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The sound of the surf pulled away, and I could hear the murmuring in the room. People wondering what to do, whether they should interfere.

“That’s a gun,” he said, in a voice as uncertain as his face.

I nodded. I had gone back to being flat-footed on my heels, no more tiptoe, no more helping him seduce me with his mother’s magic, or his own.

He’d actually missed the big knife down my spine, because he hadn’t come to the midline of my body until low on my back. But it was a big weapon to miss. Baby, he was a baby. And I’d have said that if he’d been twenty-seven instead of seventeen. Baby not in years, but in my world. You don’t miss a knife as long as a forearm, not and live, not for long. Not in my world.

I gazed up into his face. The black was beginning to drain away, showing the hazel of his human eyes. He was the son of a master vampire and a siren, but where he lived was a gentler, kinder place than my life. I would leave him to that gentleness.

I drew out of his arms, completely. “Go back and sit down, Thomas.”

He hesitated and looked at his mother. She was watching me, not him. Watching me with those black eyes. There was a considering look on her face, as if she wasn’t sure what she thought of the show.

“Do as Anita says, Thomas,” she said, at last.

He went back to the love seat, to sit beside his brother. It left Thea and me staring at each other.

“He hesitated only for a moment,” she said, “yet, it was enough.”

“It’s not his power,” I said, “not yet. It’s yours. You loaned him enough power to roll me.”

She made a gesture that was almost a shrug, but her hands went out in a wide gesture. I think it meant, Perhaps, or, You caught me. I wasn’t sure which, and wasn’t sure I cared.

“You have greeted Thomas, but we have two other sons,” she said.

Micah came up beside me. He took my hand. “In fairness to our other guests, I think we need to greet more of Auggie’s people.”

“They are only his henchmen, and his mistress. We have brought you our flesh and blood, the fruit of our lives.”

Micah nodded, still smiling. “We appreciate that, but—”

I cut him off, and said, “Enough, Micah, thanks for trying to be all polite and hosty, but I’ve had enough of games for the night.”

He squeezed my hand, as if saying, Be nice.

I squeezed back, but I was done being nice. I wouldn’t be rude, but…“I’m going to greet Auggie and his people now, because they didn’t try to roll me. Until Jean-Claude joins us, you and your sons are just going to have to wait to be greeted.”

“So Augustine’s whore is higher in rank than my sons?” Thea sounded genuinely angry.

There was a sound of outrage from the other side of the room—a woman’s voice protesting and Auggie trying to calm her. I glanced to find him talking to a statuesque brunette in a very tiny dress. She was mad, and I didn’t blame her.

I turned back to Samuel. “You talk to her, Samuel. You explain that your wife damn near abused our hospitality tonight.”

“If we have truly abused your hospitality, then Jean-Claude could revoke our safe conduct,” he said, voice deep, but strangely soft.

“I understand that.”

“Did we frighten you that badly?” he asked.

“I agreed to Thea tasting my power, not Thomas. It wasn’t what we negotiated for. I was told you were an honorable man; bait and switch isn’t very honorable.”

“Could you hear anything we said while Thomas touched you?” Micah asked.

I glanced at him, and shook my head. “I could hear his voice and the sound of the sea, that was it.”

“I pointed out to Samuel that you hadn’t bargained for Thomas.”

“What did he say?”

“He said that for a siren to truly taste your power it needed to have a sexual flavor to it, and since you were not a lover of women, one of the boys would be helpful.”

I shook my head. “I’m going to greet Auggie and his people now. Whether I let any of your other children touch me, or not, is up for a very serious debate.” I put my gaze on Thea. “I don’t like to be forced, or played, Thea. If you really want your sons to have a chance at my bed, or body, or power, you need to remember that.”

“I saw into your