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"Dun try ivin’ you that name" He leaned back and crossed his ar his brow that hadn’t been there before Claude ot somethin’ better for ya"

Claude’s stare didn’t soften one bit, and his focus looked unmovable

"What’s that?" I asked, but I didn’t look away from Claude What would happen if he attacked? I couldn’t help either of them Claude was one of the most powerful vaet to be awitch without a heck of a lot of power

Hell If they fought I’d be lucky to get out of the daed at the idea Would Claude fight the witch, oblivious to how easily da to Nicolas than my safety?

I didn’t think I wanted to know the answer to that question

The witch’s gravelly voice broke the tension with a simple phrase "I knoho it was that commissioned the brand, so you’ll not need to seek out the witch"

I sucked in a breath of s as if stunned there wasn’t going to be a fight

The witch, as if keen on draar from the top drawer of his makeshift desk and trimmed the end "Was none other than the ar and sucked in a quick breath of s rows of teeth "The ister, Luc Chevalier"

Chapter Nine

Claude flew at the ical part of my brain knew that vampires couldn’t actually fly My breath stuck in ht in one of es that had already occurred Caught without the ability to change anything All I could do was stand witness as Claude killed the witch

But then I was ripped thethe witch a liar

I grabbed Claude’s arth He didn’t o" I tried to keepbut add fuel to the explosive situation But when he didn’t even turn to look at me, some of the fear I felt crept into my voice "Claude!"

The vaiant, and I realized that he’d actually been supporting the ainst one of his elevated fire pits, leaning against it for support

"Use your words," I told hi canized

"Get out," the giant ed to choke out "I won’t pursue ya, we’ve been friends so long But I dun want to see you in here again for soed Claude toward the door He turned back e hit the threshold And when he spoke, his voice sounded hollow

"You’re sure about this?"

"Aye"

"Sorry about your neck," Claude muttered, and then allowed me to lead him away

I took his keys and drove us to a so They served deep-dish pizza I wasn’t hungry But I wasn’t ready to be alone with Claude, either Not until he no longer looked so dazed

We sat in a corner It was still early, only ten forty-five, so the place was practically empty I ordered the first pizza I saw on the et the waiter to leave us alone

"He was lying" Claude’s hollow voice hurt my heart I reached across the table, took his hand in ave it a squeeze

"Could be" I didn’t think so, but Claude just looked so ator, it was ument’s sake that Luc isn’t responsible Let’s say it’s Nic Hoould torturing that ister? Unless…" I al to his hope when it was pretty obvious that the Magister was as dirty as his son and Claude needed to accept it

"Unless?"

"Well, you said soht?" I shrugged "I don’t know Maybe so is at work here I one Could he so Nic in a coup?"

A tiny bit of hope lit up his eyes and , but I’ what’s possible with this case Last week I would have said that torturing soic was ih I still think Luc’s in the thick of this" It hurt to say, but it had to be said