I turned my gaze back to the pictures, wondering if any of the females was the room’s owner. “I bet she’s going to be upset to discover she missed out on seeing the vampire circus sweep through.”

“That’s an understatement,” James muttered, earning a light chuckle from me.

“You’ll just have to tell her that I used her shower. Maybe that will placate her,” I said, feeling supremely absurd. I walked into the bathroom off the bedroom. It was small, with a set of green towels hanging on the towel rod. Most of the personal items had been removed, but I was relieved to find some shampoo and bath gel. I smelled of smoke and felt grimy, coated in a thick layer of my own blood.

“Is there anything else I can do?” he offered, his hand resting on the white marble sink.

“No, I can handle this, unless you want to stay and wash my back?”

This time James smiled and shook his head. I think he was beginning to catch on to my teasing. “I shall leave you and take care of the other items.” With that, he headed out of the room.

I closed the bathroom door and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like a nightmare. My red hair hung about my face in matted clumps, filled with dried blood, leaves, and dirt. My face and body were streaked with blood and dirt. I looked like the hideous, blood-sucking monster vampires were proclaimed to be. And yet none of my own fear was showing beneath the blood and dirt. The world couldn’t see that I didn’t have a clue about what I was doing. Most of my decisions were made on the fly, and the fact that I was still alive was a testament to my own stupid luck.

Turning away from the mirror in disgust, I turned on only the hot water and stripped out of my clothes. I climbed into the tub and sighed as the steaming hot water heated my cold flesh and turned my complexion pink. It was the quickest way to gain warmth without feeding. The feeling was always short-lived, but I enjoyed it while it lasted. Relaxed again, I washed my hair and scrubbed off last night’s encounters at the pub, in the alley with Rowe, and in the woods.

With my hands braced against the tile wall, I let the hot water pour down on my head and over my body, rinsing off the dirt and soap. I closed my eyes and stretched out my senses. I started on the first floor, pausing for a second. While I couldn’t feel Sadira, I could pick up the swell of power emanating from her. So much for hiding. Hell, let her blame it on me. Jabari had plenty to be angry with me for. Why not add one more thing? I had a few things I was eager to discuss with the Elder.

The members of Themis were still anxious, running about the large mansion like a hive of angry bees. There was a large group meeting at the opposite end of the second floor. I didn’t pause to hear what they were discussing. I didn’t care. We’d be gone soon and I’d never have to deal with these people again.

On the third floor, I located Danaus. He was so calm and at peace, I could only guess he was asleep. He was more difficult to read than humans and other nightwalkers. Much like most magic users, his powers seemed to muddy things. I could pick up on emotions but not specific thoughts. I lingered over him, soaking in his calm the same way I had soaked in the warmth of his powers. Reluctantly, I moved on and was about to pull away when I picked up on the other strong magic user in the house. He was on the third floor in what felt like a large room. He was calm as well, but there was a deeper sense of concern and anticipation curling around him. This had to be the illustrious Ryan.

With a shake of my head, I closed the connection and turned off the shower. Wiping off the excess water, I towel-dried my hair as best as I could. Reluctantly, I pulled on my pants, shoes, and bra. The shirt was ruined. I would have to borrow something from Miss Richards for now. If we had time, I hoped to stop at the hotel in London and pick up my things before we flew out. Locating a brush under the sink, I ran it through my hair, getting rid of the tangles as best as I could. When finished, I at least felt like I carried the semblance of average humanity.

Reaching for the doorknob, I suddenly stopped. Michael was waiting for me in the bedroom, his heart thudding fast in worry. I jerked open the door to find him pacing the room, clenching and unclenching his hands at his sides.

“What’s wrong?” I demanded in a harsh voice, making him jump.

“Nothing,” he quickly answered, his hand automatically reaching for his gun in his surprise. A spastic smile jumped across his lips as his hands returned to his sides.

“What are you doing up here?”

“I didn’t think you should be here unprotected.”

“I’m fine. Your job right now is to protect Sadira. I can manage,” I reassured him, running my fingers through my damp hair. Fear unknotted in my stomach, leaving the muscles trembling for a moment.

“Do you need anything?” His eyes were wide as he watched me.

“No, I’m fine.”

Something about him was making me ill at ease. He seemed nervous and extremely tense. I could only guess that it was the constant traveling and the threat of the naturi. While I’m not sure he completely understood the danger, he’d overheard enough conversations to catch a solid glimpse.

He walked over to me and placed a trembling hand on my cheek. “I’m worried about you. You nearly died last night and you’re still in danger here,” he murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to my temple. “This place is wall-to-wall vampire hunters and God only knows what else. You know I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you, but…” His strong voice drifted off, suffocated by his doubts.

“But you and Gabriel are outgunned,” I finished, running my hands up his strong chest. Lacing my fingers behind his neck, I pulled him down so his forehead touched mine. Michael wrapped his arm around my waist, enveloping me his warmth. “Right now, these hunters are not the threat that concerns me. Besides, they seem to follow Danaus, and he needs me alive.”

He pulled away so that he could look me in the eye. “He tried to have you killed in Egypt,” he reminded me, with barely caged anger.

“He claims it was a misunderstanding. They were trying to rescue him.”

“And you believe him?”

“No.” I laughed, pulling his head down to capture his soft lips in a quick kiss that lasted a bit longer than I initially intended. Michael’s arms tightened, pressing me against his strong body. His skin was warm and his heart pounded against my breast, proclaiming his life and strength to my own cold form. I started to break off the kiss, telling myself that I had too many things to take care of, when Michael deepened it, running the tip of his tongue along the seam of my lips. My own body instantly responded, my mouth opening so his tongue could dart in, tasting me.

French kissing a vampire was an art form that Michael had mastered during our years together. He could kiss me without pricking his tongue on my fangs, but there was never anything hesitant or careful about it. He explored my mouth, opening up senses and feelings within me I hadn’t realized were laying dormant, waiting for him and his touch. In his hands, I felt almost human again.

I moaned softly against his mouth, my fingers threading through his hair. With a little pressure he guided me backward until I felt something pressing against the back of my knees. Running his hands up and down my back, he slowly pulled his mouth away and smiled down at me, his eyes sparkling with some kind of mischief. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask what he was thinking when he gave my left shoulder a little shove, pushing me onto the bed.

“Make time stand still, Mira,” he murmured in a low, husky voice that sent a shimmer of warmth over my body. “Give us tonight.”

Parting my knees so he was standing between my leather-clad legs, I sat up and grabbed a fistful of his shirt. As I lay back down, Michael crawled onto the bed, placing his elbows on either side of my head as he leaned down and reclaimed my lips. My eyes fell shut as he wrung another moan out of me, my body instinctively arching against his. I wanted to feel all of him. I needed to feel all of his soft, warm skin pressed against the length of my body, but I would follow his lead. Michael was in control and I was enjoying every second of this escape while I could.