"Many vampires have survived worse."
"And many have died. She was drinking contaminated blood. Would have continued until it killed her if I hadn't intervened."
Marcellus studies me with those too-knowing eyes. "You still haven't answered my question. Why did you intervene?"
I finish my whiskey in one swallow and set the glass down with more force than necessary.
"Because she interested me," I say finally.
The silence that follows is profound.
"She… interested you," Marcellus repeats slowly, like he's testing words in a foreign language.
"Yes."
"In the two centuries I've served you, I've never seen you interested in anyone. You barely tolerate most vampires. You've killed three in the last year alone for far less than using your name publicly."
"I'm aware of my own patterns, Marcellus."
"Then explain this deviation."
I stand and move to the window, pulling the curtain aside to look out at the dark grounds. "Tonight was the third night. And it was the most concerning.
"She paid a vampire named Derek five hundred dollars. He promised to connect her with someone in my circle. Arrange a meeting. He had no intention of following through. Took hermoney and planned to leave her waiting in that alley until she either gave up or died.
"She had a blood bag she'd purchased from somewhere. Not from a legitimate source. I watched her drink it. Then halfway through, she stopped. Even from across the street, I could see the moment she realized something was wrong. The way her body went rigid. The way she dropped the bag and stumbled toward the bathroom.
"That's when I knew I needed to act. She'd been poisoned, and based on what I could see, she had hours at most. Derek was never coming. But I was already there."
I turn back to face Marcellus. "I saw myself in her. Who I was in those first years after Luciano. When I was still trying to hold onto who I'd been, before I learned that caring about anyone makes you weak."
Understanding crosses Marcellus's face. "You pity her."
"No." The word comes out sharp. "Pity is condescending. I respect her. She's been dealt an impossible hand, and she's still fighting. Not begging. Not giving up. Fighting."
"And when you found her tonight?"
"She insulted me instead of pleading for her life." I allow myself a thin smile. "Told me I looked like a CEO vampire. Very corporate."
Despite himself, Marcellus smirked. "You saved her life because she has a flip mouth?"
"Essentially."
He shakes his head, but something in his expression softens. "You're more human than you pretend to be."
"Don't," I say sharply.
"Maximus…"
"I said don't." The command cuts through the air like a blade. "Ihelped her because she has useful skills. She was a fighter. That requires tactical thinking and combat ability. She'll work off her debt, and then she'll leave. This is a transaction, nothing more."
Marcellus doesn't argue, but the skepticism on his face is clear. He's known me too long to believe my own lies.
"What do you need from me?" he asks instead.
"Monitor her vitals remotely. She'll need another bag in forty-five minutes, but I want to observe her recovery rate first. If she destabilizes, alert me immediately."
"Should I run a background check?"
