Henri sat up straight. “What, miss, I will make it! For your kindness to me and my family.”
“Lasagna, a salad, and really garlicky breadsticks.”
Henri popped up like someone had stabbed him in the butt and hurried out the door without even saying goodbye.
“That was kind of you.”
I shrieked and jumped a foot. Which was really impressive, considering I had been sitting down. Hot chocolate rained down everywhere around me, including on Zian, who growled a little, then sighed and started cleaning his fur.
Mesmer was chortling in the corner, and I could hear the other guards stationed outside the window laughing too.
“Mesmer! I thought I asked you towarnme when the vampire was in the room!”
Mesmer looked very stoic, but his gray eyes were creased around the corners in mirth.
Draven stepped out of the shadows, and I glared at him. “I’m getting you a bell that you can wear around your neck.”
He laughed. “Oh, cara mia. You’re good for the soul.” He tried to dab some of the chocolate off, but I growled and grabbed the rag. I wet it and scrubbed it off my skin and then got down on my hands and knees and attempted to mop it up.
“What do you mean, it was kind?” I glared at my ruined pajamas. No amount of stain remover would get this out.
Draven handed me a clean, damp rag. “Henri cooks and bakes when he’s stressed. You provided an outlet for him.”
“Well, no point wasting a fidgety chef.”
Draven laughed again.
I sighed as I dumped all the rags on the table. “Have you been here the whole time?”
Draven was drinking something in a bone china teacup that smelled heavenly. “Yes. I had some work I wanted to finish up.”
I tutted at him. “Your brain never sleeps.” That would be difficult. I wondered if vampires used more brainpower than humans did? Or if their thought processes were just faster? Hmm, food for thought. “I don’t have that problem.”
He canted his head to the side. “You have others. We all have something.”
“Truth.” I smiled and tried to snuggle back into the damp sofa, but lay against Zian instead. He was comfy, and not as damp. Zian grumbled but adjusted his enormous body so I had space, and I laughed as he smacked his lips and chuffed at me.
“You’re a big baby.”
Zian sneezed on me and chuffed when I poked him. “Laugh it up furball.”
I felt toasty by the fire. The nights were getting colder, and the big villa sometimes got drafty in the colder weather. “Will you go with us?” I eyed Draven, who I found looking at me with what some might consider fondness. My heart sped up at the emotions in his eyes, but I battled the gooey feelings back ruthlessly. Draven had friend-zoned me, and I was stuck there for the foreseeable future.
“I’ll have to. If we’re starting a battle, the general needs to be with his troops.”
“Harty har har.” I rolled my eyes at him. “Hilarious.”
“I thought so,” Mesmer said from the corner.
“No comments from the peanut gallery! And you’re on my list, mister! You have two jobs with me, keep me alive, and let me know when the vampire is near!”
“He pays me better than you do.”
“I pay in food! Delicious, yummy, food! You can’t tell me Henri makes you better food than what he makes me!”
Draven started laughing, even as Mesmer said, “I get paid very well by Master Leto. I even get health and dental benefits.”
“What do you need dental benefits for? Your teeth are stone!”
