Page 78 of Eternal Surrender

My first thought was for Sebastian’s safety, and I quickly headed toward Marcus, gesturing toward the doorway.

Marcus locked his gaze on Sebastian.

I reached for his arm. “Let’s get some fresh air.”

Marcus allowed me to guide him into the foyer. “Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving Belshazzar’s?” he asked.

“I had to deal with Ingrid,” I answered. “She’s out of the picture now.” I led him through the foyer. “So you can forget about her.”

“That sounds like an order.” Marcus said. “Seems to me you’re trying to protect her. Let’s not forget Orpheus’s plan was to turn her. Weren’t you in the middle of doing that when this whole thing blew up?”

I went to answer but the guilt caught in my throat.

We stepped outside and headed toward the garden.

“You’ll be happy to hear that Anaïs is thriving,” Marcus continued, “thanks to you saving her. Thank God you were there. She keeps asking where you are.”

“A normal fledgling reaction,” I said. “Make sure Zachary keeps an eye on her.”

“Of course,” said Marcus. “Who’s that man playing chess with Alex?”

“I need Sebastian alive. Please don’t kill him.”

“Now you’ve really got me intrigued.” Marcus jolted to a stop. “He’s a Stone Lord, isn’t he?”

I shut my thoughts down.

“Too late for that I’m afraid,” said Marcus. “What the hell is a member of the Stone Masters doing here?”

“I’m gaining his trust in order for him to reveal the location of the Stone Masters’ headquarters.”

“You’ve lost your mind,” he snapped.

“Sebastian has no idea I’m a vampire.”

I suppose being carried through the air in my arms should’ve been another clue, but he had politely agreed not to mention that again.

“Five minutes with Alex and most people catch on that something’s amiss.”

“Did you do it?” I asked, trying to stay calm.

“Close the club?” asked Marcus. “No.”

“Leaving it open is a liability.”

“You really believe someone’s poisoning vampires?” he asked.

“Yes.” My frustration rose. “Closing Belshazzar’s is temporary, just until we can isolate the cause.”

Marcus stepped onto the pathway. “We’ve weathered storms like this before.”

“That’s true.” Still, my desire to protect Marcus from the harsh reality of what was really going on would be no good to him in the long run.

With each new century, another challenge had arisen, bringing an ever-advancing threat to our survival. As such, we’d evolved, adapting to societal changes by flawlessly integrating with each generation. But this present danger of poisonings was altogether different and though my thoughts had focused primarily on finding my way back, I also had to face the evidence—our extinction was underway.

Marcus nudged up closer. “William, your rightful place is with me.”

I navigated the rocks, wanting to harness the serenity of the blue ocean lapping at the shoreline. Marcus hung back. He was sulking.