“How are you getting on?” she asks. I swallow. There’s caution in her words. Distance. As if she’s waiting for another argument.
“Nothing new,” I say, squeezing the umbrella’s handle tight, looking at the black pane of the river. Its current is fast, splashing against the rocks that litter it. In the distance, through a forest on the other side of it, I see lights on in a building.The hunting lodge?
“All right,” she says. Her voice is softer than usual. “I’ve been doing some digging into Inverness. Everything’s hinting at a blood party. But not the ordinary kind.”
“Did the Night Dean tell you this?” I say before I can bite the words back. There’s a sigh on the other end of the line.
“Not this time. Callisto has its own sources.” Her voice is calm. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to rekindle my trust.
“And who are these sources?”
“That information is only available to Stake ranked hunters,” she says, voice cool. “You should know that.”
“But it wouldn’t hurt you to tell me.” I breathe out. She doesn’t reply. “What did you mean by ‘not the ordinary kind’?”
“There are no known vampire clubs in Inverness,” she says. “Outside of Tynahine, of course. But I’ve found fifteen cases similar towhat you encountered in Silverbirch. Not killing but tasting. They’re finding profiles, unusual flavours. This sounds like somethingformal.”
“Right.”
“I wouldn’t usually send you to something like this,” she says. “You won’t be going in alone, but once I know more—”
“I don’t need help.” I say this quickly, and for once it isn’t my pride talking. I don’t want another vampire hunter in Inverness. I don’t want one anywhere near Tynahine.
I can’t let anyone see my Familiar’s mark.
“That’s not up to you,” Penny says. “I also need you to stop taking your allicin supplements.”
The wind picks up, blowing my umbrella inside out. Rain dampens my scarf.
“What?” I ask, my chest sinking. Did Nocth tell her to say this? But just before I can ask, Penny continues:
“I don’t have an exact date for the party yet, but you’ll be posing as a victim. Even if you’re not on the list, they won’t turn away S-Type blood.”
Shit.
I can’t. Faust Nocth already told me to stop taking the supplements, but if I do, Aliz will ask to bite me. And I don’t think I’ll be able to resist. I’m still searching for what to reply when Penny says, “Be ready.”
“I’m always ready,” I reply, but the words ring empty.
When I getback to my room, I pull out the jar of garlic supplements. Without them, no one will look at me the same. Much less Aliz.Not yet,I think. The supplements take between ten to fifteen hours to leave the system. As long as Penny warns me a few days in advance, I’ll have time to stop, and then resume as soon as the party is over.
Aliz is still at her soiree. I wonder who lost the card game. I try mybest not to think of her, clearing my mind as I change into my nightgown. The Familiar’s mark has continued to grow, now stretching its vines down past my waist. I grimace at the sight of the twisted lines. I scratch furiously and stop just before opening a wound.
I wonder if she still has her clothes on. My breathing shortens as I imagine her slowly unbuttoning her velvet waistcoat. I cover my eyes and breathe. I’ve never felt this. She’s twisted my mind entirely.
A wave of humiliation does away with my arousal before it can fully form. Aliz doesn’t wantme.If I didn’t have the mark, she wouldn’t spare me a second glance.
I’m so used to being wanted by every vampire I set my eyes on, but it’s always been because of my blood. I’m not able to seduce her with it, not when it’s polluted with garlic.I should stop taking it.I dig my nails into my chest, frustration bubbling.
It begins to itch, more than before, so I squeeze my eyes, hoping I’ll fall asleep before it becomes unbearable.
Chapter
Seventeen
Four stone columns tower at the entrance of the maze. The ground is muddy. Twigs cut my bare feet. Each hedge is a monstrous creature fashioned from jagged branches. A large crow with crimson eyes walks across the top of a hedge.
The Familiar’s mark is no longer just a drawing. Its vines have come to life and slowly tear through my white nightgown.
