Page 11 of Knave

Chapter Five

Ferris

Ferris hadn’t intended to follow Mouse. After she ran into him in the hallway, he’d gone back to his room and gotten dressed with the intention of finding himself a meal, but something felt … off. It almost felt like she was nervous to be near him, though heknewthat wasn’t true. Which meant either he’d done something to unintentionally upset her or something else was wrong. Once he found Mouse, he would either join her or go about his night, depending on whether she was all right or not.

Since Mouse had gotten a head start, Ferris used his enhanced speed to track her down. He’d already gone into two clubs that he knew Mouse enjoyed, finding a handful of vampires but none with pink hair. At the third establishment, he stopped dead. The hint of fresh mortal blood tinged the air. The metallic smell didn’t mean Mouse was there, of course. It could’ve been any vampire, but there was only one way to find out.

As he rounded the back of the building, the scent became stronger. Ferris’s fangs dropped without warning as the rich, metallic scent practically danced over his tongue. The odor was fartoostrong. This was no simple feeding. He ignored the urges pumping through him tofeed, feed, feed,and approached the alley with silent steps.

And came to a dead stop.

Mouse held a man with flailing limbs against the building, feasting at his throat, a hand over his mouth. Surrounded by rubbish. She drank and drank as his movements slowed to a near stop, the body limp in her arms as she drew back, trembling with apparent hunger. Her grip on him tightened, and she leaned back down to lick away the remainder of blood still oozing from him.

“Mouse?” Ferris breathed. He’d never seen her like this. So wild. So …starved. Just behind her laid the lifeless body of a woman in a mini skirt. She’d drank two mortals to death and still craved more? It was too much. “Mouse!”

She raised her face from the man, her trembling ceasing as a savage glint flickered in her eyes, the dead mortal falling from her arms. Blood ran over her lips, dripped down her chin. And she snarled at him. The sharp twist of her mouth turned her sweet face into something foreign. Something feral.

“I beg yourfucking pardon?” Disbelief coated his words. What the hell was happening right now? Had he walked intoThe Twilight Zone? Mouse hadsnarled?Athim?

Her monstrous expression dissolved as recognition settled in. She stumbled back, furiously wiping at her face. “Ferris?” she squeaked. “What are you doing here?”

He took a tentative step forward, his eyes holding Mouse’s terrified violet ones, until he reached the man’s side. Kneeling in the pool of blood, he felt for the man’s pulse, even though he already knew he was dead. There was nothing he could do here. Not for either of the victims. The woman was beyond help, her throat torn as if a ravenous beast had shredded her apart. He’d seen vampires do worse, had seen Imogen rip out hearts, Rav string victims out in the garden that he would break and cut. But not Mouse. Never had he seen her do something like this. She’d always been sweet when she’d drank from him, her touches light, her tongue delicate across his flesh.

“Ferris, I…” Mouse stumbled over a few consonants as she pulled Des from her pocket before falling completely silent. The caterpillar’s head lifted to peer from Ferris to Mouse, worried.

“It’s okay.” Ferris stood and stepped over the man, taking Mouse’s scarlet-coated face between his hands. More blood soaked into her dark clothes, leaving wet patches where the splatter had landed. “It’s okay, Mouse. We need to feed, yeah?”

“But he was innocent,” she whispered. “I couldn’t stop myself.”

“You didn’t mean to, right?” he said in a consoling voice. While he knew she’d been struggling with her inner demons lately, he didn’t want to believe Mouse killed without reason. She’d never been one to murder her way through a crowd before.

“Onlyher.” Mouse’s lips pursed, her nostrils flaring as she studied the dead woman’s body.

Ferris froze. He was no stranger to killing. Of course not—he’d spent two years in the Ruby Heart Palace. Mortals had come and gone, either to their grave or onto immortality. But Mouse?HisMouse? The same female who had found him nearly dead and saved his life… It was hard to believe she’d murdered the woman just because she’d felt like it.

A rustling came from not far away and Ferris stepped away, grabbing Mouse’s slick hand. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

Without waiting for Mouse to agree, he led her through the club, pausing only long enough to compel someone into taking a smoke out back so the bodies were found. After a quick stop in the bathroom to clean Mouse’s face and hands—there was nothing they could do about the stained dress—the pair made their way through the gyrating bodies and techno music. It was a den of temptation. Even for Ferris, the scent of their arousals and promise of warm blood made his gums ache as his fangs almost descended. It would be worse for Mouse, who was still licking the corners of her mouth when she thought he wouldn’t notice. He should’ve led her around the building, but they couldn’t walk around with blood all over Mouse’s face and hands without raising a few brows. At least the crimson-soaked dress wasn’t as obvious. It blended well with the black fabric.

Outside, London greeted them. A dark sky, cobbled streets. Brick buildings with flower boxes lined the sidewalk, and people sat at tables set up outside a pub. Ferris held Mouse’s hand as they walked, not fully trusting that she wouldn’t try to make a beeline for a portal. If they went back to Wonderland, their conversation could be overheard by Maddie or Noah, but here, they had complete privacy.

“Would you like to go home?” he asked anyway, knowing he would never force her to divulge her secrets.

“Not yet. I … can’t.” Mouse’s chest heaved, and he swore he could hear the desperation in her heartbeat.

“Okay,” he soothed. “We don’t have to go back yet. Let me take you somewhere else.”

When she gave him a relieved nod, Ferris led her through streets lined with bars and clubs and down a narrow alley that ended in a small courtyard. Stone buildings rose up around an open-aired space with a dozen folding chairs tucked into rectangular tables. The windows looked into a dimly lit café and the shop door was held open in invitation by a stone. A tall woman with wiry hair popped out of one of the side doors and halted, a smile lighting her face.

“You’re right on time!” she said brightly in an American accent. “Take a seat. I was just about to bring out our canvases.”

“Oh, I…” Ferris had been expecting a quiet little alcove to talk to Mouse but, according to the sign he’d missed at first glance, he had led them to a paint and sip.What the fuck is a paint and sip?“Sorry, we didn’t—”

“Oh, please stay!” She rushed forward, hands clasped under her chin. “It’s my first-time hosting one and only three people signed up.Three,” the woman emphasized. “And I’ll do half price.”

“What is it?” Mouse perked up, peering inside the door.

“A paint and sip.” She motioned to the table set up in the small courtyard. “I have all the supplies and they’ll bring us out the wine soon. We’re painting the magnificence that is the night sky today, hence the late hour. Which, now that I think about it, might be why so few people are coming…” She bit her lip and Mouse squeezed Ferris’s hand, her fingers digging in. He cast a glance at the vampire, finding her eyes locked onto the woman’s neck. “I’m Linda, by the way.”

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