King's Gambit Read Online Free PDF

that same expectant look as before, like I was supposed to give her the answer.
    Blood magic fell under the category of things hunters practiced but never spoke of, and “unaffiliated” magic users guard their secrets ferociously, making knowledge of the subject difficult to obtain. While I didn’t practice the art myself, I did have a fair number of books on thaumaturgy. Though I always put off reading them, which I now regretted, because they may have given me an idea of what Elise was planning.
    Alas, regrets couldn’t help me now. I sighed in resignation. “What’s the dirt on these guys?”
    “I thought you would make it a point of knowing the new players,” she said.
    Maybe I was just tired, but it was hard to tell if she was actually mocking. Both her gaze and manner of speaking gave off the vibe that she was always unimpressed with everything around her.
    “I just got back,” I offered as a lame excuse.
    “There are always six members in the king’s parliament, with one of them serving as a magical advisor” she said. “Two of Flav–” she cut off, rubbing her temples “–King Flavius’ people are in Germany at the moment. That leaves four here. One of them works for us, the other three are your targets.”
    “We have a mole?”
    “Everyone has a price,” said Khalil.
    It was ironic to hear that from a mercenary. Come to think of it, he didn’t really look like a mercenary. A gigolo, maybe. There’s a lesson about stereotyping people in here somewhere, I’m sure.
    “Who is it?” I asked.
    “Sergei Koskov,” said Elise. “Five-foot-eight, blonde hair, and small blue eyes.”
    “Beady,” said Khalil, forming a small circle with his thumb and forefinger. “Like a rat. A friendly rat.”
    “And the others?” I asked, unable to resist returning the handsome vampire’s grin.
    “There is Allison Rollins, Robert Franklin, and Zhen Zhu-Li,” Elise said. “Note that Zhen is her last name. In China–”
    “The last name is put before the first name,” I said. “I know.”
    “She is the king’s magical advisor. That, along with her reclusive nature, makes her the most difficult target.” Elise took a sip from her cup, the leftover blood on her lips a startling crimson against the deathly pallor of her skin. “Monsieur Franklin will be the easiest. He is a hedonist and throws parties almost every night. He planned the soiree tonight, actually.”
    “And is hosting another tomorrow,” Khalil said, his honey-colored eyes turning molten gold as he gazed at the china cup. “Which we’ll be attending.”
    “Rollins?” I asked, dreading another night in heels while simultaneously trying to decide what to wear.
    Khalil ran a hand through his hair, and I watched with fascination as the strands fell back into the exact same place. Seriously, why couldn’t magic do that? “Miss Rollins makes Flavius most of his money. She’s his stockbroker, and rumor has it, his lover. She’ll be at the party if Flavius is; the woman is practically his second shadow. Zhen refuses to appear at any party unless she has to.”
    “In any case, your first goal should be Monsieur Franklin,” said Elise. “Though you are welcome to try getting blood from Mademoiselle Rollins if you see an opportunity.”
    “Yeah, about that…How am I supposed to get a blood sample from someone without them noticing? Especially someone whose every fiber is hardwired to seek blood. I’m pretty sure they’d notice something.”
    “From the way Monsieur Castinus speaks of you, I wouldn’t think this a challenge,” she said.
    I’d jump her if I didn’t think she’d boil the blood in my veins. Plus, I was a little distracted wondering what exactly Marcus had said about me. “How much blood do I need to collect?”
    Elise stood up and headed to the desk in the corner. “More is better, of course, but a few drops will suffice.” She came back with four small test tubes and held them out to me. “If you’re feeling