challenge harder and more dangerous. “The lycans came from this area.”
“Bingo.” Orenda scowled.
It was no wonder Roderick was insistent that they provided protection for his boy if it was discovered that he’d ratted out the old hand of the king. The former hand had been accused of ordering the murders of the lycan king’s children. Just babes. Thirteen, eight, and three years old. Only a monster would kill innocent children. A male like that wouldn’t hesitate to harm a vampire kid. Especially as a payback for the sins of the father.
Well, the kid would remain safe, and Dru was going to keep a promise to the queen. Either she took Solomon alive to face them, or she’d deliver his head to the royal couple.
“Well, it looks like we need to drop in for a visit, now don’t we?”
Tomesha entered through the employee entrance of Madam’s. She inhaled sharply and could admit she felt much better. Rest and relaxation were what she’d needed. She’d need to prepare for tonight’s shift, but before she did, she had to make a stop at the healer’s office for an exam. If Lamaya felt she wasn’t ready to work, there would be a problem. If she wasn’t working, she wouldn’t get paid.
She hefted her bag up on her shoulder and jogged down the stairs to the lower level. She anxiously made her way through the winding hallway to Lamaya’s office. She arrived at the open door and peered inside. It carried the same elegance as the club above. Velvet curtains draped between each bed, offering privacy, lessening the feeling of being in a hospital, and the bedding itself was soft silk but still clinical white. Golden sconces held candles that burned with a warm glow, making the room inviting.
The scent of herbs carefully masked the faint undertone of antiseptic. Tomesha stepped inside the doorway and paused.
“Hello?” she called out.
At the back of the infirmary stood a large, partially open oak door. It swung fully open with Lamaya walking through it.
“You certainly look much better,” the healer said.
“I feel like myself.” Tomesha chuckled. She couldn’t believe how weak she’d become after Dru had fed from her. Today, she was able to walk to work as she normally did.
“Well, let me take a look at you. Mistress will want to ensure you’re back to normal.” Lamaya waved her over to one of the cots.
“I’m sorry if I scared everyone.” Tomesha placed her bag on the chair next to the bed before hopping onto it.
“You humans are a delicate lot. Allowing a vampire to feed from you can be taxing on your body. That is why we have to prepare you beforehand.” Lamaya went through the motions of examining Tomesha. She was very thorough and even took a small sample of blood. “I’ll be right back. I want to test this to see how high your blood levels are. This will ultimately decide if you can donate again.”
Lamaya slid open the curtain and stepped away with Tomesha’s blood sample. Tomesha settled back on the comfortable cot and tried not to be nervous. What would happen if she was unable to donate? Now that she’d no longer be on reserve, it would be expected for her to donate as she performed her services. But if she was deemed unable to work by the healer…
