Page 55 of Cruelly Bitten
I took my wrist away. “Why were his fingers in your hair?”
Her throat worked over a final swallow, her cheeks crimson in color—not out of embarrassment, but from the excitement provoked by drinking from a vampire’s vein.
“He was questioning me about Damien,” she said, her voice confident once more. “He asked how I was helping my brother.”
“And what did you say?”
“I didn’t get a chance to reply.” She stared at me. “But, for the record, I’m not helping Damien do anything. I would need to be able to get on some sort of external network to be able to reach out to him, and I haven’t had an opportunity to do so.”
“You’ve had access to my laptop,” I pointed out, studying her as she continued to boldly hold my gaze. “And, according to Michael, the technical team traced the interference to that laptop.”
She shrugged. “I can’t explain that. I also couldn’t tell you what purpose it would serve me to open all the doorsandturn off all the lights while underground. I can’t see in the dark. Obviously.”
A fair point.
I also couldn’t determine what she would have to gain by letting the Blessed Ones out of their cages. She probably didn’t even know they were awake.
But she clearly knew we were beneath the Vatican since she’d mentioned it in the stairwell.
“Have you been here before?” Because if she had, she could already know her way around.
However, she’d gone down instead of up.
Which, as she’d said, made no sense if she were trying to escape.
And why would she want to escape anyway? I was her immortal lifeline. Her mate. She’d literally run toward me on that tarmac, not away from me.
Her pupils flared as she replied, “Yes. With you. When Cane chose eternal rest.”
“Hmm.” I didn’t remember that at all. “We attended his ceremony.” It wasn’t a question but a statement.
Because of course I’d attended the ritual. I would have participated in it to ease my brother into his chosen sleep. But it was surprising to learn that Ismerelda had been there with me.
“How long ago did my brother pick eternal night?” I hadn’t read about it in the files. But it probably wasn’t very relevant to our current world since my brother had chosen to rest through it all.
“About four hundred and fifty years ago. So I only visited the catacombs where the ancients are kept. Not”—she waved around the room—“this.”
“And you witnessed the whole ceremony?” I pressed, still hung up on the notion that I’d taken her with me.
“Yes.”
I narrowed my gaze. “Prove it. Tell me part of?—”
A knock interrupted my demand.Michael.
My gaze narrowed as my fingers left Ismerelda’s hair. I hadn’t even realized I’d still been holding her, my mind too captivated by our conversation to consider the actions of my hand. Touching her had felt normal. Expected. Soothing, even.
With a shake of my head, I stepped away from my bed and went to the door.
“The scanner, my liege,” Michael said by way of greeting, his head bowed.
I considered him for a long moment, the beast within me warring with the strategist inside my mind.
He touched my female.
He’s my assistant.
HehurtIsmerelda.
