neighborhood then shrugged.
He climbed into the back seat and folded his arms. “Whose car
is this?”
“Let’s hope this escapes Santos’s notice until I can return it.
He has no need of it in Asia, anyway.”
“That home was remarkably free of Santos’s usual minions.
I can’t help but feel I must have reacted exactly as he planned.
I hope you brought my luggage, I have an Eiffel Tower pencil
sharpener in there for Deana.”
“I have no idea what Santos planned. He doesn’t share his
thoughts with me.”
Adin scooted forward and gripped the back of Boaz’s seat.
“Well, let me share mine. If anything Santos has planned, if
anything he has used me for this time harms one hair on Donte’s
head you had better kill me because I will tear you apart, and while
54 Z.A. Maxfield
I may not be a vampire, I will drink your blood . Do you understand
me?”
Adin met Boaz’s eyes in the rearview mirror and for the first
time in their acquaintance, the insouciant, polite mask dropped
from Boaz’s face, leaving an undisguised anger. “I understand
you. Fedeltà knows where my loyalties lie. I’ve told you that.
Anyway, as I’ve also told you, you’ll be answering to him this
time.”
“You’ve told me a lot of things.” Adin watched the mask fall
back into place on Boaz’s dark, sharp features until his eyes held
their usual merry light.
Boaz snorted. “Sit back and be silent. I will drink your blood .
Aren’t you simply precious?”
Adin gazed out the window. The sky was overcast; if he
looked farther west it was clear they’d be getting some rain.
Already he could see a certain yellow cast to the light, which
probably heralded a sudden downpour. As they navigated the
crowded streets, Adin sighed in contentment. “Where are we
headed?”
“Back to your hotel. Donte is waiting for you there.”
“I hope you have your own room.”
“I’m certain Donte was able to make arrangements.”
“I imagine after your little performance yesterday Villiers will
find you a place,” Adin remarked drily. “If you’re a carnivore.”
“I’m an omni vore,” Boaz informed him. “But when I’m
working I try not to divide my attention.”
“Do you think we’ll ever see Bran again?”
“I couldn’t say, Dr. Tredeger.”
“For his sake, I hope not.” Adin decided that if he was going
to require being driven through the streets of Paris in April just
before a good spring rain, he ought to shut up and enjoy it while
it lasted.
Vigil 55
When Adin entered their new hotel room he discovered
Donte hunched over the tiny writing desk, frowning in the light
of a laptop. In a parody of the man himself all the window
coverings were drawn and the lights were turned off. Given
Adin’s curiosity and Donte’s fierce concentration, Adin couldn’t
help but reach into the case he’d brought up from the car to draw
out his reading glasses. He slipped them on as he leaned over
Donte’s shoulder to glance at the screen.
“You smell like sun and rain.” Donte’s breath warmed Adin’s
ear.
Adin leaned in and kissed Donte just below the jaw, resting
his chin on one broad shoulder. “You smell like home. What has
you frowning this fine rainy morning?”
Donte lifted one of Adin’s hands and placed a kiss in the
palm. “Your hand tastes like iron. Have you ever heard of an
Emere ?”
“No.” There was no second chair, and Donte gallantly
relinquished his to Adin as he read the wiki article and scrolled
down. “Yoruban folklore?”
“West African peoples. They have interesting cosmology and
a fascinating language, although I never learned it. An Emere is
another type of changeling child.”
“Changeling? Boaz talked about changelings. You think Bran
is an Emere?”
“I’m just trying to get a read on all the changeling folktales. It’s
my understanding that changelings are actually fairly common.
Sometimes a broader picture, synthesizing an image from
He climbed into the back seat and folded his arms. “Whose car
is this?”
“Let’s hope this escapes Santos’s notice until I can return it.
He has no need of it in Asia, anyway.”
“That home was remarkably free of Santos’s usual minions.
I can’t help but feel I must have reacted exactly as he planned.
I hope you brought my luggage, I have an Eiffel Tower pencil
sharpener in there for Deana.”
“I have no idea what Santos planned. He doesn’t share his
thoughts with me.”
Adin scooted forward and gripped the back of Boaz’s seat.
“Well, let me share mine. If anything Santos has planned, if
anything he has used me for this time harms one hair on Donte’s
head you had better kill me because I will tear you apart, and while
54 Z.A. Maxfield
I may not be a vampire, I will drink your blood . Do you understand
me?”
Adin met Boaz’s eyes in the rearview mirror and for the first
time in their acquaintance, the insouciant, polite mask dropped
from Boaz’s face, leaving an undisguised anger. “I understand
you. Fedeltà knows where my loyalties lie. I’ve told you that.
Anyway, as I’ve also told you, you’ll be answering to him this
time.”
“You’ve told me a lot of things.” Adin watched the mask fall
back into place on Boaz’s dark, sharp features until his eyes held
their usual merry light.
Boaz snorted. “Sit back and be silent. I will drink your blood .
Aren’t you simply precious?”
Adin gazed out the window. The sky was overcast; if he
looked farther west it was clear they’d be getting some rain.
Already he could see a certain yellow cast to the light, which
probably heralded a sudden downpour. As they navigated the
crowded streets, Adin sighed in contentment. “Where are we
headed?”
“Back to your hotel. Donte is waiting for you there.”
“I hope you have your own room.”
“I’m certain Donte was able to make arrangements.”
“I imagine after your little performance yesterday Villiers will
find you a place,” Adin remarked drily. “If you’re a carnivore.”
“I’m an omni vore,” Boaz informed him. “But when I’m
working I try not to divide my attention.”
“Do you think we’ll ever see Bran again?”
“I couldn’t say, Dr. Tredeger.”
“For his sake, I hope not.” Adin decided that if he was going
to require being driven through the streets of Paris in April just
before a good spring rain, he ought to shut up and enjoy it while
it lasted.
Vigil 55
When Adin entered their new hotel room he discovered
Donte hunched over the tiny writing desk, frowning in the light
of a laptop. In a parody of the man himself all the window
coverings were drawn and the lights were turned off. Given
Adin’s curiosity and Donte’s fierce concentration, Adin couldn’t
help but reach into the case he’d brought up from the car to draw
out his reading glasses. He slipped them on as he leaned over
Donte’s shoulder to glance at the screen.
“You smell like sun and rain.” Donte’s breath warmed Adin’s
ear.
Adin leaned in and kissed Donte just below the jaw, resting
his chin on one broad shoulder. “You smell like home. What has
you frowning this fine rainy morning?”
Donte lifted one of Adin’s hands and placed a kiss in the
palm. “Your hand tastes like iron. Have you ever heard of an
Emere ?”
“No.” There was no second chair, and Donte gallantly
relinquished his to Adin as he read the wiki article and scrolled
down. “Yoruban folklore?”
“West African peoples. They have interesting cosmology and
a fascinating language, although I never learned it. An Emere is
another type of changeling child.”
“Changeling? Boaz talked about changelings. You think Bran
is an Emere?”
“I’m just trying to get a read on all the changeling folktales. It’s
my understanding that changelings are actually fairly common.
Sometimes a broader picture, synthesizing an image from
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