“Oh, thank god, you’re finally awake!” Laura’s pretty, slightly freckled face filled my vision. “You’ve been out cold for a while. Look.” She pointed at the night pouring in through the windows. “It’s dark.” Springing to her feet, she wrung her hands. “Are you hungry? I can make you something—”
“Wait.” Sitting upright, cursing the small rush of vertigo, I grabbed her hand. Golden light spilled from lanterns flickering around the room, the layout was familiar, the bed soft like mine, the furniture almost identical, and yet...not mine.
“Where...where am I?”
Laura froze, glancing at where I touched her. Slowly, she sat back on the bed again and patted my arm. “This is Evelyn’s pavilion.”
“What?” I scrambled in the blankets, trying to get up.
Memories of Whisper tearing out Evelyn’s throat made mine close up. “How did I end up here?”
“Lucien Ashfall brought you.” She tugged her hand from mine and balled them in her lap. “I saw him carrying you. You weren’t moving and I thought...I thought he’d hurt you.” Shewinced. “It wasn’t like I could confront him, so I went to your place to figure out how to help, and...almost threw up all over the rug.” She swallowed hard. “Evelyn and Lydia are...well.” She shook her head. “Let’s just say, staying here for now is better.”
A knife cutting.
Blood spraying—
I flinched. “You saw them?”
She caught my eyes and nodded stiffly. “What the hell happened?”
I glanced at the cuts on my hands from fighting them off. I ran my thumb over Lydia’s fingernail marks on my wrists. I flexed my arms and pressed the bruises that Evelyn had delivered and...didn’t feel much of anything.
I ought to be in agony from their abuse.
I should be stiff and swollen and in a terrible state, unless—
Lucien.
Running my tongue over my bottom lip, the flavour of earthy copper filled my mouth.
Again.
He’d fed me his bloodagain.
And...it helped.
Again.
Buthow?
“Rook...?” Laura shifted closer. “Rook...are you okay?”
“What?” I shook my head. “Yes, of course. I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Why did I feel guilty for being medicated on his blood? Why did I stiffen with the need to hoard every one of Lucien’s secrets?
She didn’t look like she believed me.
Silence stretched before she murmured, “Now that Lucien’s killed Evelyn, he’s exterminated all the girls who claimed they were here to murder him.” She fiddled with the blanket. “Theonly girls left are those trying to sleep with him or the other three mistakes like us.”
Her fear gave me something else to think about.
“Don’t worry, he won’t hurt us,” I said, conviction loud in my tone. “You’re not next now he’s killed the others.”
“But how can you be sure?” She shuddered. “He looked pretty pleased with himself leaving your place. Why would he stop now that he’s halfway done?”
I dropped my legs over the edge of the bed, amazed that even my headache had faded to barely noticeable levels. “I’m sure because he’s not bloodthirsty for the sake of it.” I glanced at the door, wondering where he’d gone.
