Total pages in book: 148
Estimated words: 139178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
His Kat kept night hours, and it turned out that suited a spymaster fine.
Walking over, her gown a dark red velvet this night, and her hair swept back into a sleek knot, she placed a lace-gloved hand on his shoulder. It felt like a caress through the fine cotton of his dark gray shirt—he’d taken off his suit jacket and perfectly matched tie a while ago, then folded up his sleeves.
It was a ritual with him—one his Kat seemed to enjoy when she caught him in the act. “You do make taking off a suit a most…stimulating show, lover,” she’d said once, before she made him late for two meetings and lunch.
It was one of his favorite memories.
Especially since she, a naked goddess filmed with perspiration in the aftermath, had then helped him put the suit back on. “I like these clothes you wear,” she’d said, stroking her hand down his lapel.
It was a small enough thing, but he was glad of it—because he’d never quite gotten into the fine armor or leathers favored by many of his compatriots. His suits also tended to be old-fashioned in their simplicity. No diagonal cuts or stylish insets, no buttons with jeweled facets.
The simplicity fit him. And continued to be appreciated by his lover.
Today, she ran her finger down his throat. “I brought dinner. I know you want to review everything that built up while you were away from the territory.”
Vivek had learned his craft from watching Jason—he put good people in place and let them do their jobs. But that didn’t mean he liked it; as with the black-winged spymaster who’d become his greatest friend in immortality, Vivek preferred to know everything. “You understand me far too well, my Kat.”
A kiss brushed over his jaw, the scent of her an intoxication. “I should hope so.” Had anyone else heard her, they’d have thought her voice cool, detached, but Vivek had long ago learned to see beyond the face she presented and to all she did for the people who mattered to her.
And Vivek?
He mattered most of all. This he knew to the core of his being. “I’ll—” He began to get up.
But she pressed him back down. “The table and chairs are already out there. You finish your spying, and I will set up dinner.”
He took her hand, kissed it. “I bet you’ve already done some spying-related reviewing of your own.” Katrina’s network went far beyond the gray and into pure obsidian in certain areas.
“We shall discuss that after you’ve wooed me with the excellent red wine you were gifted by the musty old vampire who has a cellar even I envy.” Her skirts made a slight rustling sound as she moved away and out into the starlit night.
Neither of them particularly needed light to see in the dark any longer. Katrina, older and more powerful when it came to her vampirism, could move as surely as a cat in the black. Vivek had fully caught up with her on the night vision stakes just last century, and he had to say—it made one hell of a good attribute for a spymaster.
Despite that, however, he knew she’d light a candle or two on the table. She liked the glow of candlelight, and he had no complaints. He loved her in the light, in the dark, and in the soft whisper of candlelight.
Border report.
Scowling at the subject line, he nonetheless quickly skimmed the message. He stayed on top of the Aegaeon-Illium border situation no matter where he was, but it turned out that this had to do with the border Illium shared with Alexander.
After reading it, he raised an eyebrow. Illium? You up? They’d known each other too long to stick to protocol when it came to how Vivek addressed the other man.
Not if it’s about the asshole, came the grumbling answer.
It’s about your border with Alexander.
Shit, what? Has he lost his mind, too? I had a perfectly polite call with him the other day.
Doesn’t look like it. He’s gathering troops at a town about a half hour’s flight from the border—but my people report that there’s no aggression coming off them. More a sense of readiness.
Illium was quiet for a moment. Man was a general once. He’s putting pieces in place for when he has to play the board.
Right now, Vivek said, my read on it is that he’s getting ready to support you should Aegaeon strike. It was somewhat unexpected—because while Zanaya was open in her partiality for Illium, Alexander had always stayed more neutral.
Raphael did once tell me that Alexander doesn’t talk out of both sides of his mouth, Illium replied. If he’s having polite discussions with me, then he’s not about to launch an attack. Still, keep an eye on that situation.
Already done.
Neither one of them said anything else before dropping out of the mental conversation.