“I just heard about the dowry donor quitting,” Levi said, giving me an apologetic smile. “Harem management wasn’t my strongest class at the academy—and they only train us on the basics of blood rationing for emergency situations.”
I squeezed his shoulder as we stopped in front of the door to the gym. “Don’t sweat it. Belinda knows what she’s doing. I’m sure she’ll have a new manager in place by the weekend.”
The gym door opened, and Murphy stopped just shy of running us over. “Skye,” he said, breath panting. Sweat soaked his hair and shirt. I glanced down at his hands, my eyes catching on the bloodied tape wrapped around his knuckles.
“Murphy.” I did a double-take at his face, but it was fine—other than the flushed cheeks and film of perspiration. The heavy bag hanging in the gym behind him hadn’t been so lucky. “I didn’t think you’d be back until later...”
He ran an arm under his nose, wiping away a drop of sweat, and sniffled. “I couldn’t sit there and watch her burn through a tiny window for three hours. There’s too much that needs to be done around here. Who’s this?” he asked, jerking his chin at Levi.
“Levi Bishop, sir,” Levi introduced himself, holding out his hand before noticing Murphy’s busted knuckles. “I’m the future baroness’s replacement donor.”
Murphy snorted and glared at Levi’s hand before shooting me a wounded scowl. “I’ve worked here for thirty years. Yosh has been here for fifteen. The boss just picked his pending scion out of a catalog last week. She’s not even turned yet, but replacing one of her blood dolls is more important than finding who killed Yosh?”
“Killed?” Levi interjected. “I thought you said she had an accident.”
Murphy blew out a trembling sigh, his eyes not leaving mine. “Is that so? Take you all day to decide that?”
“Didn’t anyone give you the swab results when you got back?” I asked, wanting to touch his shoulder in comfort but too afraid of the intensity in his gaze.
“They could have washed their hands,” he said. “They could have slipped around to the north wing before I made it upstairs. Those swabs don’t mean shit.”
“We interviewed all the donors last night, and the coroner said that the scratches were inconsistent with marks left by fingernails. What more can we do, Murph?”
“Let me talk to them,” he said through clenched teeth. “I’ll find the bastard responsible.”
“Yeah, and scare the rest of the harem shitless in the process. How many donors do you suppose are ready to quit over last night’s events as it is?” I folded my arms and tried to leave things at that. Murphy was hurting and probably thirsty. I wondered if Belinda had worked out a temporary system with the donors yet.
Murphy made a disgusted face at Levi again. “Does it matter? There are always more desperate humans ready to serve House Lilith despite the risk involved.”
“Not human, buddy,” Levi said, a low warning in his tone.
“Dante’s in his office.” I moved aside so Murphy could pass between us. I didn’t want to hear anything else he had to say. It was...uncomfortable, listening to him being so heartless about humans when Yoshiko had been one. I had to believe I knew him better than that. “We just got back from Chicago. I’m sure he’ll want to speak with you.”
“Right away, Your Grace.” He snorted again and shook his head before stalking off down the north wing.
Levi blew out a tense breath. “They told us things might be complicated at the duke’s house, but damn. I just thought one of the dowry donors quit after she found out what happened to the others, and the duke needed someone with a little more steel in their spine to replace her.”
“That sounds about right.” I led Levi inside the gym, where we could now see the other two hanging punching bags, both just as destroyed as the first and smeared with Murphy’s blood. “So, this is the gym.”
“It sure is.” Levi whistled softly. “Good thing your pal prefers beating on the bags.”
“He usually spars with me,” I said, then groaned at Levi’s slack-jawed surprise. “I was Blood Vice before the princess adopted me.”
“I’d heard that,” he confessed. “But I don’t go around betting the farm on gossip, ma’am.”
I nodded, deciding that was solid enough advice.
We left the gym and headed back toward the foyer, quickly cutting across to the south wing. I didn’t hear shouting coming from Dante’s office. I wanted to take that as a good sign, but I had a feeling it just meant that Murphy went to clean himself up first.
Levi’s frown deepened as we passed the third set of guards on the south stairwell. “Are the donors restricted to the upstairs harem?” Levi asked, tugging up the straps of his bag again and glancing back over his shoulder.
“Not usually.” I gave him a strained smile. “You’re certainly not. I’m sure soon after the duke speaks with Murphy, the lockdown will be over. In fact, you can sleep in Mandy’s room tonight if you want. She sleeps in my bedroom most of the time anyway.”
He gave me an odd look but didn’t say anything. We stopped in front of Audrey’s room, and I rapped my knuckles on the closed door. Polly answered, peeking timidly out into the hall.
“Special delivery,” I called, hoping Audrey wasn’t asleep. I needed her to entertain Levi for a few minutes while I checked in on Mandy to make sure she wouldn’t mind me loaning out her bed for a night.
“Your Grace. Please, come in.” Polly curtseyed as she opened the door wider, revealing Audrey curled up in a chair along the far wall, eating chocolate truffles out of a box and watching Henry’s Courtroom, of all shows. When she realized she had company, she hit pause, freezing the image of Laura leaning over Judge Henry’s desk.
Levi gawked at the flat screen and then back at me as we entered the room. “Now, how do I hear about you being in Blood Vice but not that you were a movie star?”
“I’m not.” My face flushed, and I waved my hand at the television. “Could you pause that on something other than my sister’s tits. Please. For the love of all things holy.”
“Sorry! Sorry.” Audrey giggled nervously and fumbled with the remote until she’d walked Laura backward through the judge’s door with the reverse button. “I—Yoshiko mentioned you had a famous twin sister—I just had to see for myself. The resemblance is striking.”
“This is Levi Bishop,” I blurted, eager to redirect the conversation. “He’s Kate’s replacement, and he’s a werewolf.”
“Nice to meet you, Miss Audrey.” Levi held out his palm, and Audrey took it, blushing when he turned her hand up to kiss her knuckles. “My daddy taught me that a girl’s hand should always be kissed when she’s wearin’ a pretty dress.”
“Your daddy sounds like a smart man,” Audrey cooed.
Levi nodded. “He sure was.”
Audrey stared dreamily at him, folding her opposite hand over the back of his, still wrapped around her dainty fingers. She batted her lashes and sighed. Levi seemed a little smitten himself.
“Maybe you have some questions for him?” I prompted Audrey. “Or some things to share about the manor while I check in on Mandy and let Dante know Levi will be sleeping in her room tonight.”
“He will?” she asked, her breath hitching excitedly. “Oh! Questions, of course,” she said, latching on to the more relevant part of my statement. She released Levi’s hand so she could walk me to the door, while Levi wandered over to introduce himself to Polly.
“Is this a trick?” Audrey asked under her breath as I stepped out into the hallway. “You’re being nice to me, and I like it, but I don’t know if I can trust it.”
“You’re not sleeping with Dante.”
“No, of course not,” she whispered, shooting an embarrassed glance over her shoulder toward the window where Levi stood, peeking through the curtains out at the darkened front lawn.
“It wasn’t a question,” I said, giving her a tight smile. “And as long as you remember that, I’ll play nice. We might even becom
e friends—eventually.”
Audrey looked over her shoulder at Levi again. “What about him? Is he off-limits, too?”
“Just wait until after Imbolc.” If she went and got herself turned into a wolf before Dante turned her, I’d never hear the end of it. “Please,” I added when her eyes lingered on Levi a little longer than was proper for an alumna of Darkly Hall.
“Okay, okay,” she whispered, turning back to me. “I’ve spent the past eight years in an all-girls school, you realize. And now I’m in a house full of dozens of men—Adonises, the lot of ‘em. My God, how do you do it?”
“Easy. I’ve only got eyes for one.” The words felt like the truth in my mouth, but I doubted them the second they were uttered.
Was Dante the only one I had eyes for? Was I truly ready to close that door on Roman for good? Had our lifeblood bond finally faded? Was this thing I felt for Dante the real deal, rather than just a side effect of a few heady blood cocktails?
There was no easy answer. I felt my heart begging for a chorus of yes, yes, yes. Or maybe that was just my libido. But even with the two of them plotting against my reluctance, my conscience resisted.
I craved certainty, and it was in short supply.
Chapter Seventeen
NOW THAT MANDY WAS working guard shifts for the house, being a wolf meant that she was swinging double shifts during the harem lockdown. It was probably for the best, giving her something constructive to do as she worked through the pain of losing Yoshiko, the closest new friend she’d made at the manor. Mandy was a lot like me in that respect, throwing herself into a task when grief was too much to bear. She’d set it aside to wallow in at a later date, putting on a poker face for the rest of the world.
I paused at my bedroom, hesitant to disturb her even though I was sure I wouldn’t find her asleep. I sighed and rested my forehead against the closed door, taking a few deep breaths before I went inside.
The fire hydrant lamp on the bedside table filled the room with a soft glow, illuminating Mandy’s backside where she lay curled atop the bedspread. Her bony spine peeked above the collar of her tank top, straining against her skin with each breath she heaved.
“He can have my bed,” she whispered without me having to ask. Her wolfy ears were sharp. Too bad she’d been in the gym when Yoshiko had died. Maybe she would have heard if there had been an altercation between Yoshiko and one of the donors. I was sure she’d thought the same thing a hundred times already, so I kept the useless wish to myself.
“Thanks.” I sat on the edge of the bed opposite her side.
“Belinda asked if I’d feed you before sunrise.” Mandy sniffled and cleared her throat, but she didn’t roll over. “My shift starts at six.”
“I’ll be here by five—with breakfast,” I said, touching her shoulder. Her breath shuddered out in a long sigh, echoed by my own. “I’m so sorry, Mandy.”
“Don’t feel sorry for me.” She sniffled again. “Murphy is the one you need to worry about. He’s coming unraveled fast. The duke better do something about him before he loses his shit.”
“Yeah.” I swallowed and rested my elbows on my knees before dropping my face into my hands.
The problems I’d been whining about the week before seemed like a distant memory. I felt petty and selfish. Pining over Dante through all of this made me feel even more shameful.
I’d seen a therapist enough times after my mother’s death to know that this was a normal part of grief—feeling undeserving of any shred of happiness. But knowing and accepting were two different things. I’d still cut myself off from so much for so long, devoting years of my life to honoring my mom’s memory by retracing her steps. Until the path had ended, and I’d found myself here.
“You don’t have to stay,” Mandy said, curling herself into a tighter ball. “I’ll be fine. I’m just going to close my eyes for a bit.”
“Okay.” I sat up and gave her shoulder another squeeze before sliding off the bed.
I closed the door softly behind me as I stepped back out into the hallway. Audrey’s door was still closed, and I could hear her and Levi’s muffled voices on the other side, deep in animated discussion. I decided to give them more time and went to check in with Dante first. If Murphy had made it to the duke’s office, they were probably both in need of some moral support about now. And maybe a mediator. Whatever good it would do.
When I reached the south stairwell, Lane, one of the duke’s most trusted guards who had accompanied us to Ursula’s trial, nodded to me from his post at the foot of the steps.
“Any word on when this lockdown will be over?” he asked, ignoring the horror-struck look on his partner’s face. Now that I was a duchess, the guards I hadn’t gotten chummy with before were even less inclined to socialize with me.
“Soon, I hope.” My gaze slid up the long staircase, and I couldn’t help but picture Yoshiko’s fall. “Has anyone tried to slip past you guys?”
Lane shook his head. “Belinda’s keeping them busy with preparations for a memorial. She says she should have a temporary blood schedule in place before sunrise, too.”
“Have you seen Murphy tonight?” I pressed my lips together, wondering how aware the rest of the security staff was about their supervisor’s mental stability. Lane shot his partner a nervous glance and then looked down at his feet.
“Donnie is filling in for him for the next couple of days,” he said.
“Good.”
It wasn’t really an answer to the question I’d asked, but I let it go, knowing Lane likely didn’t want to reveal the condition he’d found Murphy in. I hugged myself, letting my stare drop to the floor with Lane’s gaze in silent sympathy for our mutual friend.
Everything was going to hell, and I felt useless. Some things just couldn’t be fixed, and I was no longer in a position to help with any of the things that could be. Anxiety welled in my chest, and the Eye of Blood responded by bleeding pink all over my vision.
As my gaze pulled up, something small and shiny caught my eye, tucked in the shadows of the corner that wrapped around the side of the stairwell. Lane turned to watch as I slipped past the bannister to collect the trinket before my blood vision faded.
“Have either of Audrey’s donors been up to the harem since the lockdown?” I asked, a worm of doubt coiling in my chest.
“Not tonight.” Lane shook his head and then looked to his partner who repeated the gesture. “The one who quit was picked up by a cab this morning before sunrise.”
“Keep up the good work,” I called over my shoulder as I headed past them and into the foyer.
One of the guards stationed outside the duke’s office knocked for me before I’d even reached the double doors. Before attaining my duchess status, they questioned my reasons for approaching the duke, sometimes turning me away if they thought he was too busy to address whatever trivialities I could possibly think to bother him with.
“Enter,” Dante called from inside the room. The guards opened the doors for me, immediately closing them once I’d passed through.
“Has Murphy come to see you yet?” I asked, scanning the room for any signs of blood or chaos.
“No, he has not.” Dante frowned and set aside the stack of mail he’d been sorting through. “Though, I was informed that he had returned from the funeral home early. Have you seen him?”
I sighed, hating to add to Dante’s overflowing plate of worries. “He’s not doing so great.”
Dante nodded, unsurprised. “What is that?” he asked next, noting my closed fist. I held the bracelet up so he could get a better view of the dangling charms—bats, coffins, and crowns.
“Look familiar?”
He blinked and cocked his head to one side. “I believe that belongs to Polly, Audrey’s remaining donor. Perhaps the clasp needs to be repaired—she loses the thing constantly.”
“Does she?” I asked, letting Ursula’s—and now Murphy’s—paranoia summon up a dozen what-if scenarios. “I found it near the south stairwel
l.”
“That is where her mistress’s room is located, and where she has been staying since the lockdown,” Dante reminded me. Still, doubt clawed at my mind, throbbing anxiously against my temples, as if there were something more—something I was missing.
“Is the tech team who updated the security system still here?”
Dante nodded. “They are still fine-tuning the new sensors. A slamming toilet lid should not initiate the alarms.” He sighed and rubbed his forehead with his fingertips. “I cannot decide if it is a blessing or a curse that we are able to sleep through such events.”
“Downstairs?” I asked, holding the bracelet up for closer inspection.
“Across from Mr. Murphy’s office.” Dante drummed his fingers over his desk anxiously. “You realize that you are placing suspicion upon a teenage girl who was trained to be a submissive, companionable donor and not an assassin, yes?”
“Scarlett was a young, innocent-seeming creature,” I replied. “And Mandy, as much as I love her, is perfectly capable of eating someone’s face off if they cross her.”
“But...Polly is a mere human,” Dante argued. I clutched the bracelet and stared at him, deciding that maybe a healthy dose of paranoia was better than none at all.
“We all were, once upon a time.”
THE TECH TEAM DANTE had hired to update the security system consisted of a wolf and a half-sired geek squad. When I poked my head inside the control room, I found them crammed in alongside four of the vamp house guards, showing them different features on the video feed screens.
“Could I borrow one of you for a minute?” I asked, drawing the half-sired tech’s attention. She stood and met me in the doorway, shooting her colleague a strained smile.
“What can I help you with, Your Grace?”
I blinked at her, surprised she even knew who I was. Of course, if she knew that much, I could guess why she was so tense around me. Having a reputation for sticking my fangs into people they didn’t belong in was not the most respectable way to make my debut as a vamp.
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