Page 34 of House of Pawns
“Of course,” he says with a nod.
We walk to the bedroom on the far end of the hall, the one I once fed Samuel in. I open the door, showing him thebedroom. This one is in all blue and grays. Like the rest of the house, it is extreme classic and modern. “This bedroom is yours, if you want it. For as long as you like.”
Nial looks around. He’s a doctor and I assume has plenty of his own money. But the look on his face is childlike. As if this is Christmas and the greatest gift he could have been given was someone to accept him.
He turns back to face me, his eyes dancing. “Thank you. I’d like to live here with you all. Very much.”
“You are very welcome,” I say with a smile. I can’t help but reciprocate his joy. “Welcome to the House of Conrath.”
Chapter
Thirteen
“IT REALLY IS NOT RECOMMENDED to withdraw this much blood,” Nial says as he caps off the tube of my blood leading into the bag. “It will leave you weak for a day or two. And that’s on top of what we took yesterday, and the day before.” He looks up at me with those beautiful eyes.
“I understand the risks,” I say. I do feel slightly lightheaded. “But I appreciate you helping me.”
“Samuel tells me your…boyfriend is an paramedic,” Nial says as he begins cleaning up our equipment. “He’s done this for you before?”
I nod as I press my thumb into the bandage he applies to my forearm.
“But he does not live in the House?”
He’s learning. Quickly. Lillian has taken it upon herself to educate him. I think she appreciates having someone her own age in the House.
“It’s complicated,” I respond, not particularly desirous to talk about it. I grab the bag of blood and cross to the fridge inthe office. I take the three other bags and put them in an insulated bag with the new one. “Thank you for your help, again. How did your interview at Hipsbro General go?”
“Well,” he responds as he removes his gloves and disposes of them. “Arranging the interview in the middle of the night was not quite as difficult as I expected. They already called this afternoon. They offered me the position.”
Nial will only be on call, plus two guaranteed shifts, but they’re all graveyard.
“You don’t have to ask it,” he says. He’s been watching my face. “I will be able to get blood for the House members. You can’t keep letting them feed on you. Eventually it will kill you, and then what will you do?”
We stand there, face to face. Only having known each other a few days, but already trusted allies. “Thank you. It means a great deal to me.”
“Loyalty and family are things I haven’t had in a very long time,” he says. “When I’ve found it, it’s not something I take lightly.”
“I promise it will go both ways.”
We turn and walk out the doors and down the stairs. And as we round into the foyer, I find Rath standing just under the chandelier, hands folded in front of him, waiting.
“Alivia, may I speak with you for a moment?” he asks.
I nod, and the two of us walk into the library. Rath closes the door behind us.
“A delivery was made this afternoon and I am greatly concerned about it.”
He doesn’t beat around the bush.
“It’s only fair,” I say with stiffness.
“Fair is a concept that is only justifiable to children,Alivia,” Rath nearly spits out. “You are an adult. You are a leader. And you are in a position to set an example. To bring aboutreal change.”
“Do you not remember that it was mymothershe dug up and dropped on my front door step?” I bellow. I take a step toward him. The acid in my veins becomes more deadly by the moment. “How do you think you would have reacted if it was my father they had dug up and left for you to discover, just to mess with your head, Rath? Would you simply turn the other cheek?”
The stunned look on his face says he hadn’t thought of it like that.
Rath’s loyalty and love for my father—whom he called a brother—is deep and pure.
