Page 15 of A Song in the Night

Meet at Crimson tomorrow? Close to sunrise?

Hoping she’ll read between the lines, because our texts are probably monitored, I refrain from mentioning money. The Vampire King wouldn’t be pleased to discover his daughter is associating with one of his greatest humiliations, not to mention helping her.

Her response arrives less than a minute later. I see the screen brighten at the same moment I undo the button on my jeans.

What time?

My thumbs move quickly, typing out an answer. After that, I set an alarm and pull a pair of boxers out of the backpack. I change into them and take off my bra, tossing it onto the nightstand.

Surrounded by the lullaby of footsteps, voices, and snoring, I nestle into the rickety bed and close my eyes. I send a brief prayer to whatever gods are listening that the dreams stay away, or that I won’t remember them when I wake.

And for once, my prayers are answered.

* * *

My night at the office is quiet and slow. I spend most of it watching the clock, anxious to meet Valerie at the club.

Neither Noah nor Sylvia are there to see me leave a little early.

Valerie has probably beaten me to Crimson, considering sunrise is only two hours away. I grab one of Noah’s jackets again—I would never admit it, but the scent clinging to the material is oddly comforting—and lock the door behind me.

I tug the hood over my head and step out onto the sidewalk. My pace is quick and my eyes scan the streets carefully. A few blocks later I round the corner, and the music from the club has the sidewalk vibrating. I slow as I approach. When I come to a stop outside Crimson, my senses are overwhelmed by earsplitting bass and alcohol. The line moves quickly, and the bouncer, Markus, waves me inside with a charming grin, his yellow eyes bright and friendly as ever.

Oddly enough, seeing the shapeshifter turns my thoughts to Dorian, the male I met before the auction. Though I don’t expect to ever cross paths with him again, something between us feels… unresolved.

Maybe because his family put you on the auction block.

I shake my head to dispel the thought and head for the bar where I’m meeting Valerie.

I’m certainly not as dressed up as most of the patrons—honestly, I was lucky that the washing machine at Ada’s was available for me to wash my clothes before coming out tonight. I try to ignore the eyes on me as I lean across the bar to order a beer. It’s the cheapest drink in this place, and if I’m lucky, it’ll give me a small buzz.

I’m halfway through the bottle when a familiar perfume assails my senses, then Valerie slides onto the barstool next to me a moment later. Unlike the last time we were here, she’s not intoxicated, which means her usual reserve is firmly in place.

“How are you?” she asks by way of greeting, raking her long hair back. Beneath a leather jacket, she wears a bronze dress that clings to every curve, yet somehow has the appearance of armor. It makes her look like the warrior she is.

I muster a smile. “Surviving. And you?”

“The same. I paid for an alcove at the back to give us some privacy. Let me grab a drink before we head over.” Valerie nods toward the bottle in my hand. “You’re a beer drinker now?”

“Tonight I am.” I shrug, not wanting to tell her this is what living on a tight budget looks like, which she’ll never experience. Envy coils around my heart, followed by a bolt of shame.

“Not anymore, you’re not.” Valerie takes the beer, setting it on the bar, and waves the bartender over. She orders both of us a whiskey sour with a shot of O-positive.

“Thank you,” I say, my smile more genuine this time.

“Of course.”

We retrieve our drinks and weave through the crowd. A minute later, we’re sitting in an alcove at the farthest corner of the room. It’s quiet enough we don’t have to yell, and being tucked behind the velvet curtains makes it feel safe to talk openly.

“Want to tell me what happened to you?” Valerie asks bluntly, sipping her cocktail. “I saw Danielle’s coverage, of course, but I have a feeling it wasn’t the entire story.”

I stir my drink with the thin red straw. Beyond our small space, the music rises, falls, and makes the floor vibrate. “In a nutshell, Daddy dearest went back on his word. Well, I guesstechnicallyhe didn’t, since I’m not working in the sewer sector anymore.”

Valerie’s red lips turn down in a frown. “You’ve spoken to him since your Awakening?”

She really doesn’t know about any of it. The venom dealing, the Vampire King’s deal, or the part he played in putting me on the auction block. I was too frightened to talk about it during our last night at Crimson, but I doubt Alexander has anyone following me now. And any spies he may have in this room won’t be able to eavesdrop without our noticing.

“He paid a visit and asked me to find whoever was selling venom,” I tell my sister, still keeping my voice low. “He said I could stay at one of his hotels—in hindsight, I should’ve clarified how long—and if I found the dealer, I wouldn’t have to work in the sewer sector anymore. Noah Forrest was the only other person I was allowed to tell.”

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