Damn vampires. They slept like the dead during the day. Good for hunting, but not so good for clandestine conversation. She reached through and gave him a sharp pinch.
Right. He didn’t feel pain normally.
She frowned, then hurried across the basement to the small refrigerator that held perishable supplies. In addition to some herbs and other ingredients, there were several bags of blood. She took one, twisted off the cap, then dripped some of it onto her hand before thrusting it between the bars and under Kova’s nose.
His nose wrinkled, and he grabbed at her hand, licking her fingers clean as he sat up. Then his eyes widened, and he released her like she’d burned him. “What the hell are you doing?” he asked, his voice rough.
He was far too pale, and long, deep cuts lined the inside of his arms and along his ribs, as if they’d filleted him. The sight of it turned her stomach. At least he didn’t feel it.
“I want to know what happened with the witch,” she said.
His eyes widened. “I got my ass kicked. Obviously.”
But those wounds were fresh, the work of Mina and her apprentices. That was a punishment for his failure.
“Did you choose not to kill her?” she asked. When he nodded, she leaned in. “Why?”
“Because she—” He winced, clearly unable to get out the words. Without his shirt, she could see the tapestry of markings across his chest igniting like embers. He tried several more times, then finally growled in frustration. “She gave me hope that things could be better.”
“I don’t understand,” she said.
His red eyes met hers. “I know where Julian Alcott is.”
“Where?” she whispered.
“You have to be careful,” he said.
“Because of Julian? Or because of Tante Mina?”
His head tilted, a curious expression in his eyes. “Why do you ask that?”
“Things don’t make sense to me,” she said. “She’s hiding things from me.”
He tried to speak, then groaned.Those marks were brighter than ever now.
“Why can’t you tell me? She doesn’t want you to talk to me about certain things. She’s making you keep secrets,” she said. He met her eyes and nodded. “Where is Julian?”
“Underground,” Kova bit out. “Underground Atlanta.”
“Underground? What does that mean?”
But Kova began coughing violently, and the markings on his body glowed angrier and brighter than ever. A low chuckle rumbled from the next cell, and Scarlett startled to see Shea kneeling at the edge, watching her intently.
“What are you up to, little hunter?” he asked.
“Go back to sleep,” she snapped.
“Give me some of that blood, and I’ll tell you what he means,” he said. His voice was low and soft, but she’d seen the vicious predator behind the purr.
“I don’t want any help from you,” she said.
His hands curled around the bars, and there was a distinct sizzle as the runes ignited against his palms. But he just grinned. “You are one foolish little girl.”
“I’m not a little girl. I’m twenty-eight,” she said. “And currently I’m not the one locked in a cage.”
“Aren’t you?” he asked. One dark brow arched. “Don’t you want to know where he is? Wouldn’t you like to get the kill and impress the witch?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said.
