I tugged on my hair as I smiled. But damn, I needed practice at this femme fatale thing. Seducing people wasn’t my usual method. I was more of a threats and blunt instruments kind of girl.

  I kept my mouth shut as I strode to the back of his couch and rested a friendly hand on his shoulder.

  He shot me an appreciative look, and I smiled back as I tried to use my seer power on him. Magic flowed through me, and I got a hint of his near-drunken stupor and a general annoyance with Valerie. Nothing specific, though.

  I resisted a curse at the weakness of my magic and smiled at him. “Care for some company?”

  “I’d be delighted.”

  I nodded and walked past him toward the liquor cart. His eyes burned into me as I passed, and I swore that if his gaze got any hotter, my ass would light on fire. Apparently, he was willing to forget I had sounded like an idiot.

  “You’re here with Drakon of Dracul,” he said as I reached the cart.

  “Yes. His assistant.” I poured myself a glass of whiskey, though I wished they had a nice, chilled wine cooler. I looked over my shoulder. “Care for another?”

  He gave me a considering look, then nodded. “Whiskey. Neat.”

  “A man after my own heart.” Even though my voice came out normally, the flirting sounded weird as hell.

  He didn’t seem to notice, though.

  I turned back and poured him another glass, carefully slipping a vial of truth serum from the bracelet at my wrist. I felt like a spy as I poured the liquid into his drink, watching as it swirled and disappeared into the amber liquid. This would be a hell of a lot easier than forcing the potion down his throat.

  Finished, I carried both of the glasses back to the couch and handed him the spiked one. With a smile, I took a seat on the couch across from him, crossing my legs so that the dress rode up to expose a long expanse of thigh. His gaze zeroed in on it, and I was grateful for the new wardrobe. In my regular clothes, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.

  “So, you’re a member of the organization,” I said.

  He nodded, pride glinting in his eyes.

  “What’s it like being part of such an important group?”

  “I’d assume you know a bit about it, given your association with Drakon of Dracul.”

  I shrugged. “A bit. I’m just his assistant, though. He doesn’t tell me much.”

  “Then why did he bring you?” Skepticism flashed in his eyes, and worry snaked down my spine. He might be Valerie’s second and drunk as a skunk, but he was still sharp as hell.

  “Let’s just say that I’ve got certain skills he finds valuable.” I sipped my whiskey, hoping it would encourage him to do the same.

  “I bet you do.”

  The tone of his voice made me want to gag. A brief, viciously satisfying image of feeding him his own balls flashed through my mind, and it took everything I had not to shoot daggers at his whiskey glass. Drink, you bastard.

  Finally, he took a sip. A big one.

  Oh, thank fates.

  I sipped mine again, and he followed suit. I hadn’t put much whiskey in the glass, and its contents were nearly gone.

  “This is excellent whiskey.” I sipped the last of mine as he polished off his.

  “Indeed.” His eyes went even blurrier, and I grinned. The truth serum had hit.

  “What’s hidden in this house?” I asked, not bothering to waste time. I’d only get three or four questions, and I wanted to get them in before anyone else showed up in this room.

  “Many things.” Confusion flashed in his eyes, as if he couldn’t understand why he’d answered me. “Why?”

  “Vague interest. Do any of those things have do to with Drakon of Dracul?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Damn it, if he didn’t know that, then he wasn’t as high up in the chain of command as I’d hoped. Still, there were some more questions I could ask. “Are there any secret places in this house where things are hidden?”

  He nodded. “Below the house, but only those who know how can get there.”

  Not if you knew who to ask—or drug. And this could be just what I was looking for.

  “Do you know how?”

  “No. Above my pay grade, I’m afraid.” His cloudy gaze began to clear, and anger flashed in his eyes. “Why are you asking about these things?”

  “No reason.” I smiled, but my body tensed to run.

  He leaned forward, muscles coiled and gaze alert. His posture reminded me of a snake, ready to strike. “There’s always a reason.” With the potion out of his system, he was mad. He lunged forward and wrapped a hand around my throat.

  Panic flashed as I choked and my lungs began to burn. I slammed a hand against his chest. He didn't budge, but I fed my magic into him, and his eyes clouded over as disorientation took him. “Forget the last five minutes. We just chatted about nothing, and you think I’m boring.”

  He blinked, his arms slackening as he looked at me dumbly.

  “Let go of me,” I said, my heart pounding in my throat as I prayed my power worked.

  He did as I asked. I sucked in a grateful breath as he sank back onto his couch, his gaze still cloudy.

  My seer powers were wonky, but this ability came in very handy and was far more reliable. I wasn’t sure exactly what the magic was, just that it was damned useful.

  Carefully, without making any swift movements, I rose. “It was nice chatting with you,” I said, then slipped from the room, leaving him sitting on the couch and staring into the flames.

  As I made my way through the house, my heart gradually slowed. I had two more potions and just enough magic left to disorient another person. I just had to find someone and hope they knew more than the last guy.

  Although I definitely hadn’t left empty handed. This secret chamber full of goodies was very interesting.

  As I strode down a long hallway covered in ancient paintings of ugly old men, I spotted a flash of movement ahead of me. Something small darted across the hall.

  I blinked, squinting through the gloom. Had I just imagined that? It had almost looked like a shadow, but it had definitely been real. Likely an animal of some kind.

  Instinct drove me forward, an intense desire pulling me along. I had to know what it was.

  I rounded the corner and spotted a small black and white creature dart away. It was vaguely familiar—was this what had been watching me in the maze?

  Hurry up, I don’t have all day.

  The voice echoed in my head, and surprise flashed through me. I was close to Eve’s raccoon familiar, but Ralph couldn’t speak to me.

  My heels clicked as I raced after the little beast, following it deeper into the house. The place was far more massive than it had looked from the outside, and I prayed I’d remember the way back to my room.

  “Slow down!” I hissed, but the creature didn’t listen. All I could see was a fluffy butt disappearing around corners as it led me on a chase.

  Every now and again, I caught a good look at it. Short, squat body on sturdy little legs. Plush tail and pointed face.

  Badger. It was definitely a badger.

  I never got any closer to her, but as the feeling in the air changed, it became obvious that she was leading me somewhere.

  “Where are we going?” I whispered, hoping my voice carried to her.

  Just keep up, slowpoke. This place blows.

  I did my best in the heels, which were surprisingly easy to run in, but the creature always kept ahead of me. Though the hallways looked as staid and formal as ever, it was impossible to ignore the feeling of suffering that began to fill the air. It crawled along my skin, growing stronger and stronger.

  My stomach turned, and my eyes pricked with tears.

  Someone is here.

  Holy fates, the feeling came from a person. But where were they?

  I began to open all the doors I passed, frantically trying to find whoever was so miserable. Eventually, I lost sight of the badger, but it was clear she’d done what she’d come to do and bailed.

  And yet, I couldn’t find the source of the misery. I checked every door and hallway, finding nothing but dark, empty rooms.

  Shit.

  Finally, after a long and frantic hour, I leaned against the wall and stared up at the ceiling, defeated. The person was definitely here, but there was no way I was going to be able to find them on my own. They were hidden somehow, and I didn’t have the key to locating them.

  The hidden chamber.

  The man I’d drugged had mentioned one, and that must be how the secret society was hiding the person.

  Worse, it was clear that finding them was going to be incredibly difficult. Not only had I got a strong sense of the person’s misery, but it had been impossible not to feel the waves of power that flowed through the hallway.

  The society was powerful, way more so than I’d realized. Danger crept along the ground like a horrible threat, making it clear that I needed to tread softly if I didn’t want to end up like the suffering person.

  As I made my way back to my room, I searched for someone to question. Unfortunately, no one else was around, and it was getting late. I’d have to pick this up again tomorrow. I’d join Drakon in his quest to find people and question them—genuinely, this time.

  Suddenly, I was as interested as he was in what was going on in this house, not to mention the strange feeling of familiarity I was getting from some of the people. It was bad news, and I wanted to get to the bottom of it.

  When I finally pushed the door to my room open, the one next to mine creaked, and Drakon stepped out.

  Damn it. Just the person I didn’t want to see.

  13

  Mac

  * * *

  I turned to Drakon and smiled. “You’re lurking.”

  “No, I just happened to sense that you weren’t in your room.” He studied me. “You took something to conceal your whereabouts from me. I couldn’t find you, but I could still feel that you were gone.” He rubbed his chest.

  Damn. It must have worn off before I’d made it back here. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “You’re a good liar, Mac, but not that good.”

  I scowled, then shoved my door open and strode in. I turned to slam it in his face, but he was too quick. He reached up and braced his hand against the door, smiling at me. “Not so fast.”

  He was impossibly handsome, with his damned cheekbones and chiseled jaw and ice-blue eyes. It wasn't fair that someone should look like him, and it annoyed the crap out of me. Even worse, I liked how he looked. Normally, I went for weirder guys, not freaking supermodel lookalikes. And yet, I couldn't help my attraction. Or the fact that his smile was occasionally charming. Or that he’d stepped between me and danger in the maze.

  He was a mystery, all right. One that I knew I should run away from instead of toward. I didn’t need to solve every puzzle, and he was one I’d be happy to leave behind.

  He arched a perfect dark brow. “Well? Are you going to let me in?”

  “Fine. Come on. We don’t need the whole place to hear us.” If I’d gained one thing from my little adventure tonight, it was a proper respect for how dangerous this secret society was.

  He strode in and shut the door behind him. “Why were you out tonight?”

  I rolled my eyes and turned from him. “If we’re doing this, I need a drink.”

  There was a bar cart located near the hearth across from the bed. I strode to it and poured myself a glass, turning around to prop my butt against the cart and stare at him as I sipped.

  “You’re not going to offer me one? Rude.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’m not sure I want to.”

  “Tell me why you were out tonight.” He prowled closer, stopping halfway across the room. I could still smell his divine spicy scent and wished that just once he would smell like BO. Not a chance in hell, though. He’d always look impeccable and smell even better.

  Also annoying.

  “Tell me.” He imbued his voice with power, and I could tell that he was trying to compel me.

  “Doesn’t work on me, remember?”

  “Much to my annoyance.” He dragged a frustrated hand through his hair and glared at me. “But I have other ways of convincing you to talk.”

  Don’t want to know. “Fine, you can have a drink.”

  As I turned back to the bar cart, an idea flashed.

  The truth potion.

  And maybe he would drink the whiskey I handed him. As stealthily as I could, I poured the drink and dosed it with the potion. When I turned back to him, I made sure there was a scowl on my face.

  “You’re a pain in the ass, you know that?” I stalked toward him and shoved the whiskey at him.

  When he took the drink, our fingers brushed. A shiver raced up my arm and my breath caught, but I did my best to ignore it.

  The slight flare in his eyes indicated that he’d felt it, too.

  “Drink,” I said. “Maybe it will shut you up.”

  “Unlikely.”

  I rolled my eyes and returned to the bar cart to retrieve my drink.

  “Well?” he prodded, still not drinking.

  I’d have to give him something to make him trust me, so I told the truth. “I was sneaking around, trying to find info about what you’re looking for.”

  “Your seer powers aren’t as strong as you say they are, are they?”

  Damn it. “I make up for it in other ways.”

  “Did you find anything useful?”

  “I don’t know. We’re keeping so many secrets from each other that I’m not sure what you’d find useful.”

  “Don’t play dumb.” Frustration flickered on his face, and he took a sip of his whiskey.

  Hot damn.

  He was a very different creature than the moron I’d drugged earlier. Poor attempts at seduction wouldn’t work on someone as clever as him. No—I just had to irritate him into drinking.

  I shrugged. “Seriously, I know you’re after something, but I don’t know what. So it’s impossible for me to determine what you want to know.”

  “Anything relevant to me, obviously. Anything relevant to secrecy and lies, theft and deception.”

  I shrugged. “Hard to say if I found any of that.”

  He frowned but didn’t drink. Damn it, he was cleverer than I’d thought. Even annoying him wasn’t going to work, so I’d have to give up a bit of the truth. “There’s a mystery here—I can sense it. Something hidden. Someone suffering.”

  His gaze flickered, intensity burning within. “Suffering?”

  “Yes. A person, I’m pretty sure. Held captive, most likely in a secret chamber beneath the house, but I couldn’t find them.”

  “Damn it.” Pain flashed on his face, and he downed the whiskey in one gulp.

  Bingo.

  Suddenly, I understood. “You’re looking for a person, aren’t you?”

  “No.”

  “As soon as you heard about someone suffering, you gulped that whiskey.”

  Shadows darkened his eyes. “It’s none of your business.”

  “It is now that I’ve felt what this society is capable of.” I shuddered. “It was awful down there. These people are evil.”

  “Of course they are.”

  “We could just blow up the west wing, cause a distraction, then rescue whoever it is you’re after.”

  “We can’t guarantee that will work. We need to know where we’re going first.” He blinked, his gaze slightly foggy.

  The truth potion had hit him. Now was my chance…but what did I want to know?

  Who he was looking for, of course. And yet, that information wasn’t likely to keep me alive, and I’d find it out eventually.

  No, I needed to know things about myself.

  “Do you really want to kill me?” I demanded.

  “I don’t want to, no.” He prowled toward me, the whiskey glass dangling in his fingers. His gaze burned into me, so intensely hot that it lit me up inside. It was the exact opposite of the way the other man had looked at me tonight, and I liked it.

  Too much.

  He was a predator, and I was prey. The way my heart raced was intoxicating.

  I backed up until my back hit the wall. He stopped in front of me, so close that his decadent, spicy scent wrapped around me. I drew in a breath, unable to help myself, and the tension between us only tightened. It was as if the truth serum had stripped away the lies but also the pretense, and the attraction between us now had an opportunity to flare out of control.

  “Why don’t you want to?” I whispered.

  As he frowned, clearly thinking about my question, I realized that I wasn’t being strategic. I’d lost my senses when he’d crowded in on me. He was so close that I could see the sparks of blue flame in his eyes and the fullness of his lips. I’d never seen anyone so magnificent in my life.

  Worse, the whiskeys I’d drunk tonight had definitely lowered my guard.

  “It’s not just the Bride Bond,” he said. “It’s you. You’re brave and intelligent and powerful and skilled. More beautiful than anyone I’ve ever seen.” He reached up and brushed his fingertips across my cheek. “I don’t want to kill someone like that.”

  At his touch, at the words, my breath caught in my throat. Shock flashed through me, followed by a wave of hot desire. We were so close that I could feel the heat of him through my clothes. Just a few inches more, and we’d be touching.

  My heart raced a mile a minute, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. His gaze ensnared me, making my head foggy and my body heavy.

  “Drakon.” My voice was too breathy, but I couldn’t help it. I’d lost my mind somehow.

  His eyes flashed with heat, and he dipped his head, his lips hovering over mine. Every cell of my body lit up with awareness.

  He’s going to kiss me.

  And holy fates—I wanted him to. With the things he’d just said and the bond between us, I wanted him to.

  But did he?

  Shit. I’d just drugged him with a truth serum, the purpose of which was to lower his inhibitions. That made consent pretty dubious in this scenario. Sure, it revealed that he truly wanted to kiss me, but he should be in full control of his mind when he did that, and he definitely wasn’t. The thought made me ill.

 

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