Page 42 of Blades and Bone

They’d been friends once, not close, but enough that if they were at a family event, they hung out together with others who were around the same age. He followed Felix to Elizabeth’s room and knocked.

“Who is it?” Lincoln asked.

“Hamish and Felix. Ann sent us,” Hamish replied, not wanting to say why in case someone was listening.

The door opened. “Come in.”

The suite was bigger than the one he’d had, but that was to be expected. All the curtains were drawn, and it was lit only by a few lamps. How bad was it?

Felix shut the door.

“I need a list of everything you’ve eaten since you arrived.” Hamish handed Lincoln the paper and pen and kept hold of the shirt.

Elizabeth’s bodyguard didn’t even question it. Lincoln sat on the sofa and started writing. “You need her list too?”

“Yes. Is she up to it?”

Lincoln nodded. “She’s better, but she could do with some human blood.”

“I’ll let Brodie know.” Was that what the plumber was for? When was he going to arrive?

Lincoln stood. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

He went into the bedroom, leaving Hamish and Felix standing in the dim lounge room. Hamish could’ve stayed in Brodie’s house and done nothing but watch TV all day. Then he wouldn’t be standing there in a borrowed shirt that smelled like another man and covered in bites. Should he have told Brodie about Garrick’s message?

If Garrick had wanted Brodie to know, he could’ve just told him.

Once again, he’d done what Garrick had asked, instead of using his damn brain. But he didn’t trust Brodie either…and Brodie trusted him less now.

He wasn’t sure how much further he could fall.

The knowledge that Brodie could have broken the treaty and sent him back to Ann, who would have disavowed him, leaving him without a family, was sickening. He now owed Brodie, and he didn’t like that either. He didn’t want to like anything about his current situation, yet the memory of last night was far too fresh for him to forget.

He shouldn’t have liked that either.

“Here you go.” Lincoln returned and held out the notepad.

“Thank you.” Hamish took the pen and paper back.

Lincoln tilted his head and looked at him. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” he said, because he didn’t want to go into it.

Felix snorted and added, “They fed on him for embarrassing both families.”

Hamish rolled his eyes. “Would you like me to wear a sign around my neck?”

“No, but you need to be kept on a tight leash,” Felix said with a smug smile.

“Fuck off.” Hamish didn’t need to be nice to him.

Lincoln opened the door to usher them out as if he didn’t want to be involved in their argument. Hamish didn’t blame him. “I hope you’re able to find something in the list.”

“Thanks,” Hamish said. “So do I.”

The alternative was unthinkable. Because if it wasn’t in the food and they hadn’t fed on the staff, how were they being poisoned?

Chapter Twenty-One