Page 7 of Knave

He slowed to a walk once he reached a sketchy, run-down bar and stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets. The cold, misty rain landed on his face, clung to his hair. Inside, the stench of alcohol assaulted him. His trainers stuck to the dirty floor, each footstep goingscritchuntil he plonked himself down on a stool at the bar. He’d been here before. Knew the bartender, Ken, would have what he needed.

“Hey,” Ken said, peeling himself away from a couple of older women at the opposite end of the bar. “Haven’t seen you in a long time.”

“I’ve been busy,” he grumbled. “Do you have anything?”

Ken nodded once. “Not been out of town at rehab, have you?”

Ferris snorted. If only that were true. “What does that matter to you?”

“It doesn’t.” Ken shrugged. “Just trying not to personally kick anyone off the wagon.”

“Ken,” Ferris said, compelling him. “Give me the coke on the house and, when I walk back out of this bar, forget you ever saw me.”

With stiff, robotic movements, Ken fiddled around beneath the bar and finally slid him over a can of beer. Beneath it would be the hit Ferris desperately needed. Using his vampiric speed, he snorted the white powder before anyone could notice. The burn was instant, faded quickly, and was replaced with the tingle of a high.

Only it stopped there.

His body no longer reacted the same. Mouse and Maddie had spoken about how drugs didn’t affect vampires, but he hadn’t really wanted to believe it.

“Fuck,” he growled to himself.

“Something on your mind?” Ken asked, tossing a cloth over his shoulder. “There’s got to be a reason you came looking for a hit tonight.”

“Sure there is,” Ferris said through his teeth. “I remembered my girlfriend and daughter are dead. I just spent two years groveling to the power-couple from Hell, plucking body parts off monsters to be used in horrible experiments, and falling asleep to screams of tortured souls. Also had to fuck the bitch and pretend I wanted to do it again, when I hated myself for doing it at all. Of course, the reason was worth it, but I’d only ever been with Ellie before that and—” He dragged in a deep breath. The fuck was he doing, spouting off like this to one of his old drug dealers, of all people? But he couldn’t seem to stop himself now. “I finally got out of that toxic as fuck palace, only to hide away with some newly-turned female who askedwhymore times than a damn toddler. But at the end of the day, what good was I, really? I saved Alice, sure, but I had to let Mouse be tortured for two years. I couldn’t even help kill the arseholes who’d held her captive. I’m as useless as an old fucking shoe.”

“Wow.” Ken grimaced. “I don’t understand a single thing you just said. Are you sure you should’ve taken another hit?”

Another.He thought Ferris was already high and speaking nonsense. “I’m fine,” he mumbled and let out a long breath. Just saying that out loud made him feel better. Or did he feel worse now? Calmer, either way. Resigned to his life and the fact that he needed to pull himself together without reverting to old habits. “See you around.”

Having lost his appetite, Ferris returned to Wonderland and strolled the streets of Ivory instead. Since becoming a vampire, he’d never really gotten the chance to explore this part of his new world—though Scarlet was as familiar as the back of his own hand after all the sneaking about he’d done during the last two years. Over the past couple months, he’d been getting to know the city around the Ivory Palace. A few streets here, a few more there, unwilling to get himself completely lost but enjoying that he wasn’t trapped in the Ruby Heart Palace or running from safe house to safe house.

Vampires and humans roamed the streets together, laughing, talking, kissing, feeding. Art shops beckoned him closer with the brilliant works in their display windows, but he kept walking. A new café had even opened that served human food alongside blood so anyone could enjoy a meal together. Good timing too, as the donation center was still temporarily closed. That didn’t stop other vampires from keeping their own private donors in Wonderland or bringing them over for a night, of course. Ferris still wasn’t hungry after his trip to the mortal world, though he would force down a bag of blood when he returned to the palace to keep himself from regretting not eating tomorrow. He nodded to a young woman as she exited a clothing boutique on the arms of a male with a green streak in his hair. Mouse might like checking out the place once she was feeling up to an outing. Update her wardrobe a bit since it had been years.

The castle rose at the edge of the town and Ferris stopped in his tracks. He wasn’t ready to go back, fake a smile for Mouse’s sake so she didn’t worry about him. Avoid Maddie’s questions. Play a round of cards with Noah. Ever would ignore his current mood as she was always busy with her queenly duties or Chess.

Instead, he turned around and walked back down the streets. Past white and silver store fronts, through waves of jazz music spilling from open windows, and away from the hubbub of the crowd. When a glittering silver lake appeared before him with pearly white gazebos, he smiled to himself. The clearing was scenic in the moonlight as crickets chirped. Eager to see something new, his pace quickened.

Mouse would definitely like to see this, he thought as he rounded the lake to one of the gazebos. It was quiet here. Peaceful. She had probably already visited, though, since she’d lived at the Ivory Palace before. Ferris wanted to show her something to help pull her out of her own head a bit. Distract her. Help her heal.

Ferris wandered through one gazebo, then the next, taking in the feel of the lake. The drums would sound amazing here. Maybe he could put out a notice for other musicians and start up another band here in Wonderland. One just for fun—nothing serious like Death Remedy.

Something to enjoy without the pressure of earning enough money to pay the bills and booking gigs. His lips spread into a grin.Absolutely going to happen.

Hopping onto the marble railing, Ferris spread his arms wide and closed his eyes. The light breeze blowing off the lake brushed against his body while the fresh scent of Ivory hit his senses and—

His eyes flew open.

And blood.

Slightly stale blood.

Fangs dropping, he leapt off the railing and darted straight for the metallic scent. It became stronger, overwhelming, as he neared the furthest gazebo. Straining his ears for any hint that he wasn’t alone, he prowled closer. A splatter of rust-colored blood decorated one of the pillars holding the gazebo roof. Ferris slowed his steps, casting a glance at the white and silver tree line for danger, before turning his attention back to the blood.

More of it dotted the white grass. Along with a severed finger.

Ferris took another step and froze. The rest of the body was scattered around the ground in a giant pool of dried blood. Or what was left of it. A foot, still wearing a black stiletto, another finger, and a clump of …fucking hell.Was that part of their intestines?

Occasionally fights resulted in a severed limb or two, but vampires didn’t eat flesh. So where was the rest of the body? Whether the victim was an immortal or a human didn’t make any difference. No. This was no vampire attack. A werewolf maybe. They’d been in the woods of Ivory when the group had left the safehouse, though he saw no signs of the beasts here. No beastly footprints in the blood.

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