Page 39 of House of Crimson Kisses
Xavier’s eyes dart between Amelia and me.
“No. I do not think telling her anything else will help. What we need to do is to find the person who attacked Red on my grounds.”
“Talulla was attacked too,” Xavier says.
“Don’t act like you’re concerned about a piece of ass.”
He shrugs. “Perhaps not, but you owe me two bottles of Sangui Cupa for bedding her before the first trial. Or did you forget our little bet?”
I had, in fact, forgotten that bet. But I always pay my debts. Debt is what got Xavier adopted in the first place.
He was orphaned young, and rather than being taken into the Sangui care system, he took to the streets, and we all know how those stories go. But Xavier had one thing to his advantage. He was beautiful. One of the club owners back then took him under his wing, put him on the door to attract the ladies into his club. Unfortunately for Xavier, ladies’ nights weren’t the only thing the club ran. He got addicted to the casino nights. It was the appeal of wealth, you see. In his eyes, it was everything he wasn’t. Everything he’d never had. He was good too, for a while, until he wasn’t. Isn’t that just the story of every gambler? One losing streak led to another, and then he was indebted to the club owners.
Luckily for him, Mother attended one night and saw his potential, so she bought his debt. He was twenty-one. She made him work it off the first four years, until, like Gabriel and Dahlia, she turned him against his will at twenty-five. The least harrowing of all our stories, I think.
“Well, I agree too,” Amelia says. “We could try to torture the information out of them…”
I cock my head at her. “Since when are you the dark one in the room?”
“It’s not a bad idea, though,” Xavier agrees.
I frown.
“You have a suspect?” Amelia asks. Red shifts and rolls over again, a bead of sweat on her brow.
“No. But I suspect Mother. I think she has something else at play here. She was quick to kill the vampire responsible for the carriage attack. Yet he was adamant he didn’t do the first set. There was no reason for him to lie. Which means it was someone else. Who has the most to gain from the cure not being retrieved?”
“Mother?” Xavier asks.
I shrug. “Maybe, maybe not. But I don’t buy the retirement line at all. Though I have no evidence to support her being behind those attacks.”
“Why would she be if she was the one organising the trials and wanting to open the door and get the cure in the first place?” Amelia says.
“Unless she’s hiding in plain sight?” Xavier adds.
“Fine. I’m in. I’ll help however you need. I’m thinking I should try the church and maybe the library? If you guys focus on the attacks, I’ll focus on Red, see what I can dig up about her condition. Cordelia said she’s a new style of dhampir, but there might be something in the old grimoires.”
Xavier nods, “Good idea. And in the meantime, what are we going to do with her?” His eyes fall to Red, who is now in a fitful sleep.
“I’m going to leave a few vials of my blood with Amelia. Unfortunately, I think we’re going to have to increase the amount of blood she’s given.”
“But you won’t allow her to feed from another vampire? If you give up too much without feeding regularly, you’ll weaken yourself. What happens if there’s a physical trial of some sort? They’ve been far too intellectual to date. We can’t afford you to be in a weakened state if that does happen.”
“What else would you have me do? Not feed her?” I say a little too abruptly.
He leans back in the carriage seat, rubbing a thumb along his chiselled jaw. He pulls his fingers through his hair and when he glances up at me again, I dislike what I see.
I press my lips together.
“You suspect it’s going to get worse? That your blood is going to have a decreasing impact?”
I nod, and it makes Xavier’s eyes widen.
“You’ve worked it out, too, haven’t you? That’s why you suggested leaving vials with me?” Amelia says.
“We can’t afford for Red to be in a weakened state, either. What the hell is going on?” Xavier says, glancing at her restless body.
“It’s just a theory at the moment. Perhaps you’ll find something to back it up, Amelia.”
