Page 33 of House of Crimson Hearts
The Chief frowns at me. “Why not?”
“Because I don’t know if I can keep my hands to myself.”
The Chief raises her eyebrow.
I roll my eyes. “Not like that. She’s the one who turned Amelia. It will be hard not to stake her in her sleep.”
“Ah, I see. I don’t know how the partnerships will be established, but I will do my best to prevent that from happening.”
“Thank you.”
A sheen of sweat lines my brow, my hands tremble. It’s been a while since I took any blood. Shit. I forgot I needed to go back and deal with the idiot who sold me half a dose. Now is not really the time for me to go into withdrawal in the Chief’s office.
I slip my hands beneath the desk and grip them hard to hide the tremor.
“I need to go,” I say. “Is there anything else you need?”
The Chief shakes her head. “Dismissed.”
I shove the chair back and hustle out of there as calmly as I can and head back to my rooms to get the empty vial that idiot sold me. I grab two stakes and two blades for good measure, slipping them into the pockets on the side of my leather trousers. Exiting the Academy, I head out towards the Midnight Market, my body wracked with tremors and the heat of rage pooling between my ribs. Someone is going to get hurt over this.
Chapter12
OCTAVIA
Erin slides a tumbler of vodka across the bar, then pours herself another and takes the stool next to me.
“What the fuck was that last night?” she grunts.
“I think Mother has finally gone and lost her mind.”
Erin leans over the bar, her broad shoulders hunching as she swills the vodka in her glass. “Not that. I mean the disrespect she showed you.” Her voice is kind of gravelly for a woman, like she ate stones for breakfast.
“Ah. That.”
“It was…”
“Unexpected?” I say, taking an excessive slurp of vodka.
“That’s an understatement. I thought it was clear. Given your status as one of the original three, I assumed if she ever retired, you’d be the one to take over…”
“Yes, well, it’s clear that means nothing to her.”
Erin scratches the back of her freshly shaved hair. It’s shorn tight and all the way up the sides, the top is longer and slicked back neat. Her mouth pinches. “She’s a bit of a bitch, if you ask me.”
I snuff out a laugh. “There’s not many people who would have the balls to say that about Cordelia.”
Erin shrugs. “Well, it’s true. You’d make an excellent queen.”
“You know, over the years she’s promised each one of my siblings the title. I think she does it to cause strife. She revels in it.”
“Please. You’re the only one with the kind of leadership qualities to make it work. I know that from how you run the club and your territory. Fairest territory in the city. Why do you think you have the most inhabitants?” She tilts her glass of vodka towards me, and I clink my glass with it.
“Thank you, but unless the city finds it in their heart to actually accept me, as well as my rule, I don’t think I’m about to make queen anytime soon.”
“They’ll get over the fear.”
“They haven’t in a thousand years.”
