She stumbled backward, and I caught her shoulders before she landed on her ass. She blinked at the tall wooden doors, then peered around the hall. The pupils in her brown eyes were blown and the whites glassy. Sweat pasted her brown, frizzy hair to her temples.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I…” She blinked aggressively and finally looked at me. “I… was coming here.”
“For healing?” I noted the sickly pallor of her complexion.
She massaged her temples and stepped out of my hands, staring down at the red carpet as if it held her answer. “No.”
“No? Are you here for Alexei then?”
Her head snapped up. “Yes.” She surged forward, her legs tangling in the skirts of her red kitchen uniform. I steadied her as she tripped.
Was she drunk?
“Yes! I came to tell him what I saw.”
“Well, he isn’t here. So you can tell me.” I wasn’t entirely sure her information would be reliable with the state she was in.
She nodded eagerly and leaned close, lowering her voice.
“I saw Sam in the servant passages and followed him to the dungeons.”
I gripped her harder and tugged her away from the damned doors toward the end of the hall.
“What else?” I demanded.
“He had a key and dipped his finger into a vial of blood before wiping it across the doors.”
Creeping dread slid across my neck like pointed claws. “When did you see this?” I whispered harshly.
She rubbed her head. “I don’t… I don’t remember. Maybe a couple days ago?”
“Did you see anything else?”
Vanessa dropped her hands, but pain lined her face. “Lucifer.”
I straightened. “You saw Lucifer in the dungeons?”
“No.” Morning light reflected off the sweat rolling down her neck. “I don’t know. I think he wants to talk to you.”
For fuck’s sake. I didn’t have time for this.
“You think?”
She wiped her palms on her white kitchen apron. “I think I’m getting things confused. I did see Sam. And Lucifer when I dropped off his food. He said to find you and tell you he needed to speak with you.”
Find me?
“I thought you were searching for Alexei?”
“I was…” She frowned. “I don’t know. But he said it was important and needed to happen now.”
Now?I needed to meet up with Alexei and my Dreads. But that wasn’t her problem.
“Thanks, Vanessa. I’ll take it from here.” I took a step, then paused. “Maybe see Bree for a hydration draught and something to numb your headache.”
She nodded, worrying her lip as I left her there and luscelered to Lucifer’s hall.
