Sadie is boiling the kettle when I reach the kitchen. Good timing!
‘Hello, witch,’ she says, sensing me in the doorway.
‘Don’t call me that,’ I say automatically, watching as she pours hot water into a tartan mug. Luckily, we have tea and coffee for Elliott, or it would be hot water or blood on offer for Damian. Not for the first time I realise how weird this set-up is: three female vampires living together and one of them involved with a thrall who keeps us supplied in blood bags.
I sigh and perch on a bar stool, waiting for Sadie to finish. She draws a sharp knife lightly across her wrist, and blood drips into the coffee as she stirs it. Ah, OK, he must need ‘revitalising’.
‘Is Elliott upstairs?’
‘No, in the lounge. We got a bit carried away ... on the couch. I’ll clean it.’
I screw up my nose. ‘Hester and I sit on that couch. Couldn’t you have gone up to your room?’
‘Well, when the mood takes you. But now I know why it did.’ She rubs at the cut on her wrist distractedly, which has all but disappeared, then folds her arms, eyeing my nightgown. ‘He’s downstairs, isn’t he? That horny dentist of yours. I thought I could sense arousal. It set me off.’
‘Perhaps he was horny when we arrived, but he’s not now. He’s upset. His girlfriend died. Two years ago. He opened up to me about it. I’m making him a cup of tea. To comfort him.’
‘Oh, I see.’ Sadie’s lip curls, showing a glimpse of fang, and she turns and reaches for a packet of Bourbon Creams from the cupboard. Biscuits as well! They must have had a good session for Elliott to be needing the works. She’scomforting him just as much as I am Damian. She’ssucha hypocrite.
‘Have we still got that hot-water bottle of Elliott’s?’
Sadie gestures at the drawer below my knee with her chin. ‘I think it’s in there.’
I open the drawer and find the hot-water bottle with its pink knitted cover under a pile of oldVoguemagazines.
Sadie clicks her tongue. ‘So you’ve got a half-naked dentist in your bed who hasn’t realised exactly what you are yet. And you’re worried that once he does, he’s going to freak out despite you playing psychoanalyst and being allcomforting—as if that’s going to make a difference.’
‘Thanks, Miss Mind Reader. But I really don’t need your opinion about it,’ I say through gritted teeth. ‘And his name isDamian.’
‘Floss, I’m just reminding you that fraternising with humans never ends well. You know you need to break it off,’ she says, her voice softening.
‘Damian’s different,’ I say stubbornly, filling the hot-water bottle. ‘Besides, you’ve got Elliott. You don’t understand what it’s like.’
Sadie walks over to the door with the mug of revitalising coffee in one hand and the packet of Bourbon Creams in the other.
‘Floss,’ she says, sounding impatient. I shake my headand put my hands over my ears, but her voice penetrates my mind anyway, and I can’t stop it.
I do understand what it’s like. I’m 130 years older than you, and I was alone for most of those before we met. I know it’s difficult. But the longer you leave it, the harder it’s going to be. You know I’m right—
I interrupt her.I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t ask Alexander to turn me!I clutch the hot-water bottle to my chest. But I’m impervious to heat, so it doesn’t comfort me.
I know you didn’t. But you need to grow up. Dragging a human into our world is irresponsible when you know what Alexander could do to him ...
Sadie gives me a grave look and exits to tend to her weak thrall, leaving me slumped against the kitchen counter, hurt and angry at her lack of compassion for my situation.Sanctimonious bitch,I think.
I heard that, Floss. Go and see to your dentist. And don’t be mad at me. I’m just keeping it real. We can discuss it more later if you need to.
Oops, I forgot she was only in the lounge.
I head downstairs to get out of her range, slightly mollified, but still justifiably upset. Sadie’s got a point, but she’s not always right. Yes, it’s risky to get involved with a human, but I trust that Hester’s got my back when it comes to shielding me. She hasn’t let me down so far. And Damian may freak out a little when he finds out I’m a vampire. Butif I stick to my plan and approach the subject carefully and break it to him gently, he might not run away screaming. Since he’s into medical stuff, he might be interested and intrigued rather than scared. And I’ll explain there’s one big advantage of me being his girlfriend: he will never ever have to worry about me dying. That’s something that should beverycomforting to him.
Chapter 17
Florence | London, 1888
I tear off the ragged remains of my chemise and leap out of bed, feeling strangely energised. My arm doesn’t hurt at all now. I unwrap the bandage and inspect it. There’s nothing there! Not a cut nor a mark to be seen. The why or how of that is inconsequential. The only thing I have on my mind right now is Dr Dryden.
I crave him with an intensity that blocks out all rational thought except two:I will find out what he’s done to me, and then I will seduce him.
