Page 9 of How to Seduce a Slender

“That’s what a poisonerwould say.” She scowled, crossing her arms under her chest.

“What can I do to ease your suspicions? The potion will do nothing and be wasted on me, and I’d rather not waste a single drop.” He sat back on the desk, tucking one never-ending leg over the other. Melody eyed him from the tips of his glossy shoes to the fuzzy top of his non-descript head.

She jutted out a fist and produced her pinkie. “Pinkie promise.”

“A what?” he blurted out, his head tilting at her extended hand. “Youcan’tbe serious. Those are not legally binding.”

“But theyarea contract, are they not?” she rebutted, cocking out a hip. “Besides, I don’t need to take you to court over this. You poison me, I get to rip your pinkie from your body. Deal?”

He sputtered, a floating voice bouncing off all the copper pipes in the room. His shoulders trembled. She could feel the incredulous stare on his face. Almost as if the fog parted, for a moment she could see his face. He was more skull than face, like his skin was plastered over it.If one could consider that skin?As he sobered his cackles, the fog of buzzing television static returned to cover his face.

Smith placed the shot glass down, standing up from the desk. Melody tried to ignore the strange flutter in her chest as he stepped in front of her. For the first time, he stretched over her like an ominous cloud. She’d never realized howtallhe was until he was a tree within climbing distance.

Extending a singular fist, the other tucked in the small of his back, Smith offered her a pinkie. “You have yourself a deal, Ms. Deathless.”

She grinned broadly, hooking her pinkie around his in a sharp, sudden move. They shook on it before his other hand wove around his body, holding the shot glass. She jerked, glancing at the desk around him then back up to him. The fog partedjustenough for her to see a wicked curl of lips and a mouth full of razor teeth. A shark’s smile sparkled at her between electrified fissures that slowly closed around his face.

Melody took the shot glass and brought it to her lips. He tucked both hands behind his back, staring down at her. Never taking her eyes off him, she arched a challenging brow before tossing it back. It tasted of cotton candy with crackling candy rocks that tickled across her tongue. Something vaguely coconut-ish lingered at the back of her throat. It coated her mouth and esophagus. As she lowered the shot glass from her mouth, Smith took it back from her smoothly. Cold, indifferent leather gloves brushed along the inside of her palm and ran a shiver down her spine.

Then Smith turned from her and motioned to a plate that hadn’t existed before, steaming and full of food. “Like you said, a girl can eat, correct? I was told you needed to take the solution before eating, but now that you have, I would feel better if you had something. It has been two days and mortals need sustenance.”

She followed him to the desk, unable to tear her eyes from him as he rounded the furniture. He sank into his seat. A long arm jutted out of the walls and slid a chair into place for her sit. She tucked the back of her plush skirt beneath her and sat up straighter than she ever had in her life, thanks to the gown’s structure, and picked up the fork beside the plate. Smith immediately returned to the paperwork like he was reading over it.

“Strange…isn’t it,” she blurted out, poking at the steaming pile of hash. Mixed peppers and melty cheese made her stomach immediately remember she hadn’t eaten. “Being the one on the other side.”

“Other side?” he hummed curiously.

“Well…usually I’m serving you food.” She shrugged, poking a forkful of food into her mouth. Smith’s head snapped up in an uncomfortable manner. It made her eyes narrow and face flinch.Ow.She hated the way it made her feel queasy or that it didn’t make sound. Then he chuckled and returned to his work.

“I suppose it is, but you should get used to it.”

“Uw-sed twoo it?” she muttered between bites. Melody swallowed the delicious but incredibly hot food with a smidgen of trouble. Her throat was alsoquite drydespite the potion. Its slick coat seemed to have disappeared. “Why would I need to get used to this?”

He sat back in his seat, both of them locked in a tense silence.

Then, folding his hands over the top of the desk, Smith broke it. “You understand, Ms. Deathless—”

“Melody,” she huffed.

She heard him inhale sharply, his fingers tapped against the desk. Melody wasn’t sure if that was irritation…or something else. But, he exhaled, his heavy breath bouncing off the copper pipes before he spoke. “Melody, do you understand I cannot allow you to leave the manor?”

“What?” she barked.

“The dangers that lurk out there for you will continue to hunt you down. Until further notice, you are a ward of Lord and Lady Rosemont here at the manor, where you are safe.” His tone of finality left Melody spiraling. Her fork clanked against the side of the plate as she dropped it.

“So, I’m just supposed to stay here? Whatever or whoever attacked me is still out there!” She tossed an arm out to her side.

“And you intend to what? With no memory of who the perpetrator is or why you were targeted? Eldritch beasts like that don’t just appear out of nowhere for no reason. They were put on your path, purposely sent to kill you. What would you do back in King’s Fall if the perpetrator is there? Where even the city cannot protect you. It failed in the past. I will not allow for a repeat performance. So, therefore, you will stay here. Not only while you recover, but while we find the culprit.”

Melody hated that he had a point. She didn’t even know who did it. Why they did it. Everything from that day was an empty slate in her mind. A record scratch that skipped an entire album and left her without a clue as to where it went wrong.Plus, as if you couldeverforget…you’re a were without a wolf. Who are you kidding? You stand no chance against them? Little lost girl.

“I do not mean to hurt your feelings, Melody.” He sat forward over the desk, returning the fork to her hand. She dutifully stabbed it into the hash. A goblet of sloshing liquid was placed beside her plate by another arm that passed through the walls. His soft, leather gloves brushed the outside of her hands. Her gaze drifted up from her breakfast to his non-descript face. “We will fix this. I will ensure it.”

She nodded, returning her attention to her plate. He sat back as she took another bite of her breakfast. Despite his assurance, she was hollow.

Except a small flicker of warmthas she repeated the phrase ‘I will not allow for a repeat performance’.

Why did he care?

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