Page 29 of Hunger & Harmony

Leeches. Thieves. Monsters.

It echoes in my mind as we load onto the bus. Their shouts reverberate like wrong notes, fractured and jarring, filling the silence the entire way back to the hotel. If this show was a victory, someone forgot to tell us. The procession up to our reserved floor is more like a funeral than anything else.

We’ll hit the road in mere hours. No point in dragging this out, even if that means traveling during daylight. For now, sitting in a daze in my hotel bed seems fitting. The itch to check my personal phone and contact Viola has me reaching for the nightstand.

I haven’t even glanced at that screen since last night. Dread sours my stomach when I remember the texts waiting untouched in my notifications. My outstretched hands curl inwards, and I quickly think better of it.

Instead, I wander out of my room to the common area, finding an alcove near the elevators. The vending machine might have some sour candy or pretzels. A distraction in the form of a snack sounds heavenly right about now.

A familiar blond halo catches my eye as I approach the machine. Beyond the ice dispenser and hovering near a large trash can, Ezren mutters to himself.

“Am I some kind of errand boy?” he asks, clearly unaware of me watching.

I still. He continues his little rant as he tosses something metallic into the trash.

“Not my fault he won’t feed.” He turns with a scoff. “And I have to be the one doing the dirty work?”

Ezren freezes when he spots me. I awkwardly occupy myself with the vending machine. Hopefully, my acting is convincing as I pretend I’ve been contemplating the snack choices this whole time.

“O-Oh, Cadie! Didn’t see you there,” he says.

I try my best to ignore his wild eyes and stiff fidgeting.

“Huh? Ah, Ez, I . . .I was looking for a snack!” I point at the vending machine. “Want anything?”

I internally facepalm when I remember he’s supposed to avoid chips and candy.

“Nope,” he says, giving me a thumbs-up. “I’m good! Carry on, I’ll be going.”

Odd. Ezren avoiding a chance to eat human snacks is unheard of. I can’t help but burn with curiosity as he books it out of the alcove and up the hallway. My attention slides from the vending machine over to the trash. Surely I shouldn’t be snooping? In a communal trash can of all things.

That doesn’t stop my legs from working on their own. Without thinking, I’m suddenly in front of the black bin, peering into the swinging lid. It was a distinctly silver package he threw in here.

Right on top of abandoned coffee cups and snack wrappers is an unopened blister pack. Glancing around to make sure no one is looking, I then snatch it from the trash to glance it over.

The package is nondescript. Just a silver blister pack with peach-colored oval tablets ‌inside. Obviously, these came in a box that would say what these are. My brows furrow together as I glance it over. They’re such a common shape and color that I’d never be able to guess with just this.

I hurry to put it back in the trash. What did Ezren say? Something about not feeding? Dirty work? I wander back to the vending machine, staring long and hard at a can of soda. Who was he talking about?

Without purchasing anything, I head back to my room. The first thing I do is grab my work phone, opening it up to check the notes.

Nothing. Only the normal blood types and feeding protocols are here. Hmm . . .

Checking the ‘recently deleted’ folder, I find only one thing. A note from twenty-three days ago that’s titled Supplements. When I open it, all the contents are missing.

The title alone is still a good lead. Do vampires use supplements? Are they a kind of vitamin or a convenient pick-me-up? I have no clue if it’s something you can just look up. I’m hesitant to leave that in the search history.

One obvious way to figure this out comes to mind. I even have the perfect excuse to be there.

Lorelai gave me one of the three universal card keys for this floor. I hold it tightly between my shaking fingers, easing my hand into my sweatpants pocket to avoid suspicion. If I’m caught out in any of Arteria’s rooms, so what? I’ll just say I’m checking luggage inventory to speed up our Gravemont exit.

It’s not snooping. Ezren himself said that an assistant should know the ins and outs!

Niko’s room is 1001. He’s definitely who Ezren was talking about. Only he or Selene could compel Ezren to run an errand, and he was clearly grumbling about a man.

There’s no time to hesitate when I approach the door. If he’s in here, I need to be confident. With that in mind, I press the card to the lock, turning the handle the instant I hear a click.

Darkness. My eyes have to adjust from the lit hallway to this shadowed room. When I can see more than indistinct shapes, my eyes widen.