She subtly tilts her chin, nodding at the manor’s doorway.
“I haven’t forgotten,” I say. “He’s got quite the hold over you.”
I expect her to flinch. To frown. To get defensive in one way or another.
Instead, she offers a one-shoulder shrug.
“Yes,” she says. “I suppose he does. He also has quite the hold over our blood vendors.”
“We’ll come twice,” I blurt. “Twice a week, if you’ll give me older memories.”
Beside me, Henry stiffens. We both know we don’t have time to make bi-weekly trips to the Night Realm. Especially not him. I may not have a life outside of the healing center and this psychological warfare, but Henry does. He’ll have to cut back on time with friends, on time with Mary and other women.
I glance at him again, trying to convey I’ll make it up to him.
“Fine,” Cora says. By the time I look back to her, she’s already rising from her bench. Unsurprisingly, she’s taking the memory stone with her. “I’ll be right back.”
“No way,” I say. I’m out of my seat and standing in front of her before she’s fully on her feet. She blinks at me in surprise when I grab her wrist. “You’re not taking this. For all I know, you’ll go watch the memory in advance.”
“For all you know, I’ve already done that,” she snaps. Her attention drifts to her wrist, to my hand around it. I expect her to demand I release her. Instead, a heavy blush scours her cheeks.
“Unhand my witch, Lyrie,” comes a voice from the doorway.
Out here in the daylight, I shouldn’t be terrified of Sebastian Vulce. He might not burn in the sun, but he’s weak like this. And yet, he walks across the courtyard with slow, predatory steps.
“I have this handled,” Cora says. She glares at the vampire king before roughly stepping out of my hold. One of the mermaid scales falls, hitting the cobblestone. Cora curses as she crouches to pick it up. She glances at me and Henry, but her attention settles on Sebastian as she speaks. “I’ll be right back. Don’t kill anyone while I’m gone.”
Breath held, I wait for Sebastian Vulce to put Cora in her place. Instead, his lips twitch, as if fighting a smile.
“Very well,” he says. The look is there again, the one that suggests she is far more than mere weapon to him.
Once Cora disappears into the manor, I return to my seat. Sebastian Vulce remains standing, and he stares down his nose at me as if I’m a repellent insect. I force myself to hold his gaze, even when I’m sure I can’t bear another second of his scrutiny.
After nearly ten minutes, Cora finally reappears. I watch her through the stretch of windows as she approaches the courtyard. Her dark ponytail swishes behind her, chin tilted high. She’s still carrying the memory stone and another jar. I can only hope it’s a memory from age sixteen. Even if it’s from age ten, I’m going to watch it, just to escape this ungodly place.
As she reaches the doorway, Sebastian leans in front of me, blocking her from view.
“Touch her again, Lyrie, and I’ll remove your hands,” he says. He straightens without giving me time to respond. “Yell if you?—”
“Yes, Master,” she says, heaving a sigh. “Now, please. I’ve got it handled.”
He regards her for a long moment before finally nodding. With a final glare in my direction, the vampire king crosses the courtyard and returns to the manor’s darkened interior.
“He cares for you,” I say.
I’m not sure what compelled me to say it, and it clearly catches Cora off guard too. She raises both eyebrows, attention shifting from me to Henry. Her mouth opens, but nothing comes out. Finally, she clears her throat and sets her items in front of me.
“A new jar,” she says. “Age fifteen.”
“We agreed sixteen.”
“Age fifteen,” she repeats. She uncaps the jar, piercing me with a stubborn glare. “Do you want it or not?”
I don’t let myself glance at Henry, even though I’m annoyed. Even though we absolutely agreed on age sixteen.
“Fine,” I say. “Whatever.”
She places the green memory onto the stone, and together, we watch the color burst into smoke.
