He smiled and moved on, ignoring her little mew of disappointment as he did so.
Nathan liked women. He enjoyed watching their small gestures, a flick of a skirt and tilt of a head. He loved their scent—well, most of them—and he enjoyed making them laugh, but he did not want to dally tonight. Now he had a few questions he wanted to ask Beth. And this time, she would answer them.
He searched everywhere, knowing she’d left the box, but could see no sign of her. Moving around the edges, he looked over heads but caught no glimpse of her. He did, however, find a door. Surely she had not been foolish enough to leave the guests and seek solitude? It was far too dangerous for a young lady to do such a thing. Opening it, Nathan slipped through.
Was she meeting a man? That stopped him briefly. Had Valentine organized a private rendezvous with her? His stomach clenched, but he ignored it and walked on. Was that the sound of voices?
Moving slowly, he breathed through his nose and kept his steps light. He’d learned a lot being part of Alexius, and often, like now, that came in handy. He could move without making noise.
“I have seen it and will get it, but I have conditions before I do,” someone said to his left. He couldn’t see anyone, so he moved closer. “I will do no more until you promise that this will be the end.”
That was a woman’s voice.
“You have nothing to bargain with, and I hold all the power, so you will do as I say.”
“I will not. I need some sort of guarantee that there is an end to this.”
“It will end when I say. Now if you wish for you poor sick father to stay out of prison, or worse, then do what I direct you to.”
“This cannot go on. I will not allow it to.”
“Be very careful how you speak to me, or I will give you a reminder of what is at stake. There are many people you hold dear whom I can harm.”
“No!”
“Get me what I want, and your family and friends may keep good health.”
He continued to listen, but there was now only silence. Nathan then heard the sound of soft footsteps ahead of him.
Moving along the dark hallway, he made his way to the end where there was short set of steps up. Instinct had him climbing, then, when he heard the click of a door closing, he followed.
Turning the handle, he walked out into the cool night air. The space out here was not big, a narrow path leading left and right, but the view was spectacular. The light from streetlamps gave the streets below a soft glow.
A noise like the wheeze Zach’s cat, Mr. Sludge, used to make when attempting to dislodge a fur ball had him moving left. He found Beth. She was bent at the waist, and it was her making the wheezing sound.
“What’s wrong?” He took the two steps to reach her side.
She gave a start but did not straighten. It sounded to him like she was struggling to breathe.
“Beth, talk to me.” He touched her shoulders.
“C-can’t breathe.”
He moved in behind her, taking her shoulders in his hands, he then lifted her upright. Ignoring her attempts to stop him, he continued until she was standing before him.
“Brace your hands on the railing.” He did it for her. “You can’t force air into your lungs if you’re curled in on yourself.”
She didn’t speak, just made a hideous gulping sound.
“Slow your breathing down, Beth. Listen to my voice now. Breathe in slowly.” She did as he asked. It was weak, but he heard the air going into her lungs. “Out now, slowly.”
He repeated the process until it sounded to him like she was breathing more calmly.
“You have to relax and try not to panic.” He placed his hand on her stomach. “Focus on pushing my hand out and in.”
She tensed as he pressed it to her stomach.
“Try it, slowly,” he cautioned, and soon she was doing as he asked. It took a while longer but slowly her wheezing eased.
