“I did not do a job.”
“—and you are being paid for it,” she finished as if I had not spoken, dropping the money back into the bag and closing it. “This is not charity work, Addie. We are not in the businessof feeding the poor or building homes for those without shelter. If Lord Montag wants to pay you to run through his forest for him to catch, then?—”
“He was not the one who caught me.”
Lilith gave her head an experimental shake as if my words had slapped her. “Who…”
“Good evening, Mademoiselle Searah, Mademoiselle Valois,” a monotone voice droned from behind.
I sighed internally at the sound of Lord Durham, tucking the bag ofoyistainto the pocket hidden in my skirts and turning. With a curtsy, I gave him the traditional greeting alongside Lilith, who immediately lost the tired sadness that had been dragging her toward the ground.
“A quarter of an hour,” Lord Durham said, holding out theoyistafor Lilith, who marked it in her ledger.
I stepped to the side while Lilith drew back the curtain to allow him to move into my parlor first. The vampire nodded at me, ducked beneath and moved toward his usual spot on the right side of the settee. He had been turned later in life than the usual vampire and his lined face held almost no expression, whether it be one of hunger or expectation, but I smiled at him all the same in the way I usually did with clients.
“Are you ready for All Souls, my lord?” I asked lightly, unsure what vampires in Oylen did to celebrate.
The lord did not reply, which neither surprised nor offended me. I settled beside him and offered my left wrist. Yet the moment his skin touched mine, my stomach twisted sickeningly. His hands were cold, but not cold enough, the skin too papery against my own. The breath across my forearm was stagnant, like air in a windowless room. My skin crawled and I fought the urge to tug back my arm as his mouth touched my wrist.
The moment his fangs pierced my skin I bit the inside of my cheek, breathing slowly through my nose. Was I ill? Did Ihave the beginning of the same sickness Jules had? With each pull of my blood bugs crawled through my veins, slithering, vile creatures wound up my spine. A sheen of sweat broke out across my brow and I twisted my head in the hopes looking away might help. But the faint musty scent of him was overwhelming and I could not catch my breath.
Mercifulfuckinggoddess…was I about to retch all over this immortal? As soon as I had the thought my eyes pricked. Panic sliced through my veins and I pressed my lips together so tightly my jaw ached. I needed to get away from him. Lord Durham seemed not to notice when I started to tug my arm from his grip and the edges of my vision pulsed in time with my heartbeat.
“My lord.” Lilith stood in the doorway, raising her voice a bit higher. “Lord Durham.”
The vampire withdrew, pale lips reddened with my blood. He said nothing as he looked impassively at Lilith while she took a few steps into the room.
“I’m afraid Mademoiselle Searah is not feeling well,” she said, gesturing to me.
He turned to look at me almost as though he’d forgotten I was there. Gray-blue eyes slid over my face like someone might observe the stone façade of a building. “Ah, yes.”
“I apologize, my lord,” I whispered, fearful of the haze pooling in the corners of my eyes.
Lord Durham surprised me with the small smile he gave as he patted my hand and rose. “No apology necessary.”
“Monsieur Baldé is available should you need more,” Lilith offered, walking to the small door within my parlor that connected to the others.
“That would be welcome,” Lord Durham agreed, ambling over as she twisted the knob.
Liam stood on the other side, one hand tucked into thepocket of his waistcoat, and he bowed as the vampire crossed the threshold.“Serang lan nauth, my lord.”
His eyebrows ticked up in question when Lord Durham slid past him and I waved away his concern before Lilith closed the door. My shoulders sagged, a sob wrenching from my throat as I pressed the heel of my palm to the wound. “I cannot do this. I cannot?—”
“Let me in.”The command was all but a roar on the other side of the curtain. I stiffened at once while Lilith’s eyes widened. She made her way to the portal, drawing back the velvet slowly as if a venefica might be on the other side.
Before it was fully lifted, Lord Azad shot through, appearing on his knees in front of me. His touch was everywhere, wiping my tears from my cheeks as he shushed me in quiet tones. “It’s all right, my heart, I have you.” Each pass of his hands over my skin calmed the nausea, the discomfort bubbling within my bones smoothing into peace. “Breathe for me, just like this.”
He placed my uninjured hand over his chest and breathed slowly. I tried to mimic the movement, hiccupping with my cries. “W-why are you here?”
Those citrine eyes blazed as he looked up at me. “I told you I would call on you tonight. I heard your fear.”
Nothing could slip through that curtain. The magic was tied to Lilith and her mother. She had come in because the wards had alerted her something was wrong, but Lord Azad would have had no such connection. But then again, he had not said he’d heard my voice—no, he’d heard myfear.
With a gentleness that made the tears start all over again, he pulled my wrist from where I’d stupidly pressed it to my chest, blood seeping into the worn bodice of my gown. A growl emanated from his chest and I froze.
“Someone drank from you?” Was that fury in his gaze?
My throat clicked with a swallow. “It…it is my job.”
