“Fecking hell,” he muttered, not caring that Lenore could hear him.
Christian entered the short hall, passing a few rooms on the left before reaching the entryway on the right. The booths were empty, and through the windows in the gathering room, he glimpsed dappled sunlight in the courtyard.
“Christian, come say hello to our guest.” Viktor invited him over to the long wooden table.
He didn’t like that Lenore was sitting in Raven’s chair. Reluctantly, he drifted toward them but chose to linger at the kitchen entrance. The breakfast plates still had a few bites of scrambled eggs and toast left behind.
“I was just dropping off my dirty laundry.” Christian squeezed the ball of fabric in his hand.
“Let Kira take that when she comes back. She is makingbanitsa. Have you had this pastry? Sit! You must try.” Viktor was certainly in good spirits.
Christian draped his shirt over the back of Wyatt’s chair and sat down across from Lenore. Her perfume smelled like honeysuckle, and her floral off-the-shoulder dress fit her body like a glove. Lenore had always favored bright colors, and the yellow material complemented her flaxen hair, which was styled in an elaborate braided bun. Her trademark was pulling out wisps of hair to give her a more casual appearance. Lenore never wanted to look overly prim, but these were different times, and nobody gave a shite about rules of etiquette.
Lenore lifted her glass of orange juice and held it close to her lips. “Someone is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning.” Her eyes skimmed down to his bare chest and settled on the tattoo. Lenore was a reticent woman, and she still hadn’t said anything about his ink. She danced around the topic as if it were a strapping young lad in the center of a ballroom. Instead, she sipped her juice and admired the room décor.
Christian took off his sunglasses. “And to what do we owe the pleasure of your company?”
She set down her crystal glass. “I’ve heard wonderful things about Mr. Valentine. Not so long ago, your Chitah gave me his business card. I asked around, and he’s one of the most sought-after hairstylists in Cognito. Naturally I had to have him. I was afraid he might be booked up until Christmas, so I thought I’d come by and”—she touched Viktor’s arm—“see if Mr. Kazan could pull some strings.”
Viktor’s eyes sparkled as he patted her hand. “Call me Viktor.”
“I’m so accustomed to the rigid formalities of the higher authority.” She let go and rested her arms on the table. “If only you knew, Christian. So many rules, so many secrets. I had no idea they kept a dossier on everyone.”
Christian flicked his eyes up.
“Yes,” she said, confirming his bemused look. “Even me. But we’re not permitted to look at our own. Technically we’re not allowed to look at anyone we’re not investigating or prosecuting, but they’re flexible when it comes to those you do business with.”
Christian shifted in his seat, not only unsettled by the idea that the higher authority kept records on all of them but that Lenore had access.
“Let us not talk about work.” Viktor stroked his silver beard. He looked extra dapper this morning. His blue button-up had nary a wrinkle, and the sleeves were neatly rolled to his elbows.
Kira whooshed into the room and presented a round pan with a pastry inside. Then she set down two dessert plates.
“Spasibo, Kira.”
Kira wiped her hands on her white apron and returned to the kitchen.
“What a lovely creature,” Lenore remarked with the utmost seriousness. “I once wanted to be a redhead.”
Viktor cut her a piece of the pastry and set it on a yellow plate. “And what changed your mind?”
“Shifters.”
“Ah.”
“That isn’t the type of attention I invite, even if I’m not a Shifter.” Lenore pulled a cloth napkin onto her lap. “Where on earth did you find such good help? I need a servant with her discipline. Someone who knows how to be invisible. Everyone has an agenda these days. Before the higher authority and Mageri, we were allowed to hire humans. They’re so obedient—so willing to please. They romanticized the idea of immortality and perhaps hoped we would choose them. Isn’t that silly? Aside from that, they don’t live very long, so you don’t have to worry about someone knowing all your secrets.” She winked at Christian. “Now that I’m an official, maybe I should change the laws.”
Christian listened while Viktor and Lenore made small talk. He examined her body language and carefully chosen words, but nothing led him to believe she was up to anything nefarious. He’d made her out to be a villain in his mind, but what if shehadchanged? Even he wasn’t the same man he once was back in 1921. In any case, he needed to put his pride aside for Viktor’s sake. It was always better to be on a person’s good side than bad.
“Absolutely decadent.” Lenore wiped her mouth and simply beamed. “I don’t eat as much as I used to, but how can one resist something so sinful?”
Viktor brushed a few crumbs off his beard. “I will speak to Claude and see what he can do about fitting you in as a personal client. He is currently on an important assignment.”
She leaned into him. “Yes, do let me know if there’sanythingyou need.”
Viktor scooted back his chair, and Christian noticed the man’s heart rate had accelerated. He looked uncomfortable. Had Viktor told her about their confidential assignment?
“Please forgive me.” His cheeks flushed as he pushed in his chair. “I have much work to do, but I will speak with Claude and see if he can free up his schedule. You let me know a good time. Christian will see you out. It was a pleasure, Miss Parrish.” Viktor bowed before leaving the room.
