Page 98 of Crimson Oath
If Tatyana wanted to keep in touch with her new friends in the Poshani, she might be looking to Vano for a job.
He cocked his head. “So you’re independent of Oleg?”
Maybe not as much as I was before we fucked last night.
“We parted on good terms”—and we were naked at the time—“but yes, I’m independent of his aegis. I consult on a variety of bookkeeping and technology projects.”
Vano seemed to understand what she was getting at. “So if I needed an outside expert to wrangle our finances into the modern world, you’d be the person to hire?”
“Possibly.” She cocked her head. “I have a background in technology, and I’m a vampire. It can be a complicated transition for our kind.”
Our kind.She was talking like she’d been working with vampires for decades. “I think it’s helpful to have someone with experience in both modern human business and immortal corporate structures to bridge that gap.”
Dear God, was she talking herself into a deal with a vampire again?
At least this time she wasn’t immediately drawn to the monster on the other side of the figurative bargaining table. Vano was about as charismatic as a roll of aluminum foil.
“An interesting thought.” Kezia exchanged a look with Vano. “Something we might bring up with Radu before the Vashana.”
Vano shrugged. “It’s only three weeks away.”
“But that is enough about work.” Tatyana quickly caught on that Kezia wanted to change the subject. “Did I see them setting up the stage earlier?”
“Yes, the players have adaptedThe Captain’s Daughterfor the stage,” Kezia said. “I am quite looking forward to it. They are performing tomorrow night, but they’re doing a public rehearsal later if you want to watch.”
“I look forward to it.” Tatyana turned to Vano. “Do you enjoy theater?”
Just then, a gust of wind batted the back of her legs and tossed her hair into her face before swinging around and blowing toward Vano and Kezia.
Vano—who had been staring across the meadow—whipped his head back to Tatyana with a sudden and intense interest. His eyes narrowed. “I’m sorry, what did you ask me?”
“Theater.” She held her breath in her lungs, freezing in place. “Do you enjoy the theater?”
She’d taken two showers that evening in addition to the dousing she’d shared with Oleg last night. The man couldn’t possibly be embedded in her skin.
What was Vano smelling?
Vano blinked. “Theater? I enjoy it as much as anyone, I suppose.” He nodded at Kezia. “I have a meeting with the darigan tonight. It was nice to meet you, Miss Vorona; I hope you enjoy the play.”
Vano nodded slightly, turned, and walked away.
Tatyana still felt a knot of nerves in her belly, but Kezia didn’t seem to be aware of any tension between her and Vano. “I can tell your brother is the life of the party, isn’t he?”
Kezia burst out laughing. “Too true! He’s the worst, but we love him.” She shrugged. “We can’t complain because he makes us too much money, and none of us like looking at contracts, do we?” She hooked her arm in Tatyana’s. “Come. I heard through the rumor mill that you’ve taken a lover.”
“This kamvasa is worse than an old people’s home for gossip,” Tatyana muttered.
“That means you must tell me all about it, or I’ll make up my own stories.”
“Absolutely not.”
It was after midnight,and Tatyana hadn’t seen Rumi, Katrina, or Desiree at the play rehearsal that night, which was far better than she’d anticipated. It had a straightforward plot, a courageous hero, and a sympathetic heroine. Along with a happy ending, it was exactly the kind of entertainment that Rumi would love.
Tatyana walked to the cooking wagons on the other side of the pond, wondering if there had been extra work she didn’t know about.
“Rumi?” She called for her friends. “Desiree?”
If she’d been sitting in front of a play while her friends worked extra hard on some kind of project, she was going to feel guilty.
