Evan remembered that spontaneous, terrible thought Alanna had, the first time he’d pushed her to want something for herself. I wish Stephen had killed me. Underneath the new feelings and desires, there was still so much of the InhServ, forbidden to have wants and desires. Death was acceptable, if it was what the Council ordered.

Yet he also remembered that nearly audible click in her mind when she understood she wasn’t merely a status symbol or a tool to him. That he valued her for who she was, a remarkable, brave, unexpectedly stubborn woman, her weaknesses and strengths both part of her appeal. He thought of how she’d gripped his hand, pressed her face into his palm, overwhelmed by the discovery. Seeing that change, feeling her flood of emotions not only from her mind but through that one contact on his palm, he knew the truth. If this woman was loved the way she should be, she would embrace her full potential. She was already amazing; with love, she would evolve into the realm of the extraordinary, a living work of art like nothing the world had ever seen.

He met the vampire assassin’s gaze squarely, forced himself to say words that could slice his heart in two like Daegan’s sword. “Whether or not she would stay in my care is irrelevant. She deserves to live for her own merits, not my whim.”

“But in the vampire world, it’s only a vampire’s whim that will give her any consideration at all.” Daegan sat back, studying him. From the faint flicker of Gideon’s expression, Evan sensed a conversation happening between the two men. Abruptly, Daegan rose, extending his hand.

“I’ll do what I can, Evan. You have my word.”

The band around his chest eased a few notches. He might not know much about Lord Daegan, but he suspected the male said nothing he didn’t mean. As he rose and clasped the assassin’s hand, Daegan tilted his head toward Gideon.

“Despite this poor excuse of a servant, you are correct. I do understand the value of a good one.”

Gideon raised a brow, but didn’t comment on that. Instead, he said, “If we’re done here, I’ll go kick Niall onto his feet for a short sparring match. Make sure his skills are still sharp.”

“No,” Evan said. When both men looked toward him, he softened the brusqueness of his reply. “Let him sleep. He needs it . . . more often now.”

He thought of Niall in a pillow fight with the sorority girls, roaring with laughter, yet so gentle while wrestling with them . . . Niall had been the subject or part of the scenery of so many of his works, but there were millions more in Evan’s head, a gallery that pressed in on him now, making him short of breath in a way that didn’t happen to vampires.

Realizing the conversation was best concluded, he nodded to Daegan courteously, then left the shelter, striding across the field toward his servants.

As Evan moved away from them, Gideon glanced at Daegan. “He’s that close? Niall?”

“The increased sleep patterns are the only real indication we have, other than the number of years. A few have lived up to a decade beyond the three-century mark, but if he’s already sleeping more, he will not be one of those.” Daegan came to stand shoulder to shoulder with his servant, both males watching the three. Alanna had straightened. Whatever Evan said to her caused her to come to him swiftly, take his hand. He swung her around, catching the herbs from her hand to examine them as she tried to take them back. He was obviously teasing her. With their enhanced senses, Daegan and Gideon heard him suggest throwing rocks at Niall to wake him, though they knew he had no intention of doing so.

“Do you think Lyssa will take that in to account, if they can break Stephen’s mark?” Gideon asked. “The fact that Evan will be alone soon?”

“You know her better than I do. What do you think?”

Gideon pursed his lips. “If she can manage it politically, I think she’d do it. She’s pretty much Head Bitch in Charge now. Don’t think anyone will mess with her on it. But Brian’s had piss-poor luck breaking any mark over five years old. The Council made him put it on the back burner. It seemed pretty pointless, anyhow. How many vampires would break from a servant after that length of time? Stephen’s kind of a onetime freak issue. Not worth the cost of the research, to their way of thinking.”

“Should I ask why you were asking Brian about such a thing?”

Gideon tilted his head as Daegan shifted closer, an intent look in his dark eyes that Gideon took for the sensual warning it was. One he couldn’t resist poking at. “Just keeping my options open,” he said lightly.

Daegan’s hand was on his chest before he could block him, using that electrifying speed to move into his personal space, crowding him against the pillar. He had his hand under Gideon’s T-shirt, bypassing the nine millimeter holster and dagger sheath to find the three teardrop servant’s mark high on his chest. “You have no options when it comes to our ownership of you, vampire hunter,” Daegan murmured, brushing his nose across Gideon’s cheek, baring fangs so he felt the scrape on his jaw. “We resolved that long ago.”

“You’re already in my mind, asshole.” Gideon fought to keep his mind unscrambled as Daegan’s mouth touched his throat, sending a shot of adrenaline straight to his groin. He suppressed a groan as Daegan cupped his balls, a threatening squeeze. “I told him you wanted to determine what kind of chance you could give the girl, if it suited the Council’s purpose.”

Daegan arched a brow. “Lying to the Council’s scientist. I’m sure there’s a severe punishment for that.”

When his fangs pierced Gideon’s artery, he gripped the vampire’s waist beneath the long coat, the steel of the sword’s scabbard brushing his thigh. “Not lying. Anticipating. You know you wanted to know. You’re not as blackhearted as your reputation. ‘Those who know my name are mostly dead’? Really?”

“Not mostly dead.” Daegan lifted his head, licking a smear of blood off his lip. “Most of those who know it are dead. Ass.”

“Yeah, yeah. I was thinking about what was going to be on cable tonight. Wasn’t really paying attention.” Gideon tempted fate, tasting the blood on Daegan’s lips. His hand slid past the sword to another weapon, one that was nearly as hard as the steel.

Daegan’s eyes glinted as he caught Gideon’s wrist, twisted it up against the column above his head. Holding his body pinned, the vampire spoke against Gideon’s ear. “Your Mistress is not here to protect you. You will be beneath me at dawn, and I will prove just how ruthless and blackhearted I can be.”

Fuck that. Anwyn’s way scarier than you are. Gideon took another nip at his mouth, and Daegan chuckled.

He slipped away like a shadow, back to sitting at the picnic table before Gideon could blink. Though his pose was casual, his glance wasn’t, the way it swept Gideon’s body. Daegan being Daegan, the bastard would run him half to death tonight, then fuck him into the ground to prove who had the upper hand. But that struggle was the pleasure they shared.

The vampire picked up the apple again. “Warrior to warrior. Tell me what you’re thinking, rather than making me pick it out of that caveman brain of yours.”

“She stood up to that piece of shit tonight. And she gave up everything to do what was right. I’ll say what Evan won’t to the big, bad Council assassin. We should do everything we can to save someone like that.”

“Agreed. You know me too well. I’m spending far too much time in your company.”

“You have no other options. Anwyn and I are the only ones who can stand you.”

“Says the kettle.” Daegan fended off Gideon’s punch at his chest as he came to sit on the table next to him. “Careful. Show some respect to the big, bad assassin.”

“In your dreams.” Gideon sobered. “Stephen won’t want us to take him alive. That’s our biggest challenge.”

Daegan propped his elbow on Gideon’s thigh, took a bite of the apple. As he chewed, he offered the rest to Gideon. “He knows his fate at the hands of the Council. He will want a quick death.” Daegan flashed his fangs. “Which is why I am motivated to deprive him of it.”

Gideon looked back toward Alanna and Evan. She’d hopped onto Evan’s back, and he was carrying her farther into the marsh. Knowing Evan, he was probably showing her some kind of luminescent water bug. Above them, Niall sat up. When he swung down to join them, the bond between the three, the way they drew together like a gravitational pull, was as obvious as the bond between the two males watching. Not that Gideon dwelled on such things often.

Daegan stood, bumping Gideon’s shoulder. “Liar. You can’t keep your thoughts off my ass.”

“Only how much I’d like to kick it, stuff a grenade up it . . . the fantasies are endless.”

“Keep telling yourself that, vampire hunter.” Daegan checked the placement of the sword in his coat, adjusted the gun at the small of his back. “Let’s go. The challenge of a capture instead of a kill is a rare pleasure, a refining of existing skills. I might actually enjoy this.”

“Well, just so you’re a happy vampire.” Gideon tossed the apple core into the grass outside the picnic shelter and flashed him a dangerous smile.

As elusive as the shadows themselves, the two warriors melted into the night.

Niall waded into the marsh. Evan was holding Alanna piggyback as he showed her a sleeping heron. The ghostly white bird had his head tucked into his chest feathers, his body hidden among the weeds. Niall had woken in a curious mood, so he followed his inclination. He slid an arm around Alanna’s waist, and leaned against Evan’s body in simple affection. The vampire brushed his temple with a dip of his head.

“What will be will be,” Evan said quietly. “But we have this.”

“We’re a long time deid,” Niall agreed. At Alanna’s look, he gave her a squeeze. “It means enjoy life now, lass.”

She nodded. Putting her hand over Niall’s on her hip, she settled her other one into Evan’s grasp when he reached up, drew it down to hold it over his heart. “Thank you both for your care,” she added after a pause. “Whatever happens . . . I expected to be alone for all this, and I don’t feel alone.”