Page 104 of The Guardian's Curse

Tears pricked Shoshanna’s eyes. “This is one hundred percent not your fault.”

“But I should have been better prepared to fight him off,” Ruby protested.

“No,” Shoshanna interrupted. She pulled away and cupped Ruby’s cheeks, trying to focus on her dark eyes through the dark blur of her failing eyesight. “You’re amazing and gorgeous, but he only came after you was because he was trying to get to me through you. This is my fault, and I’m going to make it up to you when this is over.”

“It’s his fault,” Ruby said. “Because he’s a stupid dick.” Her eyes suddenly flicked to the door. “I feel bad saying that. Do you think you he heard it?”

Shoshanna shook her head. “No way.”

Ruby sighed. “Okay. Up and at ‘em, sleepyhead.”

Shoshanna showered in the posh bathroom. As she stood under the warm spray, panic threatened to well up in her. Though she still felt that strange empty-headed serenity of Elliott’s enthrallment, she knew she was in a very bad situation.

Just run, she told herself. Just one step.

But as soon as she imagined herself running into the safety of the sunlight, her muscles turned to concrete. She growled in frustration, but her body simply wouldn’t respond.

After her shower, she was leaning close to the mirror and trying to tame her curls when a strange blonde woman walked into the bathroom behind her. She screamed in fright and scrambled for a towel.

“My name is Victoria,” she said in a soft, high voice. “I work for Baron McAvoy.” A tattoo of two red dots marked her collarbone. “You have work to do today.”

“Do you mind? I’m kind of naked,” Shoshanna said.

“You have work to do,” Victoria repeated. “Get dressed, and I’ll give you your itinerary.”

Shoshanna grumbled and put on a bathrobe, then followed her back into the bedroom. Half a dozen shopping bags were strewn across the bed, and Ruby was pawing through them. “What’s all this?”

“The Baron requested that his two witches have appropriate clothing to fit his status,” Victoria replied. “In twenty minutes, I will return to bring you to your work. You will need your witchcraft supplies.”

“Oh, nice,” Ruby said as she pulled out a glittering red dress.

“Focus,” Shoshanna said. “Is there anything that’s not skintight?”

“The Baron would like you to present yourself and your best assets,” Victoria said.

Shoshanna glared at her. “Considering why he wants me so badly, I think we both know my boobs aren’t my best assets.”

Victoria’s head tilted. “You will hold a position of great respect in the Baron’s court. The least you can do is dress respectfully.”

She bit her tongue and nodded. “Fine. Can you leave?”

With a little tsk, Victoria left them, and Shoshanna pawed through the clothing. She found a pair of tight black pants and a sheer black top that looked slightly more comfortable—and easy to run in—than one of the short, skintight cocktail dresses. Not only was Elliott a gross, mind-violating bloodsucker, but he was sexist as hell.

All of the shoes were high heels, so she went barefoot to meet Victoria at the door. The blonde woman glanced down. “You will not walk into the Court barefoot. Put on your shoes.”

“You’re not Elliott,” she replied. “Lead the way.”

The tiny victory felt monumental after being ordered around for the last twenty-four hours. Behind her, Ruby was hurrying to keep up in the short red dress and matching shoes.

Victoria led them downstairs to the open room where Elliott had killed Cristiano the night before. Though she couldn’t make out details, Shoshanna could still see the massive pool of blood in her mind’s eye.

Blurry figures worked around the room. Glass clinked, like someone was putting away barware, and there was the quiet hum of a vacuum cleaner. Rhythmic pounding and breaking tile signaled someone tearing up part of the floor, just as they had in Infinity.

“The Baron wishes you to create protections around the club, of the sort you created for the Auberon vampires at Infinity,” Victoria said. “You’ll focus at the front doors and the perimeter of his throne first.”

Shoshanna surveyed the area. “That’s going to be a problem.”

“Why?” Victoria asked.

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