Liquid crimson by Carol Lynne

he’d lost control and destroyed the room. It was that or risk running out into the sunlight after his mate, but he didn’t expect Joseph to clean up his mess.
    “It’s my job, Your Highness,” Joseph answered.
    “Thank you but not this time.” Neo ushered Joseph out of the room by throwing him a cookie. “I would imagine Michael will be hungry when he wakes from his nap. Perhaps you could make him some of the chicken parmigiana he likes so much.”
    Joseph scowled, knowing full well what Neo was up to but left anyway. Once he was alone, Neo stood in the centre of the room and closed his eyes. He didn’t use his fae powers often, but he really needed the room put back to rights before he summoned Ian Kildare.
    Concentrating on the memory of the room before his tantrum, Neo’s skin broke out in gooseflesh as the magic swirled in an iridescent light around him. When he opened his eyes, Neo sighed, satisfied. He picked up the phone and stared at the keypad. “Okay. Now for the hard part.”

    * * * *

    Michael dressed in a pair of black silk pyjama bottoms and one of his white undershirts after Joseph had delivered his dinner. He’d told Joseph before that he didn’t need to bring food to him, he was perfectly capable of eating in the kitchen with him, but Joseph wouldn’t have it.
    Carrying the tray into the kitchen, Michael set it on the counter. “That was fabulous. Thank you.”
    “My pleasure,” Joseph said with a smile.
    Michael started to walk out of the kitchen. “Neo in the study?”
    “Yes, but His Highness is in a meeting at the moment.”
    Michael turned to regard Joseph. “A meeting? With who?”
    “A vampire by the name of Ian Kildare, his head of security and Gunnar.”
    “Ian’s here?” Michael smiled. He hadn’t seen Ian in quite a few years, but he liked the King very much.
    “Thanks,” he called as he ran back to his bedroom to change. He pulled on a pair of jeans and an indigo blue dress shirt before tying his hair back at the nape of his neck.
    Approaching the study door, Michael pressed his ear against the carved wood, listening for any arguments. It was widely known Neo and Ian didn’t get along, so why was he here? With a deep breath, Michael knocked on the door.
    Gunnar opened the door and stared down at Michael. “How’re you feeling?”
    “Good. Joseph said Ian was here. Do you think it would be okay to come in and say hi?” Michael asked.
    “You know the King?” Gunnar questioned.
    “Yeah, why, does that surprise you?”
    “Who is it, Gunnar?” Neo asked.
    Gunnar stepped back and opened the door for Michael to enter the room. “Michael. He’d like to say hello to King Kildare.”
    Michael glanced at Neo to make sure he wasn’t overstepping. “Do you mind?”
    Neo rose and crossed the room to Michael’s side. “Not at all. Have you eaten?”
    “Yes,” Michael lied. Although he’d tried to eat the wonderful meal Joseph had prepared, he couldn’t stomach more than a couple of bites. He’d ended up flushing the majority of his dinner down the toilet to save Joseph’s feelings.
    “It’s good to see you again, Michael,” Ian said, joining them.
    Michael dipped his head in reverence to Ian’s position. “Good to see you, too.” Michael glanced around the room. He spotted Ramiro Delgado and knew it wasn’t an ordinary meeting. Ramiro rarely, if ever, left Kildare Castle. “What’s going on?” he asked.
    Neo put his arm around Michael’s waist and kissed the top of his head. “I’ve asked Ian for help in protecting you.”
    Michael was stunned. He knew what it had taken for Neo to go to the vampires for help. “Do you think that’s necessary?”
    “Yes,” Ramiro said from his position by the fireplace.
    As the Clan of Kildare’s head of security, Ramiro answered to no one except Ian. Michael had only met the handsome Spaniard on one occasion and that had been enough as far as he was concerned. Gruff didn’t begin to describe the six-foot