Rusted Veins: A Sabina Kane Novella by Jaye Wells Read Free Book Online

Not necessarily in that order.”
    If he’d been trying to get a rise out of me, he failed. Vampires loved mage blood. It was the extra kick of magic. Up until recently, mating between the races was forbidden by all the Dark Races ruling bodies, but since those restrictions had been lifted, there was a lot of interracial hanky-panky going on. Vampires might not respect mages as equals, but that didn’t stop them from wanting a piece of their magical action, so to speak. “And when she didn’t show, you just let it go? According to her diary, you’d been quite persistent with your pursuit.”
    “I may be persistent, but I am not desperate. When she didn’t show, I decided it was time to focus my affections elsewhere.”
    My brows rose. “You really expect me to believe that as the leader of a powerful vampire coven you were cool with getting stood up by a mage?”
    “You may believe whatever you wish. That won’t change the truth. I assure you I am not wanting for blood nor sex partners.”
    That I didn’t doubt. First, he was beyond handsome in that predatory way of many vampires. Second, he was old enough to be a master of seduction. Third, in his position he could just take what he wanted. The question is, did he take Cadence, and if so, why was he hiding her? Or was she even alive?
    I pushed aside that thought because I didn’t want it to be true. The idea of having to be the one to tell Adam that Cadence was dead was too horrible to contemplate.
    Time to try another tact with Damascus. I leaned back and watched him for a few moments. “Where did you and Cadence meet?”
    He glanced away and back so fast a lot of people wouldn’t have seen it. But I did. “A party.”
    “Which party?”
    He shrugged and shifted in his seat. “Don’t recall.”
    I pinned a pitying expression on my face. “Old age affecting your memory?”
    “I am invited to a lot of parties.” His reluctance to share the name of his host told me there was gold in this lead. The person who threw the party may not be responsible for Cadence’s disappearance, but he or she damn sure knew something Damascus was trying to hide.
    “Listen, asshole, I have been extremely patient thus far. But I assure you that I have reached the bottom of that barrel. It’s time to give me the answers I want.”
    He leaned forward. “Or what? You’ll use your special magic on me?”
    For an elder vampire like Damascus White, my mage blood meant I was automatically inferior. The fact I was the Chosen, selected by the mother of all the Dark Races to lead her children, didn’t matter to this guy. I leaned forward too. With a flash of fangs, I smiled. “I don’t need magic to make you bleed.”
    He smiled then. “Is that a threat?”
    “It’s a motherfucking promise.”
    He laughed. “That shit might work on the faeries and weres, but around here it’s a declaration of war.”
    I sighed. “You’d really go to war over a mage? I wonder what your followers would say about that.”
    He paused.
    “Just tell me who hosted the party and you can walk away with your pride intact.” He opened his mouth with a sneer, but I held up a hand. “If you refuse, my first step will be to call Nyx and inform her that you need to be removed from your post as coven leader. My second will be to introduce you to my friend, the sun.”
    I could tell from the spark of fear in his eyes that he’d heard all about how I was able to walk around in the daylight.
    “They call him the Reverend.”
    “Who does?”
    “Everyone.”
    “Vamp?”
    He shook his head. “Adamite.”
    I frowned so hard an ache formed between my brows. “What the hell are you doing going to human parties?”
    “The Rev knows all about the Dark Races. We’re his best clients.”
    “Clients?” I asked. “Wait—he’s a dealer?”
    Damascus nodded.
    “Was Cadence there to score drugs?”
    He shrugged. “She certainly seemed to be having a good time,” he evaded. “So much so that she captured