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I stared up, but still couldn’t see him through the darkness.
He turned my face from side to side. ‘Her profile certainly has a look of you about her, Alexandre.’
‘She is my daughter.’ My father sounded unexpectedly anxious. ‘This was reported to your Master at her birth.’
‘An achievement indeed.’ The stranger was faintly mocking as he released me.
Matilde swept her arm around me, holding me close and I looked up at her. She was staring at my father’s guest, and her eyes were wide and scared.
Why was she frightened? Why was my father not happy? My heart pitter-pattered in my chest, and all three vampires turned their attention to me.
‘Control yourself, Genevieve.’ There was an edge of fear in my father’s voice I’d never heard before.
I bit down on my lip, closed my eyes and counted under my breath, ‘One elephant ... two elephants ... three elephants ...’ My pulse started to slow.
‘Impressive in one so young.’ The stranger clapped, the sharp noise interrupting my counting.
‘... five elephants ...’ I opened one eye and glared up at him.
‘You have taught her the old ways well.’
‘... seven elephants ...’
‘She is satisfactory.’ The shadows shifted and then settled. ‘I am sure my Master will be pleased.’
Matilde’s hold on me relaxed.
‘... ten elephants ...’
‘All that is left is to confirm the contract. I am to take a sample.’
‘ Niet.’ Matilde spat out the word.
My father hissed, ‘It is but a taste, Matilde; no harm will come to the child.’
‘... thirteen elephants ...’
Her fingers dug into my arm, but after a moment she acquiesced and let me go.
‘My apologies.’ My father offered the stranger a low bow. ‘You have the knife?’
‘... f—fifteen elephants ...’
The man knelt on one knee and held up a thin blade. ‘Forged by the northern dwarves from cold iron and silver,’ he said, as the knife gleamed red in the firelight. ‘Tempered in dragon’s breath. The handle is carved from a unicorn’s horn.’ Pale light bled from between his fingers. ‘And set with a dragon’s tear.’ An oval of clear amber winked against his palm.
‘... s—seventeen elephants ...’
A cold hand circled my left wrist and my arm went numb.
‘... e—eighteen ...’
The blade traced an icy-hot slash down my i
‘... n—n—nineteen ...’
Blood ran in thin rivulets to pool on the flagstone floor.
‘Stop him, Alexandre.’ Matilde’s voice was shrill. ‘He’s wasting it.’
I looked up at the stranger and the shadows fled from his face. He reversed the knife, placed its handle in my palm and clasped his hands round mine to hold it straight and true. His obsidian eyes stared into mine as he pulled on my arms and the thin silver blade stabbed into his chest and plunged into his heart.
‘... t—t—twenty ...’
Malik stood as he had in the alley, arms outstretched, the pearl-handled knife shining pale against the blackness of his body.
‘Genevieve.’ Sorrow lanced in his voice. ‘See what you have done.’
Matilde and my father stood on either side of Malik, mirroring his stance as blood ran from the gaping wounds in their own chests.
A sharp pain—grief—struck my own heart. I whispered their names.
‘Genevieve . . .’ Their voices echoed like ghosts in my mind.
Chapter Nineteen
Iwoke with a start to find myself tucked up in bed with the sheet pulled up to my chin. Then I realised I wasn’t alone, that there was someone else in my bedroom—and fear slammed into me. I froze, squeezing my eyes tight shut and trying not to breathe.
‘I can tell you’re awake, Gen,’ Fi
The fear slipped away. Taking a shallow breath, I pulled the sheet over my head. ‘Huh. He thinks he’s auditioning for the part of Big Bad Wolf,’ I muttered.
‘Try the Big Bad Boss.’
Not yet you aren’t, Fi
I peered from under the sheet and looked at my clock: I’d been asleep for almost five hours, double the time it usually took to recover after one of my Sucker Town outings. Still, at least I felt somuch better and with the amount of venom I’d taken, the feel-good factor might even last the week—if I could ignore the dream-shadows stalking the outskirts of my mind. I stretched and sighed. I was clean, obviously thanks to Fi
I rolled over and stared at him; he was sitting on the floor, arms loosely crossed over his chest and legs stretched out in front. His head was tilted back against the wall, his horns their usual size, and I wondered if I’d imagined them being taller the night before when we’d kiss— Damn, I’d promised myself I wasn’t going there.A take-away Rosy Lee Café cup sat beside him and the faint smell of coffee lingered in the air. He looked like he’d been there a while.
I sat up, wrapping the sheet round me, and hugged my knees. ‘Why the morning call, Boss?’ I asked, my tone as neutral as I could make it. ‘I’m not due at work for a couple of hours yet.’
His moss-green eyes briefly met mine and then he looked down, appearing to find the pile of shoes and boots under my bed engrossing. ‘I came round about the brownie magic problem,’ he said finally, uncrossing his arms and letting his hands fall into his lap. ‘I think there’s a way you could use the spells up.’
I stared at him, incredulous. Was he just going to ignore how he’d found me, and how I’d got that way? Not that I wouldn’t be just as happy notexplaining, but somehow I didn’t think it was going to be that easy.
‘The brownie magic?’ I asked in the same neutral tone.
‘Yes,’ he said, a muscle twitching along his jaw, ‘it’s how they teach the baby witches sometimes.’
Right! So now I’m reduced to nursery games.
‘It’s not hard.’ His hands curled into fists, belying the calmness in his voice. ‘Picture something small, something nearby, and cover it in magic. Then callwhatever it is to your hand as you callthe magic.’ He spoke as if he’d learned the instructions by rote—or as if he was trying not to yell and shout.
‘Okay, thanks,’ I said slowly. It didn’t exactly sound like a quick solution, but hey—
He stood up and flexed his shoulders. ‘Great. So I’ll see you later at work then.’ And he turned to go, stillwithout looking at me.
I frowned, tapping my fingers against the sheet. What was going on here? This reservedidn’t seem like Fi
Some emotion I didn’t want to look at too closely prompted me to speak instead of just letting him go. ‘I’m curious,’ I said, and he stilled, hand on the bedroom door handle. ‘Aren’t you going to ask me about what happened?’
He kept his gaze on the door. ‘Do you wantme too?’
Did I? I wasn’t sure. Explaining one small thing would just start the first domino falling, and there was no way I could tell him what lay at the end.
‘Your silence says you don’t’—the door creaked as he turned the handle—‘and I’m not prepared to wait for whatever story you’re concocting.’
‘I’m fae, Fi
‘Not being able to lie isn’t the same as telling the truth, is it, Gen?’
No. It isn’t.
He pulled open the door. ‘I’ll see you later at work.’ But he didn’t leave. Instead he stood, silent, on the threshold for a moment, then he turned and strode the couple of paces back to the side of my bed.