Page 71 of This Ravenous Fate
Layla’s voice was soft, and she spoke without malice. But it cut straight into Elise’s heart. Elise stood and watched Layla walk away until she disappeared into an alleyway. Then she was all alone.
30
Dinner felt more like a wake than a family meal. It did not help that Stephen Wayne was there once again, this time having brought Dr. Harding along. The philanthropist’s presence felt like an icy wedge driven between the family members. Elise glared at him across the table every chance she got when he was not looking, though her mother caught her a few times and nudged her beneath the table.
“This cure is already the talk of the town. Not all good talk, but I’m sure the chandelier incident will blow over soon enough.” Tobias Saint raised his wineglass to Dr. Harding. The doctor nodded, but did not lift his own glass. Elise’s father toasted Mr. Wayne instead.
Elise stabbed at her food, and her fork clinked the plate so hard, everyone turned to look at her. Mr. Saint cleared his throat. “Elise, if you want, you may be excused,” he said.
“I don’t want that, Father,” Elise said flatly.
Her father’s lips pursed. He turned back to Mr. Wayne. “Howwill we get the reapers to trust us to administer the cure to them?”
Mr. Wayne leaned back in his chair, expression relaxed. “Easy. We promise to propose official legislation to Mr. Arendale that protects all reapers and considers them part human beings in the eyes of the law rather than beasts.”
The room went still. Elise watched her father’s expression. The slight twitch of his eye told her he was just as displeased hearing this news from Mr. Wayne now as he was hearing it from Layla’s parents five years ago. And that had just been a written agreement between the empire and the Harlem reaper clan. Though Mr. Saint had eventually come around to making that agreement, it took him two years after the Quinns’ deaths to do it.
“Is that even possible? Just forcing the Harlem reapers into an agreement with the empire felt like pulling teeth. And they did that to avoid certain death.” Tobias Saint spoke calmly, though his hands fisted around his silverware.
“Mr. Arendale has already agreed to the new law if he becomes mayor. I believe it would incentivize reapers to behave better. My hope is that rogue reapers will follow suit as well. They will be allowed to apply for jobs and housing without hiding anything—this will allow us to keep track of every reaper in New York. To have the most powerful clan initiate this gesture will do everyone well,” Mr. Wayne said.
Stephen Wayne’s gray eyes twinkled while he spoke. Elise had trouble trusting his motives beyond his public persona. “The next demonstration of the cure should take place at the Hotel Clarice.We already have a decent bond with the Harlem reapers from supporting their economy through the Cotton Club. But I will need the Saints’ approval to ensure that things go smoothly. There is little that they will be able to resist in the face of a cure—”
“About that,” Elise interrupted.
Both of her parents shot her stern looks. “Elise.”
She shrugged. “I have a question.”
Mr. Wayne shared a gentle look with her. “Go ahead, Elise.”
Elise took a deep breath. “How did you find this cure?” she asked.
“Testing,” Dr. Harding said, it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. But to Elise, it was an empty response.
“Testing on who?” she nearly demanded. “Did you give a dose to Theo Smith?”
“Elise,” her father said sharply. He turned a softer look onto Dr. Harding. “My apologies. She has been unwell recently.”
Dr. Harding raised his hand in dismissal. “Nonsense. I enjoy an intellectual conversation with the youth.” He nodded at Elise. “Carry on.”
“Who did you run tests on?” Elise asked.
Dr. Harding just shrugged. “Science is wonderfully complex. I wouldn’t expect you to understand it.”
“I went to the best schools in New York and Paris. Try me,” Elise said flatly. She leveled her gaze with his.
The doctor took another sip of his drink. He set his glass down and moved into the chair next to Elise. He was suddenly so close, Elise felt a bit uncomfortable, but she continued to make eye contactso as not to let his overwhelming presence defeat her. “We do have a little secret, actually. It was all my idea, and even Stephen doesn’t know about it.”
Mr. Wayne’s jaw dropped slightly. “I beg your pardon?”
Elise swallowed. Her heart pounded so hard, she wondered if everyone could hear it. “Sure.”
“Your father has raised you well,” Dr. Harding said, in a tone that made Elise uneasy.
Mr. Saint cleared his throat. “If you’re going to thank me, make sure you thank my beautiful wife as well. She’s done more than I ever have when it comes to raising our girls. Analia is the reason why Elise is so talented. It was her idea to get her piano lessons. In fact… Elise, darling, don’t you have some practice to get done?”
Elise decided she would not take the hint. Besides, she was too drained to play anything well at all.
