Despite the gargoyle’s unease, he gave a ready nod, his courage astonishing for such a small creature. “Oui. You can depend upon me.”

Without conscious thought she reached to brush a light hand over the tip of his wing. It was only when she was climbing back through the window that she realized how natural it felt to make physical contact.

Something she hadn’t allowed herself for centuries.

Obviously being in this world was altering more than just her powers.

Affection, desire, concern . . .

What was next?

Love?

With a shake of her head, Nefri made her way back to the lower floor. How often did she have to warn herself that now was not the time to be distracted by such foolishness?

In fact, never seemed like a good time.

Smoothing her expression into a calm mask, she entered the classroom and crossed to where Santiago remained seated on the floor with the human cradled in his lap. “The building is clear,” she assured him.

“This is Melinda.” He lifted his head to send her a speaking glance as the girl trembled in his arms. Nefri halted, belatedly realizing her presence was adding to the girl’s distress. “Sssh, mija,” Santiago murmured, running a comforting hand over her tangled hair. “No one is going to hurt you.”

Nefri slowly bent down to sit on the floor. Towering over the child wasn’t going to help. “Does she know what happened to her?”

“We were just getting to that, weren’t we, Melinda?” His attention returned to the female, who gave a violent shake of her head.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I know it was horrible for you,” he sympathized in soothing tones.

“It was worse than horrible.”

“Let’s return to the beginning,” Santiago urged. “Can you do that for me?”

Melinda shuddered, but clearly as susceptible as every other female to Santiago’s potent charm, she sucked in a deep breath. “I’ll try.”

“Good girl. How long have you been here?”

Her brow wrinkled in genuine confusion. “I’m not sure. A day, maybe two. Does it matter?”

“No. Everything’s fine.” He tilted back her chin, studying her pale, tearstained face. “Why were you at this place?”

Nefri watched the girl struggle to swallow, the sound of her pounding heart thundering through the room.

“It was a party. A birthday party for Brian,” she at last managed to rasp. “We always come here because the police never drive out this far.”

“How many?”

“We started with a couple dozen or so, but once the keg ran dry a lot of people began returning to town.” Her bottom lip stuck out, reminding Nefri of just how young she truly was. Barely more than a baby. “There was some stupid dance at the high school.”

“But you stayed?” Santiago asked.

“Yes.” She gave a slow nod. “I’ve waited forever for Robert to notice me and he . . .”

“Go on,” Santiago urged.

The girl burrowed her face in Santiago’s shoulder. “It’s embarrassing.”

“You can tell me,” Santiago said, threading his words with a trace of compulsion.

Nefri lifted her brows at his delicate touch. It was rare for a vampire to be able to influence a human without seizing complete control of their minds and destroying their free will. At the same time he was able to soothe her hysterics despite the fear that continued to pulse in the air.

Amazing.

With a tentative motion, Melinda pulled her head back to meet Santiago’s dark gaze. “There were six of us left and we started kissing and stuff,” she admitted in a husky voice.

“And?” he prodded.

“Santiago,” Nefri softly protested.

He lifted a silencing hand, his gaze never straying from the humiliated girl. “Melinda, tell me.”

She hunched a defensive shoulder. “I think someone must have spiked our drinks because one minute I was making out with Robert and the next we were all on the ground . . .” Her head dropped, a blush staining her pale cheeks. “You know . . . together.”

“And that’s something you don’t usually enjoy?” Santiago asked.

“Of course not.” She tilted back her head. “I’m not a slut no matter what Vicky Spearman might say.”

“So you just couldn’t stop yourself?”

“No. We were all out of control.”

Santiago shot Nefri a glance and she gave a slow nod. The girl was incapable of lying under Santiago’s compulsion, which meant that she was truly horrified by her participation in group sex.

Lust...

As powerful an emotion as violence and fear.

Santiago shifted his gaze back to Melinda. “Then what happened?”

She trembled. “The air was suddenly freezing and when I opened my eyes I realized there was a stranger standing over us.”

“Describe him.”

“Not super tall, thin with dark hair.” She licked her lips, her heartbeat quickening. “Weird eyes.”

“Weird?”

“It was like he was looking at us, but he wasn’t really seeing us,” the girl explained. “I thought at first he must be some crazy crackhead who wanted to be closer to the fire.”

“Was he alone?”

“Yes.”

Nefri leaned forward. Gaius was alone? Surely the girl had to be mistaken. “You’re certain?”

Melinda never allowed her gaze to stray from Santiago. “I didn’t see anyone else, I swear.”

“I believe you,” Santiago assured her. “What did the stranger do?”

She paused, as if struggling to remember. “At first he just stood there, but then Brian jumped up and tried to take a swing at him.” She made a sound of distress. “The man laughed and grabbed Brian by the throat and . . .”

“Ssh. You’re safe, mija.” Santiago’s voice eased the rising panic, as soft and beguiling as dark velvet. “Go on.”

“He bit him.” Melinda lifted a hand to her own neck, touching the wounds that still leaked a trickle of blood. “Like he was an animal or something.”

“What did you do?”

“I wanted to run, but I was so freaked out I couldn’t move. None of us could.”

Had Gaius been able to shift the humans’ emotions from lust to fear? Or had the mysterious spirit been hidden nearby?

“Did the stranger hurt your friends?” Santiago continued.

“Yes.” Melinda bit her lower lip, tears filling her eyes. “I think . . . I think they’re dead.”

“And what did he do to you?”

“All I remember is being lifted off my feet and a pain.” She pulled her fingers away from the wound, frowning as she noticed the blood staining her skin. “I woke up alone here.”

Chapter 12

Santiago brushed the tears from the girl’s cheeks, accepting that she’d revealed everything she knew of her encounter with Gaius.

“Melinda, I need to speak with my”—he glanced up to meet Nefri’s steady gaze—“companion.”

“No.” The girl dug her fingers into his chest, her eyes wide with terror. “Please don’t leave me alone.”

“We’ll be just outside the door,” he promised, genuine sympathy stabbing his heart.

The girl might physically recover, but mentally . . .

Just one more reason to track down Gaius and gut him like a pig.

“He’ll come back and get me if I’m left alone,” Melinda sobbed.

“He’s long gone, mija.” He ran his hand down her cheek, using his powers to try and comfort her. “I promise you.”

Beyond even his talents, Melinda quivered in fear. “Take me with you.”

“Melinda. Melinda, look at me.” Cupping her chin, he forced her to meet his gaze. “I want you to relax.”

She blinked, struggling against the compulsion in his voice.

“Please . . . I . . .”

“You’re tired.”

Her face went slack. “Tired.”

“You need to sleep.”

“I’m so scared.”

“Close your eyes, Melinda.” His voice hardened to a direct command. “You’re safe.”

“Yes.” Her lashes lowered.

“Now sleep, mija,” he whispered next to her ear. “Sleep.”

Waiting until her body was limp and her breathing was steady, Santiago laid her on the floor. Then, grabbing the sword he’d set aside when he’d found the girl hiding in the corner, he rose to his feet.

With a nod of his head toward the door, he led Nefri out of the classroom into the narrow hall.

“Talented, indeed,” Nefri murmured. “How long will she be out?”

“Long enough,” he said, annoyed by his flare of pleasure at her words of admiration. Dammit, he was still sulking. “I’ll call Styx to have the local clan chief take her to a safe house until one of the Ravens can collect her.”