I peek through my fingers to find Phantom’s emerald eyes twinkling at me. The thread between us snaps into place like a steel cable and I stand, hands balling into fists.
“Or we could blast through the door with a little more magic.” Phantom trots into place beside me, excited at the thought.
The buzz of power grows within me, and the door starts to rattle in its frame. I’m tempted to knock it down and storm out, daggers in hand.
But then a vision of Damien’s parched body baking in that silo flashes through my mind. I draw the power back into myself. “And then what?”
Phantom sits and turns his pointed nose to look up at me. “We charge into the palace and challenge the queen.”
I snort. “I don’t even know where the palace is. And if I could find it, I wouldn’t know how to gain access to the queen. The guards at the front of Marabella’s will surely overpower me even with magic and my daggers. I’m not good enough to take on two oversized vampires. If I survived, what next?”
I walk to the one and only window in my room. It’s barred and looks out over a walkway lit by streetlamps. Vampires stroll past the house in both directions. “The queen has an entire army. I’d never reach her alive.”
“You should wait and go during the day when the vampires are sleeping,” Phantom suggests. It’s a good idea until I remember why that hasn’t worked for Damien.
“The palace is guarded around the clock by witches and humans. It’s too risky.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
Chewing my lip, I sink back into the chair and pick up the list of fees and services. Maybe I could refuse some meals in order to lower my debt. This time I read every word on both pages. In small print on the second page, it says, “Tips paid directly to donor can be applied dollar for dollar against debt.”
Phantom gives a laugh that sounds like a fox’s bark. “All you need is a few generous benefactors.”
“Do you know any spells to make vampires feel more generous?”
The fox stares off into space for a moment, nose twitching. I picture my grandmother interviewing the rest of my ancestors for the spell. When Phantom’s eyes meet mine again, his fox mouth sags. “Not without a host of herbs and a cauldron.”
I take a deep breath. “Well then, I’ll just have to trust that my blood is special enough to do the trick all on its own.”
“You’re going to go through with it, darling?”
I lean back in my chair, resigned. “I have to.”
I take my first client the next morning after breakfast. At least I can say the food at Marabella’s is good. I enjoy poached eggs on toast with a side of coffee and cream, delivered by a terse but polite female vampire in a kimono. Once she’s cleared away the tray, I have twenty minutes to ready myself before the lock on my door turns and the vampire lets himself in. That’s a surprise. No knock. No warning. I’m not allowed to have a key to my own room but they freely give one to the vampire who will feed from me. It hangs, gold and glinting, from a red velvet tassel nestled in his fingers.
He wears a uniform, red and black with a braided gold cord across the front of his tunic. Although he appears about thirty, I presume he’s far older. Attractive, I suppose, objectively, although all I feel is dread at the idea of him touching me. The robe I wear covers me but feels far too much like lingerie.
I force a shallow smile. “Hello.”
“You’re new,” he drawls, nostrils flaring.
I have no idea how this usually goes. What am I supposed to say? “I am.”
His gaze rakes over me. “Marabella tells me your services are limited to blood donation.”
“That is correct.” My tone is matter-of-fact with no room for negotiation.
He sniffs as if he’s disappointed I didn’t take one look at him and change my mind. This vampire has an ego. He carries himself like someone important. Maybe someone from the palace? A frisson of hope cascades through me. If he likes me, maybe he’ll give me information about the palace.
“Do you have a name?” he asks.
“Eloise.”
He takes another step closer. “I’m Marcel.”
In hindsight, maybe I should have used a fake name. Then again, if it mattered, if the queen knew who I was, she wouldn’t be looking for me here. “I like your uniform, Marcel. Do you work at the palace?”
Another step closer. He runs a featherlight touch along my outer arm, and I try not to cringe away. “I’m the commander of her majesty’s guard.”
