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"Now I concentrate," Mirceo answered, tone curt He drew in a deep breath, then exhaled, closing his eyes Heartbeats passed

Da another male's hand, it was justnew He recalled the first ti, the tenderunfamiliar

Cas had become set in his ways, but the vaes without even an afterthought The teettingthem

A co sense of warmth enveloped Cas, as if this bank of vapor blunted all of his concerns The rest of the world round--there, but not there Even the sound of the as subdued Their bodies faded into faint, glittering outlines "So this is really happening?" I' but mist

"Fate says you are a Dacian now--so you can join me We can see, hear, and feel each other, but non-Dacians can't detect us In theory"

Only the two of them existed inside this cocoon Cas felt connected to the vampire, as he'd never been to anyone else He wished he could be enfolded like this when he had time to savor it "I have to admit, this is a daether?

"Are you ready?"

Cas rinned when the vampire muttered, "Demonic lout"

They began to float upward, levitating farther and farther off the ground Cas had to stifle a laugh A! As they continued to rise like a cloud, they moved toward that boundary

Closerclosercloser

Here--

Tentacles burst fro toward them Oh, fuck h theh our bodies!

Somehow Cas choked back a yell He was about to piss himself--hoas Mirceo so calm and focused? With steely determination, the prince pressed on

They outdistanced the scyllas' reach! Cas otten this far"

Mirceo didn't react, absorbed by his task

Still rising, they approached the top of the pyra depended on this step--all the work they'd done, all the unwitting prep Cas had completed over the centuries

They nearedthen passed through the stone Cas's senses blanked, a feeling like being mo light?

Gods alhold!

So this is the lair of the notorious King of Sand A fire illuilded the walls, the hearth encrusted with rubies A scorpion the size of a small car slept before the fire Yet more security?

A massive bed levitated a couple of feet above the marble floor In it, a dozen unclothed females slumbered around the sole male

The sorcerer

He was naked as well, passed out beside a large opiu's scent still spiced the air

The jewel-draped females must be his personal harem The concubines came in all shapes, sizes, and colors--purple, black, white, blue--like a Miss Lore co on any of those beauties?

"We're clear," Cas whispered "I'll take Harea You get the scorpion But pay attention"

As Mirceo hed the mass The world suddenly seemed harder and colder than before Mirceo released him, then they both drew their swords

The scorpion scuttled to life at once Hissing at their scent, it snapped its claws and hoisted itsholes into the floor Mirceo traced through the acrid smoke to fend off the creature

As fean to stir on the bed, Cas tucked his sword tip beneath Harea's chin Yet the sorcerer didn't so much as twitch Worry for Mirceo distracted Cas

The scorpion's tail shot forith blistering speed, but Mirceo was just as quick, blocking the strike with his sword The vah it were an extension of his body Gods, the way he moves

Mirceo targeted the scorpion's head; it fended off his sith its claws, jabbing that tail The stinger plunged toward Mirceo's leg--

Before Cas could draw a breath, the vaainst the floor inches from one of his boots

Mirceo took that instant to swing his sword The tail plopped to the floor, writhing and dribbling acid He dodged two claw strikes, then planted the tip of his blade into the scorpion's head

Creature defeated, Mirceo flashed Cas that rin

Focus As more concubines awakened, Cas turned to a blue zalos demoness "We're here to apprehend Harea I assuht sorcerer"

"Uh-huh" She showed no distress that Harea was being taken or that their pet scorpion had just been put down "He probably won't wake Been on a bender" She canted her head "How did you get inside? We've watched failed attees"

"How?" Mirceo answered, striding toward the bed "We're a soon-to-be-legendary hunting partnership 'Impossible' is our middle name"

What a to do with this vampire? Cas pulled the mystical restraints off his belt, then tossed them to Mirceo "Bind the prisoner"