Corrine’s dagger gaze narrowed on me. My tenuous relationship with the two houses often involved me having to define the lines of my job and remind them that I wasn’t an indentured servant at their beck and call. She had fucked up, and I wanted her to ponder over it. I hoped she’d learn from the experience, but I refrained from being too unrealistic with my expectations.
Before she could invite me to, I took a seat on the side chair farthest from her.
“He’s not dead. Why did you lie?” her curt voice inquired.
Note: I can’t trust Jonah.
“Really?” I asked.
“He answered the door when I sent my cleaners to his house,” Corrine said.
“Why did you do that?”
“Remove all evidence of my interaction with him. He was quite discreet when I hired him. I had great hopes for him.”
“And now?”
“Well, he didn’t succeed.” Her long fingers brushed the air in dismissal.
“What’s my contract with the houses?” I asked.
Her lips lifted into a dubious smirk. “I don’t think reciting the terms of our relationship is necessary when it only serves to stroke my ego knowing that you are in a position of privilege because of me.”
Corrine had the beautifully expert ability to humble me with words. Being the house liaison had afforded me an income far better than any other job I’d had. After realizing that teaching high school wasn’t for me, I’d worked as a barista, in a bookstore, at a library, and once, I spent an entire week at the front desk of a budget hotel. That sent me running to Cloak and Dagger, an upscale bar frequented by supernaturals. The business thrived because of the premium on drinks and food. The patrons tipped well. I expected nothing less from supernaturals who enjoyed the perks of a lavish club that catered to them. The humans who paid the upcharge to enter for the chance to gawk and mingle turned out to be exceptional tippers as well. The job provided me with a decent enough income from my tips to cover my rent, food, utilities, and the luxury of two TV subscription services. My job with the vampires offered me financial security. But I’d quickly return to being a server before I allowed Corrine to bully me.
“Do you want to sever the ties?” I asked. “Then you two can spend your time trying to kill each other and see what mayhem the other houses create while the Houses of Knight and Hollows are distracted. They may even feel emboldened enough to challenge you all while you two are preoccupied trying to overthrow each other.” I tapped my chin thoughtfully. “The aftermath of Pyrrhic victories are always interesting to watch.”
From the extended time she took considering my question, I expected her to say yes out of spite. Corrine was pragmatic, and despite their myriad gifts and stratagems, Belham and Corrine had not figured out a way to play nice. The hate between them was so deep-rooted, I continued to search for the origins. It was hard to accept that it was simply based in the thirst for ultimate power.
If one house fell, the other would become king or queen. No other house had enough members, power, knowledge,connection, or money to topple them. Even if the remaining three houses joined forces, the best they could hope for was a respectable standoff—and even that would come at a steep cost. Would it be worth the risk? Their vulnerability would ensure that either the witches or the werewolves would take advantage of their newly weakened position.
Corrine was still examining me when I admitted, “It seems my presence in your lives just allows you all to be your worst possible selves.”
It was an ego stroke knowing that I played a vital role in preventing the supernatural world from devolving into chaos and saving the lives of humans who’d definitely be collateral damage. Now I wondered if I was merely postponing the inevitable. The dangerous thought of becoming the accelerant crossed my mind.Let the war proceed. When it’s over, access the rubble and help rebuild.I knew I’d be among the ruins.
“Your time with us has made you valuable. I’d be foolish to end our arrangement,” Corrine said, pulling me from my thoughts. With a flash of movement, she was leaning over me. My sharp gasp placed a devious spark in her eyes.
She reached out to touch my hair, and I grabbed her hand. Determined intrigue washed over her expression. My thick, coarse small curls had always been an object of fascination to her. She fawned over the unique texture and always had an odd need to touch it. Denying her that seemed to stoke her curiosity. I had no plans of her ever satisfying it. After another failed attempt, where I blocked her hand in a less polite manner, she retreated.
“Do you ever think about how powerful my house would be with us at the helm?” Corrine’s lips drew back to expose her fangs. “You know the House of Knight’s weaknesses.”
I knew the House of Hollows’s as well.
“It would be best if the houses joined as one and maintained order,” she said.
“Killing Belham wouldn’t lead to that happening. You’d just acquire another enemy. Has your list decreased so substantially that you’re aching to add more to it?” I hedged.
Her brow arched. “Enemies.” She scoffed. “You mean little prickles of annoyances that I encounter occasionally?”
“William would not be any easier to deal with than Belham. If you intervene on William’s behalf, are you confident he won’t extend the same offer to someone in your house?”
I considered pointing out that she was woefully underestimating William in the same manner others had done with her. And always to their detriment. William had successfully positioned himself as the reasonable and merciful one of the pair. He was neither but expertly displayed a veneer that disguised it. His urbane gentle appearance only added more wool to the lamb clothing that the wolf wore.
My first encounter with William’s cloak of deception was when the house had to deal with one of their roguish vampires who was known for their deviance and charm—qualities that seemed to simultaneously impress and annoy Belham—who claimed he’d been driven by bloodlust and had killed a human. He staged her death as a car accident as a cover for his mistake. The investigation had shown she’d died in a vehicular accident. William and Belham were the only ones who remained suspicious and conducted their own investigation.
At Belham’s request, the cunning vampire came to his office before I had the good sense to know that, during situations like that, unless I wanted recurring nightmares, it was best to run out of the room like I was being chased by an axe-wielding psycho. I didn’t. Curiosity had gotten the best of me, and I’d stayed to learn how they handled reprobate vampires. In many cases they would have been disavowed, losing the comfort, prestige,protection, and wealth that came with being connected to the most powerful house in the country.
During the meeting, the vampire became increasingly confident as Belham offered a smile of approval. Encouragingly nodding as the vampire described the woman and his inability to “help himself.” So caught up in his retelling was he that he missed the subtle signs that Belham’s urging wasn’t admiration but to ease him into giving an unabridged account. The vampire bragged about his successful cleanup that hadn’t required the help of the house.
