“You’re telling me thisnow?” he asks.
“It’s fine,” I say. I don’t know who I’m trying to convince.
Now that I’ve spoken the words aloud, I can’t stop seeing the similarities. Harrison and Henry. Even their names are similar. Both with blond hair and boyish smiles and outgoing charm. What if I’ve just hand-delivered Cora’s next victim?
To my surprise, she barely looks at Henry as she approaches. She’s glaring at me, those wide dark eyes narrowed. She stops directly before us, tilting her chin in a way that makesmefeel like the small one, even as I tower over her.
“You were supposed to wait,” she says. She has the same bagfrom our first session strapped over her shoulder. It’s bulkier this time, stuffed with Mother knows what.
“It’s daylight,” I say.
“Some vampires can walk in the sun,” she says. She may not be a vampire herself, but she certainly has the countenance of one. Ungodly pale. Eerily still. Impossible to read. “In case you’ve forgotten why you’re here.”
“I haven’t,” I say. Then, nodding toward Henry, I add, “I brought my companion. As promised. And the memory?”
“I have it,” she says. She glances at Henry, face revealing nothing. She doesn’t ask his name. She doesn’t introduce herself, even as he gawks at her. “Sunwalker spell first. Memory second. Understood?”
“Yes ma’am,” Henry blurts. His voice is sharp, like he’s addressing a war general. “Honor to meet you, ma’am. Woman. Lady.”
Cora raises a single black eyebrow. She watches him as blush turns his entire face red, then looks back to me.
“He’s the competent one?”
I can’t tell if she’s mocking or genuinely asking.
“With spellcasting,” I clarify with a forced smile. “In other areas, not so much.”
She doesn’t smile in return.
“Let’s go,” she says. She turns on her heel and starts back for the manor, once again avoiding the flattened pathway. Instead, she leads us over the steep, rocky terrain. She’s sure-footed. Confident. So graceful I can’t help but think of vampires again. Perhaps she’s lived here long enough she’s becoming one.
“Elliot,” Henry hisses from beside me. Despite his fumbling introduction, he’s back to his typical, goofy self. I suppose a bit of distance from Cora helps with that.
“What?” I ask. I’m studying her back, admiring the gentle slope of her neck.
“I’m in love,” he says. “You should’ve warned me she’s pretty. You know I’m a fool for mean, pretty women.”
I grind my teeth. I know Henry’s teasing, but it pisses me off all the same. Because this woman killed my best friend. Because her cruelty goes far beyondmean.
Because despite all of that, I’ve noticed she’s pretty too.
The last timeI was in this manor, I was running for my life. I’d slipped down the twist of hallways in the early hours of morning, and I’d vowed to never return. I hadn’t paid attention to the primitive architecture or the dark furnishings. Now, with Cora as some sort of miniature body guard, I allow myself to study Sebastian Vulce’s infamous home.
The wood floors are scratched and in need of proper cleaning. The walls are dark and the decor is minimal. There isn’t any furniture in the main entryway, but I spot a few velvet couches as we maneuver the halls. Oil paintings surround us, depicting various scenes of vampiric gore.
Vampires are far too proud of their own cruelty.
When we take an unexpected turn, away from Cora’s quarters, rather than toward them, I halt. I press a hand to Henry’s chest, stopping him too.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“The courtyard,” she says. She pauses. Turns to look at us. Regards me with an unimpressed, raised eyebrow.
“Not your quarters?” I ask. Then, though she obviously knows, I add, “They’re warded.”
“The courtyard is open to the sun,” she says. “We’ll be safe there.”
Before I can ask a follow-up, she takes off again. Her steps are quicker now, more determined, as if she’s expecting me toback out of our deal. It wouldn’t be the worst idea. Finding vampire blood is not an easy feat, but there has to be another way. Ways that don’t include betraying Mama and aiding Vulce’s army.
