Steal the Night (Thieves)

by Lexi Blake

  I just wanted to see Dev again. I wanted him to hold me, to promise me he still loved me.

  We stood outside the door to Louis’s suite and he held my hand in his. “Zoey, you will remain quiet unless I give you permission to speak. Is that understood?”

  I was a trophy and nothing more. I was all right with that. It would give me the opportunity to get the lay of the land.

  “You will sit at my side and do everything I ask of you,” he continued as he opened the door.

  I followed him. His rooms were elegantly decorated. The first room was a sitting area with darkly paneled walls and tasteful art. I thought I recognized some of the painters, but I hadn’t seen the paintings before. One resembled a Picasso but it wasn’t one I was familiar with. It occurred to me it wouldn’t be hard for a man like Louis to convince a painter to create a work just for him. He probably hadn’t even paid for it.

  “He’s here,” Niles said in his upper-crust British accent. He appeared slightly haggard, like his rest had been interrupted. I wondered what fresh trouble Danny was causing. Niles caught sight of me and he stared. “God, she’s so fucking bright.”

  “Get used to her,” Niko said from his place on the sofa. He wasn’t haggard at all. The tall Greek was downright calm compared to Niles and the Norwegian Elof. “She’s Louis’s new pet. I think he’ll keep her close to his side. Donovan is on the prowl. Louis wouldn’t want to lose her.”

  “I have no intention of losing anything to that fucker,” Louis growled.

  “You mean anything else, don’t you?” Elof asked. “He’s already hit us where we’ll feel it for decades. I can’t get into any of my accounts and he blew up my safe house last night. I got word this evening.”

  “He’s a busy man,” Niles said. “My London home was raided by MI5. They found some very suspicious materials. Bomb-making materials. I can’t bloody well go home but Louis is far too busy fucking Donovan’s queen to take care of Donovan.”

  “How the hell is he everywhere at once?” Louis asked, his voice a low growl. He sank into a leather chair. I stood beside him because there wasn’t room for me. “Zoey, sit.”

  Louis pointed at his feet. I thought of Dev in his cell and our babies in my womb and gracefully sank to the floor at his feet. His hand came out and nudged my head onto his lap. It forced me to hold onto his legs.

  “There is only one group who has that kind of power and any interest at all in the supernatural underworld,” I heard Elof say as my eyes wandered as much as my position allowed.

  “Yes, the Order of Galahad,” Niles replied.

  Niko laughed. “Why would the Order have anything to do with Donovan? He’s a vampire, not a demon. They try not to get involved in our politics.”

  They argued back and forth for a few moments, and I took the time to look at a door on the far wall. It was a dark wooden door with a lock on it, which I found odd because it was an interior room. I’ve learned over the years that locks in strange places are the equivalent to an X marking the spot where a thief can find treasure. I let my hand touch the rich carpet underneath me. I was sure it was Persian and old but more important, carpet tended to mask the sounds a thief made when she crept across a room to get to where she needed to go. I figured Louis’s bedroom was behind the lovely French doors on the opposite side of the room to the office door. I would need to get from the bed to the office without light of any kind and making absolutely no sound.

  “Zoey,” Louis barked.

  I brought my head up. “What?” I assumed barking my name meant I was allowed to speak.

  “Have you listened to a word I have said?” he asked, looking down at me.

  “No.”

  The others laughed but Louis did not look amused. I would have to remember that he thought everything he said was important so I had to listen. It wouldn’t be easy for me because I tended to go a little bit ADD whenever…well, whenever I was awake, to tell the truth. Danny and Dev thought it was a cute quirk, but Louis obviously found it annoying.

  “I’m sorry,” I offered with wide eyes.

  “I asked you a question,” he explained. “I asked if you knew of any reason why the Order of Galahad would choose to work with Donovan.”

  “I can tell you,” a familiar voice said from the doorway. My heart stopped as Marcus walked into the room. I felt Louis tense.

  “Mar…” I started to say.

  “Not a word, Zoey. You will obey me or I’ll take it out on the prince’s hide,” Louis said close to my ear. “Now go sit on the couch.”

  I did as he asked and felt Marcus’s eyes on me the whole time I moved. He was dressed as the rest were in a dark, tailored suit. His silk tie was a vibrant blue and his shoes were none the worse for having come through the catacombs. He looked imminently competent, which was an illusion since the idiot had walked into the snake’s den.

  “Nice of you to join us, Marcus,” Louis said smoothly, acknowledging the Council member. “We’ve missed you.”

  Marcus’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I was at my villa on Poveglia. It has no means of communication. I was quite surprised by the turn of events when I returned to Venice. I got here as soon as I could. When can I take Zoey home with me?”

  Louis laughed at the question. “When you do the job you were contracted to do. I promised to give you the girl if you brought down Donovan. He’s isn’t down, Marcus. Far from it. He’s taking his targets with ease. Now answer the question. Why is the Order working with Donovan?”

  Marcus shrugged. “Because he has the sword.”

  Now everyone was talking at once and in several different languages. They all seemed extremely upset at the prospect of Daniel having Excalibur. Elof and Marcus got into a heated exchange, and I saw Louis stand and walk to the door. He opened it briefly, spoke to the guard outside, and then returned.

  “Stop it,” he exclaimed in English, which seemed to be the language of compromise. When they were all together they spoke English rather than their own languages. “Marcus, you are certain Donovan possesses the sword known as Excalibur?”

  “I haven’t seen him in weeks. I’m only certain that the Order of Galahad believes it.”

  “And they are now listening to Donovan?”

  The Italian laughed at that. “They aren’t listening to him, Louis. They’re obeying his every order. They have proclaimed our Nex Apparatus to be the next King of the Sword and they will follow their liege.”

  Louis ran his hand across his face in a weary gesture. “That fucking demon should have told me.”

  So Stewart had very likely stayed true to the letter of law Lucifer had set down regarding Daniel and the Council. It disappointed me because I really would like to think about Stewart being punished by the big guy.

  Louis paced the floor. “How did we not see this? Haven’t we had a spy on Donovan since he left the Council? Nowhere in his reports did he mention that Donovan was doing anything like this.”

  “I believe you will discover that Michael House is no longer in Dallas,” Marcus offered. “From the reports I’ve received, he recently joined his king in London. You’ll find that many of your influential vampires are now at the Order’s headquarters.”

  “I was a fool not to execute him the minute he set foot in the catacombs,” Louis said under his breath.

  “I believe I mentioned it at the time.” Niles looked a little bit green.

  I deeply enjoyed the rampaging fear that was running through the room at the thought of Daniel and his army. They didn’t even know about the wolves, the alliance of shifters, or the Fae army that would soon be breathing down their necks.

  “I know how we can convince Donovan to come out into the open,” Marcus offered.

  Louis’s eyes were suspicious and I wanted to yell at Marcus to be careful. The door opened and Chad entered. His eyes were strangely bright, lit with something close to glee. He took his place near Marini but said nothing.

  Marini refused to explain Chad’s sudden
appearance. “You were saying?”

  Marcus was unsettled for a moment as he glanced at the magician but he quickly got back to his point. “We use the faery to lure out Donovan. We announce his impending execution in some place that Donovan can easily get to. When he shows up, we kill him.”

  Louis shook his head, obviously unsatisfied with that plan. “Or we could hit Donovan where he will hurt. I like your plan of using the faery prince. I believe Donovan truly does care for him. When we toss his dead body on the steps of the Order’s headquarters, he’ll know we mean business. Mr. Thomas, if you will do the honors.”

  Chad’s eyes lit up like it was Christmas. “It would be my greatest pleasure.”

  “No,” I yelled, not giving a shit I wasn’t given permission. I launched myself bodily at Chad but Marcus got in the way. He pulled me into his arms and held me tightly as I started to scream at Marini.

  “You promised me,” I yelled from the cage of Marcus’s arms. My whole body was flush with rage and fear and I was pretty sure they could hear my heart beating all the way in London. “He could have gotten away, but he came with me because you promised you wouldn’t kill him.”

  “He probably shouldn’t have believed me. Look, darling girl, once the traitor finds the faery’s corpse, he’ll know I’m serious. I’ll offer up a trade. I’ll let the Order take you in exchange for Donovan turning himself in.” Louis came up to me and held my face in his hands. “You can’t think I would really believe that crap about Donovan not loving the two of you. I watched him when he thought you were gone. He would have met the dawn if you had truly been lost to him. He’ll exchange himself for you.”

  “Don’t kill Dev,” I begged, fighting to get away from Marcus. I couldn’t let it happen.

  Louis seemed satisfied to let Marcus deal with me. He walked away and grabbed something from behind the sofa. I watched as he stood back up and nodded and Niles and Elof jumped into action. They quickly grabbed Niko and I heard Marcus gasp.

  “There will be a lot of killing today, sweet companion.” Louis stood tall and showed off the stake in his hand. “I am not the complete fool everyone thinks I am. I believe it is time to end the reign of the academics.”

  Niko roared and tried to pull away from the other vampires, but they held him tight and Louis didn’t hesitate. He marched straight up to the Greek who had walked the Earth plane for over two thousand years and with one single thrust brought his long life to an end. The vampire’s face went blank as the stake entered his chest and then he turned to dust before my eyes.

  I could hear Marcus breathing heavily, shocked at the quickness of Niko’s exit from life.

  Marcus slipped something into the palm of my hand. It was cold and felt like a small stone. I closed my fist around it just before Louis turned back to us, that stake still in his hand.

  “Are you going to run, Marcus?” Louis asked, his fangs long. “I have to wonder why you showed up at all.”

  “I had to see her,” Marcus said quietly.

  “Marcus, that was suicide,” I replied, horrified at the fact that he was willing to do it.

  “No, cara, it was fate. You remember what the oracle said. You’re the woman I would meet death for. It doesn’t matter that you can’t love me.”

  “Now that’s just…repulsive,” Louis said with a shudder. “Take him.”

  Elof and Niles shoved me aside and gripped Marcus as they had held the Greek before. They took his hands and held them as far apart as they would go. I saw the strain on Marcus’s face as the stronger warriors were pulling him apart. His brain wasn’t going to help him now. I looked down and caught a glimpse at what Marcus had shoved at me. It was a replica of the Blood Stone. I would be able to take the stone and switch it. I quickly shoved the fake Marcus had given up his life to get to me deep inside the bodice of my dress. It nestled between my breasts, my flesh covering it completely.

  “I willingly give my life for my king and mia regina,” Marcus said with conviction. “Cara, your king sends you greetings through me. He begs you to stay alive. He loves you with every fiber of his being and he will come for you.”

  Louis pulled me up and forced me into his embrace. “He can come but I’ll kill her before I allow him to take her from me. You’re pathetic, Marcus. You’re still looking for that woman who’ll bring you the death you crave. It isn’t going to be my Zoey. I have no intention of killing you.”

  Marcus’s eyes got wide as he thought of the implications of that statement. “I have betrayed you. I’ve been on Daniel’s side since the beginning. I worked against all of you.”

  “Yes, you have,” Louis admitted. “You also convinced the only woman I’ve ever loved to kill herself to further your own plots. So, Marcus, I will take this woman you love. I’ll take her and you’ll know that I have her beneath me while you rot in a coffin for all of eternity. You will lie there and know that I have purged the world of your line. The last academic. That’s what you’ll be when I’m done.”

  I cared for Marcus. I truly did, but I had another problem. Somewhere Chad was getting closer to Dev, and I wasn’t sure he wouldn’t do it. He seemed hopelessly insane and even if he wasn’t, he’d proven in the past that he was all about the job. Daniel was his master and he’d been told to keep his cover intact. If that meant giving up Dev to do it, Chad just might. I started to crawl away, thinking if I could make it to the door I might have a chance at stopping Chad. I could find something to fight him with. I was perfectly willing in that moment to kill Chad if it meant saving Dev.

  “No, Zoey,” Marini said, hauling me up by one arm, “You’re not going anywhere.”

  I struggled against him, crying in my frustration. “Let me go.”

  Marini sighed even as Elof and Niles started escorting a very shaky Marcus to the door. “Calm yourself, Zoey. It was a ruse to create a bit of panic. I’ve long suspected Marcus of perfidy. I put a spy in Niko’s household as well. I knew the academics would betray me in the end. Mr. Thomas was a distraction. He won’t kill the prince. I still intend to get a taste of that magic.”

  Marcus struggled against his captors. “You cannot allow this to happen, my queen. This will be disastrous for Daniel. You must not allow the prince to perform this ritual.”

  “She has no choice, Marcus,” Marini said. “The prince will perform or I’ll kill him and toss his body like garbage on Donovan’s doorstep. Now, take him to the dungeons. The coffin is there and ready for its new occupant. I want Zoey’s face to be the last thing you see, Marcus.”

  Marini dragged me along. Marcus, upon realizing there was absolutely nowhere to go, had chosen to walk with dignity toward his grave.

  “Come, mon ange,” Marini said as we headed down the stairs toward the same dungeons that held Dev’s jail cell. “You’ll feel better once you see that the prince is alive and well. You should be happy with my plans, darling girl. It means you’ll be allowed sexual access to the prince. Perhaps I’ll find I enjoy watching the two of you.”

  “Zoey, I’m begging you.” Marcus was ahead of me, but he kept trying to turn, to plead his case. “Do not allow this to happen. You know what that magic did for Daniel. Don’t allow Louis access to it. It will cost Daniel his existence.”

  But I didn’t know what else to do. We were caught, Dev and I. If we didn’t give Marini what he wanted he would kill Dev and that would leave me alone. I couldn’t let that happen. Daniel wouldn’t want it to happen.

  As we walked toward the dungeons, I tried to come up with some plan that would work. I needed to talk to Dev, to Bris. Mostly I just needed to see him.

  “Oh, god,” I heard Marcus breathe as he entered the dungeon. “Oh, no.”

  That coffin must be really awful I thought as Marini guided me in, but then I realized that wasn’t what he was upset about.

  Dev’s cell was open and Chad held Dev firmly in his arms, his fangs in my faery prince’s neck, his throat working. He looked up and saw us and released Dev. His big body hit the floor and
he didn’t move.

  “You wanted me to kill him, master,” Chad said with a smile as blood dripped from his mouth. “It was a pleasure to obey.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  I couldn’t quite make my mind believe what I was seeing. Chad stood over Dev’s body and he practically glowed with health. Somewhere deep in the still functioning parts of my brain I knew a vampire only did that when he gorged himself on blood. The room was silent as I stared down at Dev. His face was to me and his eyes were closed. He looked like he was sleeping.

  Louis dropped my arm and I ran to help Dev up. It was obvious Chad had taken too much and I needed to get some blood in him. He was going to need a transfusion.

  I hit my knees and put my hands on him. “He needs blood.”

  “Oh, cara,” Marcus said, his voice quiet and deliberate. “He’s blue. He is past needing blood.”

  I held his hand in mine. Marcus was right. His skin was a ghastly pale and he was cold to the touch.

  “He needs a blanket,” I heard myself saying. “He’s cold.”

  It seemed wrong that he was cold because he was always, always so warm. His skin was almost hot sometimes and I complained on many occasions that sleeping with him was like sleeping next to a furnace, but he’d said I’d been stupid enough to marry him so I had to put up with his body heat. He would wrap himself around me when he slept. He didn’t like to feel alone even when he was sleeping.

  He needed blood. Why weren’t they giving him blood?

  “Mr. Thomas, what have you done?” I heard Marini ask harshly.

  Why was he worried about that now? Dev needed blood and I didn’t care that it would come from Marini.

  “You have to give him blood, Louis,” I implored quietly, my hand on Devinshea’s chest, looking for his heartbeat. I couldn’t find it. He was still under my hands. So still. There was nothing moving, no heart beating, no lungs filling with air.