“You could run, and I could stay to fend them off," the vampire offered. "For some reason, I feel amazingly refreshed." He swung an amused look at Declan that made him grind his teeth. "And it seems I'm quite handy against them."----Natalya tossed away her busted TEP-C. "So, Lothaire, you're going to fight them out of the blackness of your heart?”

“Natalya asked, "How'd you escape all the vampires out for your head?"In a monotone voice, Lothaire stated, "I'm that good.”

“Vampire females are as good as extinct.”Thad was aghast. “No females?”Natalya patted his shoulder. “You can date other species, Tiger. Don’t you worry. I’ve already thought of some ladies to relieve you of your big V. One’s a nymph—”“Over my dead body,” Regin said. “Two-bit hookers, every one of them.”Thad scratched his head. “Mr. Lothaire said every male needed a purring nymph or two chained to the foot of hisbed. As pets.”Natalya gasped. “All right, lad, no more talking to Lothaire.”

“Nereus to Lothaire:“I really thought you’d demand myfirstborn.”“As if I’d want your fucking guppy,”Lothaire drawled, tracing away beforeNereus could strike him down.”

“Greedy for more?"Grinding his hardness against her hip,he nuzzled her neck,her ear,murmuring words in Russian.His warn breaths against her made her shiver wildly."Wh-what did you say?""I talked filth in your ear."Voice gone ragged,he said,"I told you that you've got the prettiest little pussy I've ever seen,and then I told you what I'm going to do with it.”

“Nix and Lothaire:When the collar dropped to the ground, Lothaire rolled his head on his neck. But instead of disappearing immediately, he traced to stand mere feet from Nïx.A towering vampire with skin like marble and chillingly flawless features was staring down a petite Valkyrie with crazed eyes and a cryptic smile.The tension between the two was palpable. Even on the verge of flipping the fuck out, Regin couldn’t look away.“The Accession grinds on, does it not?” Lothaire said.“Just like old times.” Nïx winked. “Alas, Dorada will come for you once she rises again.”“I’ll be ready.” He narrowed his red eyes. “You’ve likely foreseen this moment. Tell me, are we to fight now? As in the past?”“You defy foresight, Lothaire.”“That’s only fair, Phenïx, since you’ve long defied insight.” Phenïx?Nïx canted her head. “What does your Endgame tell you?”“That white queen will never take black king.” He gave her a formal bow. “Until our next match.”“There won’t be a next match, vampire.”His brow creased into a frown, the Enemy of Old disappeared.”

“(Nix and Lothaire conversing)"Have you no mate, female?” he’d asked, intrigued with her, though she was his natural enemy.“I was betrothed to Loki for a time. Which did not proceed smoothly for obvious reasons. So for now I am an unrepentant manizer.” At Lothaire’s blank look, she’d said, “That will be amusing in the twenty-first century.”