“I’m all right, Grimsby,” Zack said, surprising himself with how smooth his voice was. He almost sounded like an immortalbadass in his own ears. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his mouth as he left the room. Only a little blood came away on it. He was getting neater.
Getting out of the room helped steady him. He could let what he’d done haunt him later. Instead of wallowing, he’d find a way to be productive. He had to make his time count. “I heard there was a library in this huge-ass mansion. I hope this is not a rude question. Does it fall within your duties to show me where it is?”
“We actually have four libraries in the building, but I believe I know the one that would please you best, young master,” Grimsby replied. “If you’ll follow me?”
“Lead the way.”
CHAPTER 34
“This is where you live?” Katie asked as she stepped out of the limo.
“Where we live,” Anton corrected.
Takashi was the last to step out of the vehicle. The driver closed the door for him and then went around to the driver’s seat. However, the limo didn’t pull away but continued to idle in the front circle driveway in front of the mansion.
For the first time, Takashi was able to admire the splendor of the large structure. He had seen vampires who lived in actual palaces, and Seamus’s grand building clearly aspired to that level of wealth. Light poured from large windows, highlighting details along window casings in the dark. Spotted here and there in the front gardens were more statues. Like the ones along the driveway, they depicted humans in a variety of states of ecstasy, all offering themselves up to be bitten in erogenous zones.
Katie stopped at the bottom of the steps leading up to the main door. “Hold on, do you mean ‘we’ as inIlive here now, too?”
“That would be what I was implying,” Anton replied. “Is there a problem with that?”
The bond Takashi shared with her tightened. Then she shook her head.
“Remaining with us would be wise, especially until you learn to control your bloodlust,” Takashi said.
“Not only that,” Anton said as he headed up the stairs ahead of her. “You should see your suite! It has everything a blossoming young practitioner like yourself could possibly desire!”
“Are either of you hearing music?” Katie grabbed her skirt and lifted it just enough that the white material didn’t drag on the steps as she rushed after Anton. “I keep hearing these odd notes.”
“Are the melodies speaking any moods to you?” Takashi asked quietly. He was the last one up the stairs and into the mansion.
“Sort of. Oh! This must be how my mind’s interpreting my new psychic abilities! Neat!” Katie grinned. “I feel my magic like the way a breeze moves. These notes sound almost like wind chimes. I didn’t think they’d combine like that. But what are you so worried about?”
“Many things, none of which you should let disturb you,” Takashi said.
Anton had his arms spread wide as he twirled in the foyer to face them. “Welcome home, daughter!”
“It beats the dormitory at Versinal.” Katie’s eyes widened as she took in the painting of a vampire orgy on the foyer’s wall. “Though we certainly didn’t have anything like hanging up in the entrance. Hey, do I have to go back to school? I mean, it’s not going to work out, right? Because of the whole daylight thing?”
“You’ll be sluggish after dawn, and daylight would fry your pretty skin,” Anton replied. He held his hands out toward her, and she took them. He spun with her in another circle. “I’ll be a far better teacher than your former professors.”
“Will I be able to take the Circle tests?” Katie asked. She let go of Anton’s hands and continued making circles on her own. Graveyard dirt skittered off her long skirt as it flowed out around her. The tail end of her braid was undone, and her hair was beginning to loosen. “I don’t really care. It’s just a stupid title. Magus Coldwell made it soundsoimportant, but really, it just gets you a discount in their stupid clubs and with their ‘approved’ component sellers. You have enough money that that doesn’t really matter, does it?” Katie stopped spinning, her equilibrium not compromised at all. “It doesn’t, right? Because I don’t have to worry about money anymore? That’s part of the package here, isn’t it? I’m your daughter, and you’re both insanely rich, and you’re going to teach me magic and how to be an amazing vampire, and I’ll becomeawesome.”
She was dazzling with vibrancy, not with mortal lust for life but a longing to plunge into the world full and new and complete in every way. Takashi slid his hands into his slacks’ pockets and continued to watch her dance. None of his previous sirelings had taken to their transition with such a zeal for the unknown. They’d been resigned or in love, never so brilliantly hopeful.
A brush of arctic cold swept into the foyer before Zack made his entrance. He had a book in hand. In the last few nights, he had begun sliding a disaffected attitude into place in order to hide his emotions. The effect wasn’t perfect—Takashi knew from the way he held his shoulders that he was tense—but he was more the vampiric for it.
“You are our treasure,” Anton promised gleefully. He kissed Katie’s cheek. “You will never have to worry about anything.”
“That’s a bit of a lie,” Zack declared.
Startled, Katie let out a soft short as she spun to face him. “Who are—wait, I know you. I’ve seen you on the Fang app. You’re the frigi?—”
“Katie, darling,” Anton said, overly sweet, “you needn’t bring up what that horrid pest said about your cousin.”
“Cousin?” Katie tilted her head.
“He is part of your new family.”
