[i]The rest of eternity would be nice,[/i] Victoria thought with a scowl. [i]But even that probably wouldn’t help.[/i] Victoria could feel Illyad’s gaze on her. She shifted awkwardly in the seat, resisting the urge to glance up at him.
	“It’s not like I’m giving a presentation,” she snapped more vehemently than she intended, the emotions warring inside her all trying to escape at once. “Sorry,” she muttered, taking a deep breath and running a hand down her face. “No. Better sooner than later.”

[center]*	*	*[/center]
	The office was as elegantly designed as the entrance hall. Larger than Nyaira expected, a fire blazed in a fireplace, and bookshelves lined most of the walls. The couple windows in the room had curtains drawn over them, blocking out the harshest sunrays.
	A man who looked a couple years older than Luc stood from behind a large oaken desk.
	Nyaira blinked at the warlock. She glanced between him and Luc. Though the two were different in many ways, their features held just as many similarities. Too many to be a coincidence.
	“Well?” he asked, suspicion in his voice. “Where is she?”
	“We ‘ad a bit of a… mis’ap,” Luc said darkly.
	The warlock’s face hardened. “Did you kill her?”
	“Do you zink I’m stupid?”
	The warlock raised an eyebrow. “Do you [i]really[/i] want me to answer that?”
	Luc bore his fangs, and took a threatening step toward the desk.
	Nyaira rolled her eyes. “We’re all adults here,” she interrupted in a bored tone. “So how about we act like civilized supernaturals?” 
	The warlock looked to Nyaira as if noticing her for the first time. “You must be the lovely Nyaira. I’ve heard a great deal about you.”
	“And I’m sure it’s all true,” Nyaira purred, banishing any unease with a coy smile.
	The warlock smirked. “I hope so. I’m Jevan Véron.”
	“[i]The[/i] Jevan Véron?”
	“The one and only.” He gave an arrogant bow. “So what happened to the girl?”
	“One of your kind took ‘er.”
	“You couldn’t track them?” Jevan sighed, sat back in his chair, and held his fingers in a steeple. “Do you have something of hers? Something of value?”
	“I scratched her and drew blood.” Nyaira extended her hand toward him.
	“Now [i]that[/i] I can work with.” Jevan hurried around to the front of the desk and took her hand, examining her long nails. “Come with me.” The warlock headed toward the only wall without bookcases. The plaster seemed to yawn, revealing a door. 
	Luc hung back as Nyaira followed Jevan. He pulled his most recent burner phone from a pocket. The feeling that Alex played a part in the girl’s escape still nagged at him. There was something about that traitorous vampire that kept him on edge. He would have him tailed, and knew just the supernatural for the job.