“Good.” Levet waved his hand. “Go away.”
“Ah.” Troy heaved a dramatic sigh. “If only it was possible.”
“It is.”
“I promised Inga. Until you return to the mer-folk castle, the two of us are partners.”
Levet’s heart sank to the tips of his sharp claws. Troy was a flighty, self-absorbed horse’s patootie. But a promise was a promise. No demon would break one.
Which meant they were well and truly stuck together.
“As long as I am the one giving the orders.”
Troy’s lips twitched. “Do you know the definition of partners?”
“Oui, it means you do what I say.”
“Or?”
“Or else.”
“That’s your snappy comeback?” Troy demanded.
“Argg.” Levet jumped off the bar stool and waddled toward the door “Let us get this over with.”
“The sooner the better,” Troy added, his cloak billowing behind him as they headed toward the door.
* * * *
Xi was still in the main tunnel when he sensed Brigette approaching. He’d made a meticulous search of a few of the side shafts, but the place was like a labyrinth. Each branch had new branches, and there were dozens of manholes that opened into caverns beneath the main tunnels. It was going to take weeks to meticulously inspect each one.
Waiting in the shadows until the female was just a few inches away, Xi stepped forward. Brigette yelped at his sudden appearance before sending him a frown that warned him not to smile at her startled reaction.
“Have you found anything?” she snapped.
“Not yet.” He glanced around, his lips curling in disgust. There were layers of rubbish that had been dropped and left in place. Bones, torn clothes, empty containers. “Nothing beyond trash.”
“Yeah, tidiness isn’t high on the list for the rebels.” She shuddered before turning on her heel to retrace her steps. “It’s almost dawn. You can stay in my room.”
“An invitation?” Xi asked, readily following behind her.
“Get over yourself.”
Xi smiled as Brigette tossed his words back in his face. He wanted her to be sassy. He knew from experience that it was all too easy to self-destruct from guilt. His hand lifted, as if he intended to brush his fingers down the ivory silk of her throat, but instead he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the darkness as the sound of footsteps echoed in the distance.
Shockingly, Brigette didn’t fight against his hold. Instead, she pressed close, as if realizing his ability to mute his presence would help to disguise her own. Smart wolf.
The footsteps came closer before fading into a lower tunnel, but Brigette remained close enough for her heat to sear through his clothing. Xi’s fangs lengthened as her musky scent teased at his senses, stirring a reaction that wasn’t entirely unexpected.
She was a beautiful female, with a lush sensuality that would attract any male. Or female. But while most creatures no doubt allowed her past to mar their opinion of her, it only emphasized Xi’s fascination. He saw beyond the pretty surface to the raw, vulnerable female she kept hidden.
The musky scent deepened, as if Brigette was struggling to leash her own awareness. Then, sucking in a sharp breath, she pushed him away.
“The rebels aren’t all vamps, but they tend to roam the streets at night and return to the tunnels during the daylight. We need to move.”
In silence, they flowed through the darkness. Brigette took the lead, using her familiarity with the maze of tunnels to avoid the demons, who were noisily returning to their temporary lair.
At last, they entered her rooms and propped a wooden slab across the entrance. It was heavy enough that only a handful of demons had the strength to move it.
“Do the other demons have private spaces?” he asked.
Brigette moved to perch on the edge of the narrow cot that was pressed against the far wall. It was the only actual piece of furniture beyond a wooden chair and a small wooden trunk that he assumed held Brigette’s few personal items.
It looked exactly what it was. An underground cement tunnel.
“Many of the lesser demons sleep together in a side passageway,” she told him. “They feel more comfortable in groups.”
“And safer.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “There’s a lot of predators in here.”
Xi hadn’t actually seen many demons since they’d been out and about creating chaos, but he’d caught scents of mongrel trolls and orcs and even hellhounds. The sort of aggressive creatures that enjoyed causing pain to the fragile fey.
“What about Maryam and Roban?” he asked.
His last few hours had discouraged any hope that he might discover clues just laying around. There might be plenty of trash, but there was no indication of what they might be plotting. Or any mystery mastermind pulling strings from the shadows.
If there was information in the tunnels, it had to be in Maryam’s possession.
She shrugged. “They usually rest, then a few hours before the others begin to stir, they have a private meeting.”
“In the office?”
“No, in Maryam’s private quarters.”
“Where’s that?”
“It’s at the opposite end of the tunnels and hidden behind an illusion.”
Ah, well, that explained why he hadn’t managed to track down the female vampire. He had no ability to see through magic.
“Guarded?”
Brigette sent him an “Are you stupid?” glance. “The female is as paranoid as a dew fairy at a goblin convention. Her rooms are guarded twenty-four/seven.”
“I don’t suppose there are any secret passages that would allow us access?”
She was shaking her head before he finished his question. “Not that I’ve discovered. Plus she has layers of magic protecting the tunnel. There’s no way to get close without setting them off.”
He didn’t bother to ask about the spells. Instead, he considered their limited options. “Then we need a distraction,” he at last decided. “Something that will get everyone out of the tunnels so we can search her rooms.”
“Easier said than done,” Brigette warned. “The rebels are constantly expecting to be betrayed. And I’m certain Maryam would have traps waiting for anyone who entered while she was gone.”
There was the heavy sound of footsteps in the outer tunnel, and they fell silent as a crowd passed. Brigette glanced toward the entrance, her body tense as if expecting someone to try to force their way into her private space. Xi studied the purity of her profile and the muscles that were coiled, ready to launch her into attack. A sleek animal posed to strike.