Instead, he sat on the floor, rubbing his hands over his face. “Sorry,” he murmured. “My fault.” The corner of his mouth raised with a satirical snort. “It’s easier, being faster and being able to sense the enemy more acutely, but these guys were… they were ready for me.”
“There’s a reason an ancient one is ancient.” Searching, she realized her new purse had flown from her grip and rested against the far wall, keys and all. Dropping to the ground next to him, Adair wrapped her arms around her knees. “You manage to get into trouble often. How do you intend to get out of it this time?”
He raised his chained wrist and put a finger over his lips to silence her, shaking his head.
She heard it too.
Cambria strolled down the stairs, carrying a tray of pastries, fruits, cheeses, and two huge mugs of steaming hot goat blood. With an easy smile like she was his best friend, she said, “My apologies at the simple fare, but my chef is bleeding out on the kitchen floor. It’s being cleaned up, but terribly inconvenient. I will have to order takeout instead. I haven’t indulged on a delivery boy in years. Perhaps I’ll try jalapenos on my pizza. I hear it adds an intriguing flavor.”
Cambria set the tray on the ground, staying outside of reach. She flashed a wink at Adair and said, “Our hero here needs to keep up his strength.”
Adair glared back at Bennett as Cambria disappeared upstairs. “What were you saying about setting off traps? Is this what you had in mind?”
Unable to reach the tray thanks to his chains, he nodded. “Mind passing me blood and some brie? And those raspberries look amazing. How do you think they found them so fresh this time of year?”
She reached through the bars and slid the tray closer to load up a plate for him. Cambria had a point. She handed him the meal before dishing up her own.
He settled, leaned against the concrete wall and took a testing sip. “Not bad. Like vegan sausage.” He grinned at her.
Adair sat next to him, trying a strawberry. “I haven’t had a garden in years; I may have to look into buying a home again.”
“I’ve never seen where you live.”
“I have an apartment in Seattle, but I haven’t spent much time there the last few years. Lately, I’ve been staying at Logan’s house in the mountains.”
“But no garden.”
“No time. I was working.”
“Working?”
“Yes. I like to work.”
“As in, a human job?” His eyes softened as he studied her, clearly realizing he didn’t know her as well as he’d thought.
She nodded. “I was working as a radiology tech. A favorite sort of job, as there’s no risk for sun exposure, and the people I got to meet were so full of stories. Anyway, that’s how Logan met his wife; she worked with me and we became friends.”
“Why don’t you have a house of your own?”
“I don’t know. I like the pace of living downtown, but it might be time to settle more remotely again.”
“My parents signed over their place on Vancouver Island to me a few months ago. I’d planned to be there the night I was changed. It’s gorgeous and… relaxing. Like the rest of the world doesn’t exist. But I was too irritable for serenity.”
“You seem awfully perky now. Despite the… circumstances.” She snagged a raspberry from his plate and popped it in her mouth, the succulence contrasting the bitter drink. “Those are good.”
“Self-medicating with violence is, unfortunately, a popular outlet among demon hunters. Something in the DNA I suppose.” He finished the blood, then sampled a piece of cheese. “So, Logan’s cured and married now, huh?”
She nodded. “I’m so happy for him.”
Bennett traced the back of his hand down her bare arm. “You must feel so alone.”
Biting her lips together, she nodded. Her heart had shattered the day he’d been cured, but he’d been so miserable, had been seeking a way out for so long, that any grief for her anticipated loss of him was out shadowed by her complete happiness for him.
“I know why you won’t let me in.”
She nodded again, not wanting to let him know how much she ached to hold on to him as long as she could. After clearing her throat, she blinked away the threatening moisture behind her eyes. “So. Plan?”
Bennett finished the last of his meal and stood. “Sun’s rising. Do you mind riding home in the trunk? I should have had the windows tinted before risking staying out so late.”
