She headed out of the side passage. “Follow me.”
He reached to grasp her arm, spinning her back to meet his frown. “Not until you tell me exactly where you’re going and why.”
Her jaw tightened as she jerked away from his touch, but with a visible effort, she maintained her temper.
“The leader of this merry band of misfits has a stack of scrolls she claims were recently sent from Styx. She has them locked in her office.”
Well, that wasn’t what Xi had been expecting. “Scrolls?”
“Pieces of parchment with writing on them and rolled into cylinders. Some even have pretty ribbons.”
“I know what they are.” He did his own share of temper maintenance. “I also know that Styx has never used a scroll in his very long existence.”
“How can you be sure?”
It was a legitimate question. It wasn’t as if he’d spent every minute of every day with the Anasso. Xi, however, was confident that his master had an aversion to communication that could be traced by an enemy. Letters, texts, emails. And most certainly scrolls.
“If Styx has something to say to someone, he does it face-to-face. It avoids any misunderstandings.”
“All the more reason to get the scrolls, so he can see them for himself.”
Xi considered her words. He didn’t think it was a trick. He’d been watching her long enough to have sensed a potential snare. But the night was swiftly passing, and as a vampire, he had a lethal aversion to the dawn. He wanted to get this female to Styx’s lair as soon as possible.
His gaze skimmed over her face, taking in the stubborn line of her jaw. She wasn’t leaving here without those damned scrolls. He waved a hand toward the opening.
“Lead the way.”
Holding the dagger in a light grip, Brigette headed out of her private space and entered the large tunnel. They traveled a short distance before she crawled through a narrow vent that opened into an annex tunnel. This one wasn’t nearly as large as the others, and worse, it had a groove running down the middle of the cement floor that was filled with stagnant water. The walls were covered with a greenish mold that filled the air with a pungent scent, and the ceiling was low enough to brush the top of his head, forcing him to walk bent over.
It was dank and cold and unpleasant, but walking directly behind Brigette, Xi found himself wrapped in the warm scent of heather. Suddenly, the tunnel wasn’t nearly as unpleasant.
A delicious shiver raced through Xi.
He’d never been so vibrantly aware of another creature.
It was oddly exhilarating.
And dangerously distracting, he sternly reminded himself.
They walked in silence, both aware that voices would echo through the long tunnel. Even through the thick cement, he could hear the sound of voices seeping from other parts of the underground maze. At last, she reached another vent, and with a gesture to follow her, Brigette squeezed through. Xi swiftly followed, finding himself in a dark space that was filled with rubble. It looked like a dump space for the humans who’d constructed the tunnels. There was also a rusty set of rebar steps leading toward a heavy hatch in the ceiling. An emergency exit? Probably.
Brigette glanced over her shoulder. “Wait here.”
“No.”
She made a sound of impatience. “This isn’t a trap.”
“I wouldn’t have followed you if I thought it was.”
“Then why are you being a pain?” she snapped.
Xi shrugged. “I don’t want you disappearing.”
“Why would I disappear?” she asked in confusion. “I called to warn you guys, remember?”
Deep inside, Xi knew he wasn’t being entirely reasonable. It wasn’t like she could evade him. Now that he had her scent, he could track her anywhere in the world. But he couldn’t shake the strange compulsion to keep her in sight.
“I’ll go with you.”
His tone was reasonable, but it was blatantly obvious he wasn’t going to compromise. Brigette clenched her teeth, looking like she wanted to throat-punch him.
“Fine.”
With a toss of her glorious hair, she turned to cautiously push open a door that had been carved into the cement. She paused, no doubt ensuring there was no one nearby before she stepped into the dark room. Xi was less than an inch behind her, his gaze quickly skimming over the large space.
There was a heavy mahogany desk in one corner, along with several file cabinets and wooden shelves that were stuffed with books. A large map of the world had been pinned to a bulletin board. There was also a heavy steel safe set next to a pile of weapons that ranged from wooden spears to AK-15s. Something for anyone, he wryly acknowledged.
“This is Maryam’s office,” Brigette absently explained, heading toward the safe. “Make yourself useful and keep watch while I open the safe.”
During his earlier sweep, Xi hadn’t managed to get this deep in the tunnels. The female vampire had been wise enough to travel with a full battalion of guards, including her pet Were, Roban. It hadn’t been worth the risk of exposure. Now he realized he should have suspected that Maryam would have a hidden exit. A leader would have to be stupid not to have a back door for a quick escape.
He curiously watched Brigette punch in a series of numbers on the electronic pad. “You know the security code?”
The female concentrated on pulling open the door of the safe. “I was in the room when Maryam opened the vault. A sloppy mistake.”
Xi arched a brow. “You memorized a key code with fifteen symbols after seeing it once?”
“I didn’t see it. I heard the beeps. They’re very distinct,” she muttered, clearly distracted. “And I remember most things. Unfortunately.”
Xi was impressed. That was the sort of talent that could come in handy. With a faint smile, he moved across the room to pull open the door that led to the main tunnel. He couldn’t sense any demons in the area, but he didn’t intend to be taken by surprise.
He heard the sound of rustling papers and caught the scent of parchment before the safe was closed with a soft click. A minute later, Brigette was standing at his side.
“I’ve got them,” she murmured in a soft voice, holding up the lacquered wooden box she held in her hands. “How did you get in here?”
“This way.”
He released his powers, muting his presence. It would also help to disguise Brigette’s scent as long as she stayed near him. Then, heading down the tunnel, he led her to a side passageway.
She touched his arm. “Are you sure?” she whispered. “I’ve searched these tunnels, and this is a dead end.”