Chapter 4

Seth needed to protect that. For all his faults in condemning Simon to this life in the first place.

“She’s prettier than Antonio ever was,” Simon coaxed. “I’ll bet she’s smarter too. She didn’t even touch the tea.”

True on both counts. After Antonio’s bargain with Celeste, they had lost track of him. Seth had no idea who he had married but Antonio’s sole heir, the granddaughter who wore his magic like a second skin, was unmistakably part of his bloodline. She had eyes as black as a starless sky, lustrous hair with glints of red peeking through its dark strands, a body ripe with the kind of curves that had been fashionable in his youth. She was funny and loyal too, as evidenced by her swift defense of Simon when she believed he was about to get in trouble.

Seth would have liked her just for that.

“Lucky for us she didn’t drink it,” he replied. “Celeste can’t find out about her.”

“What was in the envelope?”