Fuck. No, no, no, no no! I try to fight it. I close my eyes and grit my teeth, then go for my own throat, meaning to rip out my voice box.
“You will not hurt yourself. You will tell me the answer now.”
The words come up my throat like cut glass. “Eloise Harcourt.”
Her eyes brighten and she releases me. I explode from her grip, breaking into shadow with a howl and tearing through the room. Blood sprays as I slice open her two humans. I paint the walls with blood. The bed. Her. I slice open the mattress. Wreck the lamp, the chair.
Only when I go for her closet does she say, “Enough! You will damage no more of my things! Form again now.”
Reluctantly I do, but my rage and hatred for her cause my entire body to shake.
She picks up her phone and dials a number. “Yes. I need a crew in here to clean my chambers immediately.”
Once she hangs up, she steps over the remains of her humans and heads for the door.
“Where are you going?” I ask through my teeth.
She laughs. “To talk to the commander of the guard, of course. He needs to find Eloise Harcourt.”
I swallow, desperation burning like acid through me. “Don’t kill her, Valeska. I’ll do anything you ask. Anything you want if you leave her alone.”
Her answering laugh is darkly wicked. “Oh, I’m not going to kill her, Damien. I’m going to have her brought here. And then I’m going to command you to do it.”
She turns on her heel and leaves as I break apart on an endless scream.
28
Deal with the Devil
ELOISE
The third vampire I’m scheduled to feed isn’t anything like the first two. He’s short, balding, with a portly belly that precedes him into the room. He’s Danny DeVito. The neighborhood plumber. Your best friend’s dad.
“So you’re the new gal,” he says, a Boston accent creeping in.
“I’m Eloise.”
“Name’s George. Welcome to the hive.” He shakes his outstretched fingers as he says hive, like I should be afraid.
“Uh, thanks?”
“Ahhh, I don’t mean to scare ya or anything. It’s just, you know, this is a new world we’re all livin’ in with multiple covens under one queen. I’m sure most of your visitors will be the type to kiss the ring. You might as well know I’m not really a fan of this new arrangement. But then, my coven was one of the last to be incorporated.”
“You’re the first to openly complain about it, but your secret’s safe with me. It’s not like I’m going to tell anyone. They haven’t even let me out of this room.” We both burst into laughter. I actually like this vampire. Bonus points that he hasn’t looked at my boobs even once.
“I bet you’re wonderin’ how someone like me ends up master of the Liberty coven.” He places both hands on his belly and shakes.
I stop completely. “Wait, you’re master of the coven in Boston. When you say your coven was incorporated, you meant your coven.”
His lips draw thin and he nods. “Yepperooni. I know I’m not the type. Truth is, my maker was this really beautiful woman vampire who invested in a fuckin’ money pit. I fixed some things for her. She liked my work. Decided to turn me for the free labor. Imagine my surprise when she got herself burned at the stake during the Salem witch trials and I inherited the coven.” He smacks his lips. “Anywho, I still like to fix things, but as you might imagine, I’m not exactly the type to find easy donors.”
I shrug. “I don’t know why not, George. I think lots of human girls like a man who can fix things.”
He waves a hand dismissively. “Ahh, stop. You’re makin’ me blush. Anyway, I come here when I’m in town. Marabella is a doll, you know. Always hooks me up with the nicest girls.”
He takes a step closer, and I realize we have a problem. He’s shorter than me. There’s no way he’s reaching my neck without standing on a box, but if I sit down, this robe is going to ride up and show my daggers. Not that George seems like the type to care. My instincts tell me he’s trustworthy and only after blood.
“So, how do you like to take it?” I ask, shooting a quick glance toward the chair. He’s not stupid. He knows what I’m asking.
