Rajmund Read Online Free PDF

attention. “My lord.” He sat on the leather sofa, twisting slightly to face the vampire lord. Duncan nudged the low table aside and moved his chair closer, so the three of them could converse.
    "You wanted a meeting,” Raphael said.
    Raj studied him silently for a moment. His next words could very possibly condemn him if Raphael was his enemy. Raj had power, enough to defeat his own master when and if he decided to take that step. But he had no illusions about his ability to defeat Raphael, and he couldn't be certain where the vampire lord stood when it came to his fellow council members. On the other hand, Raj trusted Duncan—insofar as he trusted any vampire who wasn't of his own making. And Duncan had encouraged this conversation.
    "You were at the council meeting last fall, my lord,” Raj said to Raphael. “You saw that Lord Krystof is . . . not what he once was. He weakens and the entire Northeast weakens with him. Already vampires are siring their own children without permission, building private fiefdoms within the territory."
    Raphael frowned. “I hadn't known it was that bad."
    "But you knew something was wrong."
    "I suspected."
    Raj sighed inwardly. Conversation among powerful vampires was like swimming through mud; there was no clear path and too many unseen hazards. Every word became a weapon, and what was left unsaid often conveyed far more than what was said. On the other hand, boldness was a virtue. “Time runs out, my lord. Even for vampires. I need to know if you intend to remain neutral, as you have in the South."
    "And why would I not?"
    "Because Krystof did you a favor once."
    "Did he?"
    "Krystof has told me, my lord, of how you arrived in this country, how you came to his court and he permitted you to travel through to the West Coast to establish your own territory."
    Raphael's black gaze focused sharply on Raj. He bared his teeth in a slow smile, seeming genuinely amused, but there was nothing friendly about it. “Do you really believe he could have stopped me, Rajmund?"
    Raj swallowed his irritation, sorting his own truth from his master's fantasies. “No,” he answered evenly. “No, my lord, but Krystof believes it, and he might call upon you if he felt threatened. I wondered if you might have a lingering fondness for him that would respond."
    "My interest is in stability. If Krystof is unable to maintain his territory, it endangers us all."
    Raj nodded, figuring that was the best answer he was going to get. He was surprised when Raphael kept talking.
    "I have long felt there should be more cooperation among the territories,” he said calmly, crossing his legs and smoothing away invisible wrinkles. “It occurs to me that you and I have much in common."
    "My lord?"
    "A certain outlook, Rajmund. A practical approach to doing business.” He met Raj's gaze directly. “Should the occasion ever arise, I believe it would benefit us both, and the Vampire population at large, if we were to . . . consult in the future."
    Jesus Christ, Raphael was not only giving his tacit approval for Raj to overthrow Krystof, he was proposing a fucking alliance. With Raj ruling the Northeast and Raphael the entire West, they would go a long way toward controlling the Vampire population of North America. The other council lords would scream bloody murder if they knew. The lords never cooperated in anything; it made doing business with each other almost impossible. But if he and Raphael—
    "What do you think of the South?” Raphael continued casually, as if he hadn't just dropped a political bomb in Raj's lap.
    "It's hot and sticky,” Raj said, grinning, “But I doubt that's what you had in mind."
    Raphael gave a bare smile.
    "I was surprised when Anthony seized control,” Raj continued, in a more serious vein. “I thought he was content with New Orleans."
    "He was,” Duncan confirmed. “Jabril let him run New Orleans however he wanted, as long as he paid tribute. But then the hurricane wiped out half of