I’d had every intention of staying put, but my desire to know if it was my cousin overwhelmed me, and I crept to one of the marble columns in the entryway and hid behind it while she opened the massive door just a crack.
“Well, hello. Isn’t this Ego’s home?” a voice that tickled at the edges of my memory asked.
“It is. He’s letting me use it for an escape,” Delaney said, composed as ever.
“Splendid.” With a tut of his tongue, he pushed open the door and stepped in straight past her. “You’re not the vampire, so may I inquire who you’ve brought with you?”
It was Lysandro. While he didn’t have his purple raincoat on, he still had his rainbow-colored umbrella with him, tapping it on the ground like a walking stick.
As Delaney sputtered out a denial, he spun from her and strode purposely toward the pillar, rounding the corner to face me. With nowhere else to run and hide, I stood in stunned silence as he said, “Uh, Ego. Marvelous to see you again.”
“Ego, who is this?” Delaney glared at Lysandro for having the gall to breeze past her.
“It…it’s Lysandro.”
“The vampire?” she asked.
Lysandro swept a low bow in her direction. “Madame. It is always such a pleasure to be amongst one of your kind.”
Her eyes widened, and I wondered if he knew she was fae. Not that I had any idea what that meant yet, since all of our conversations had pretty much been about me and the predicament that I’d ended up in.
He turned back to me. “And, Ego, may I ask, where is your sire?”
My mouth hung open at his dramatic entrance, not able to answer as my mind reeled with questions. Why was he here? Where did he come from? How did he know I was here? And how the hell did he know I was a vampire?
“I… I don’t know.”
Lysandro nodded. “Why don’t we have a seat and chat?”
Thankful to get off my feet, I followed Delaney as she led us back to the great room, taking her previous chair. Lysandro settled in the wingback next to her, and I collapsed onto the couch in an unimpressive sprawl.
I felt so vulnerable, sitting like this in front of him, but the travel tonight and the short walk to and from the pillar had drained me of any energy I had left.
Eyeing me critically, Lysandro asked, “How have you been feeding?”
He turned a sharp gaze to Delaney. “I know it’s not you. He’d already be dead from consuming fae blood, so who? I hear no other heartbeats in the house but yours, fair lady.”
Shaking her head, she sighed. “I don’t know that much about your kind, but I knew enough not to give him my blood. I have…a source who’s been supplying me with blood bags.”
Lysandro sat back, looking aghast. “That’s not enough for a fledgling. No wonder you’re in such poor health,” he said, turning back to me.
“If it wasn’t for her and those disgusting bags, I wouldn’t have even made it this long. The morning I woke up…changed, I couldn’t even remember what had happened the night before. Delaney had to tell me that I’m…” I trailed off.
Lysandro frowned. “So you didn’t ask for this?”
Wearily, I shook my head, then proceeded to give him the details I remembered from that fateful night.
By the time I was done, he was up pacing the room angrily. “That is not how it is done. Our kind are not supposed to turn humans without their permission.”
“What can we do for him?” Delaney asked. “I can tell he’s languishing, but I’m not sure what else to do. Should I increase the number of his feedings? It’ll get pricey, but he can afford it.”
At least, I could for now. Once I disappeared from the public for a substantial amount of time, they’d forget about me. My sales would dry up, and the only time anyone would remember Ego—me—would be when they did one of those whatever happened to such-and-such star on one of those garbage tabloids.
Lysandro stopped in front of Delaney, bringing me back from my melancholy thoughts. “Your name is Delaney, correct?”
“Yes.”
Lysandro bowed at the waist. “Forgive my rudeness, barging in here without an introduction. My name is Lysandro.”
