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What ly leave the war ar, which meant he couldn’t avoid his responsibilities Nohimself that the sooner he was done with his business the sooner he could return to Harley, Salvatore forced his reluctant feet to carry him down to the kitchen to briefly speak with Darcy, and then to the back of thenarrow room, he lifted his brows in amused appreciation

Like the rest of the house, the rooilt, withBut instead of delicate furnishings and expensive carpeting, the walls were lined with glass cases that held rows of weapons Guns, swords, crossbows,was a rocket launcher, and Salvatore wouldn’t have been surprised if there was one or two tucked inside the wooden cabinets at the back of the room

The floor was an expensive parquet affair, patterned in a sunburst, but there were also a half dozen workout lossy wood, with casual indifference to the beauty of the craftsym in his Roman lair What demon didn’t? But the contrast between the frilly French décor and the brutal arsenal was absurd enough to bring a saze catching sight of Styx in a far corner

The ancient vaa pants, with his long hair pulled back in a braid as he whirled a h the air His movements were fluid and perfectly measured, the mark of a true swordsman

A predator

Salvatore’s wolf stirred in instinctive response

Weeks ago, he and Styx had pitted their strengths against each other

Styx had won that battle, arrogant bloodsucker, but Salvatore knew that things would be different now With the de through his blood, he would prove a far greaterSalvatore’s thoughts, Styx turned to regard his guest with a piercing gaze, the sword held loosely in his hand Then, with a faint slass case on the wall and casually tossed it in Salvatore’s direction

Snatching the ornately carved hilt, Salvatore strolled forward, a growl of anticipation ru for an invasion, Styx?" he drawled, gesturing toward the vast array of weapons

"A good king is always prepared" A taunting sht be challenged by an arrogant Were who doesn’t know his place"

"My place?" Salvatore paused to strip off the elegant Gucci jacket and white silk shirt Then, kicking off the shoes, he lifted the sword in a silent invitation "Do I have to teach youhis sword upward, Styx attacked

Salvatore was prepared, and with a swift th was in his wolf, but he possessed enough power and skill with the sword to hold his own, evenSalvatore’s increased ability since their last confrontation, Styx flashed his fangs in a lethal sh the air with a ferocious speed Salvatore grunted as hisin a seamless dance fro and advancing to the sharp crash of colliding steel and a shower of sparks

Astonishingly, Salvatore found hi of Weres, it was difficult to find a partner who could th, let alone his expertise It was stiht a worthy adversary

Even if that adversary was a leech

Shoving aside his fear at Harley’s refusal to acknowledge their s was still out there somewhere, Salvatore lost hiainst the immense vampire

A mixture of sweat and blood from shalloounds coated their skin before both of thereement

With a feral sh an open door at the back of the room He disappeared for only aone in Salvatore’s direction

Salvatore put the sword on a nearby stand to be cleaned and oiled Then he gratefully scrubbed away the sweat and blood Whatever Hollywood director had decided that olves were savage, uncivilized beasts had never actually met a pureblood No creature with such an acute sense of s but fastidious

Of course, not all Weres were blessed with his exquisite taste in fashion

Styx leaned casually against a glass case, the woundswith Harley has increased your strength"

"It has" Salvatore s that the va He was the Anasso and he would make it his priority to know the precise a of Weres could call on No one, after all, could call hi with the death of the demon lord"

Styx narrowed his eyes, his expression hard with frustration

"How the bloody hell could he have remained hidden from us all these years?"

Salvatore understood the vaed to deceive them all