Page 11 of Hound

“Christopher.” Honorifics were dropped long ago in the chaste separation of That Man. Her tone perpetually carried a monotone pitch to it like the rest of the guardians. However, whenever she uttered my name, there was a certain rare chime to it similar to our mother. As if warmth seeped through its crevices.

“Did you receive the invitation?” I asked.

Visitations to Le Maudit weren’t done through biddings. All vampires were welcomed regardless of their social standing. But to visit with a guardian or human was rare, and as a result,required a proper and special request in a timely manner that was scarcely granted.

She retrieved an envelope from her guardian uniform. I recognized the owl sigil imprinted into a magenta wax seal.

Based on Anabella’s urgent notice, the night ahead of me would likely be long. Relief eased the tension in my knuckles, yet the strain in my muscles persisted.

“The limousine is waiting outside the guardhouse.”

Hesitation weighed each step like a chain as I followed her lead. Presences didn’t hang in the air, but rather, the penetrating silence this household harbored. With its dark interior and low lighting, there was a sense of dread that coated its bones, a hollow shell of what it once was. Years had slipped through the cracks, but the caging misery remained the same.

I took my accustomed seat in the burnt burgundy velvet-lined compartment. The door behind me shut, and shortly after, the front echoed as Sonia settled into the passenger seat. A frosted partition divided us, but the driver's thick presence and Sonia’s cut-throat response confirmed the company I’d be subjected to until my arrival.

To the eye, the scenery between Woodstale to Ottawa shared no differences with its towering trees and jagged mountains, heightening a newfound sensation.

“You owe me a debt.”

One that heated my flesh and set my veins aflame.

“A debt that can only be redeemed with a name, Doll.”

Anticipation.

“And I have no plans on giving you that.”

The man had taken residence in my mind, the ghost of his body and the whisper of his lips etched into my flesh.

A hand traveled to my pocket and met the cold device I’d collected thenight I saw him.

I’d never been kissed in that manner. Never been aggressively handled the way he had done. And yet, it would be an utter lie if I’d thought I hadn’t liked it.

I had, too much, and it was all-consuming.

That imbecile.

The limousine halted, the force of its harsh brake alerting my attention to the side. There, before Le Maudit’s grand entrance, stood Anabella in a periwinkle, floral lace dress. She frequented the parlor more often than I did, on the weekends nevertheless, yet the gravity of her stare screamed anything but pleasure.

“I’ll remain here,” Sonia noted as I stepped outside. The invitation was a security measure and granted her leeway inside, but the three of us understood the stares we would receive if she entered. It was in our best interest to ward off prying eyes. Before parting to the limousine, Sonia added, “You have until the morning.”

Anabella’s tight smile vanished the moment we entered and the main door shut. “You couldn’t have brought the other guardian with you?”

“Mr. Amelle is still healing.”

A shadow of worry glazed her obsidian eyes. “Is he alright?”

“He’s fine,” I corrected myself. The Chief Guardian had received the brunt end of my brother’s poor excuse of a scheme, hauled as a pawn like Alek. “He’s been relieved from the majority of his duties until he’s fully recovered, but he’s out and about.”

Half-humans had exceptional healing capabilities through their intake of vampire blood. However, his injuries were like no other. From the simple glimpses I’d stolen in the aftermath, they were enough to mark his death. Details outside the necessary weren’t shared and in truth, Sonia’s assurance wasn’t enough to subdue my suspicions toward the new guardian who had done such a number.

What was Katerina Eli?

“Oh, that’s good to hear.” She attempted to conceal her alleviation and guided us into an inhabited den. “Christopher, there’s something we need to discuss.”

“Is it about the marriage arrangement?” After the sisters visit, the pressure unfolded overnight with the Mubaraks disappearance and That Man’s failed attempts to sustain human relations in addition to the Two-Species Treaty. Two months weren’t enough to make a decision, particularly when an engagement was meant to be announced during their annual Christmas Ball, the grandest event for vampires and humans alike.

“No, as we've talked about this countless times before. My decision still stands and it’s in your grasp.” She avoided my gaze as she looked forward into the venereal act across from her, the unspoken words hanging between us. “The Ministry is after Mal.”

---