I continued talking with Quinn a little longer, when she finally asked me, “Weren’t we supposed to meet your blood wife, Devareaux?” she teased me.
I smiled at her. “She’s around her somewhere, I’m sure.”
“But you’ve been spending all this time with little ‘ole me. She can’t possibly be okay with that.” She fluttered her eyes at me suggestively. I knew how Quinn flirted, and this was what she was doing now. It raised my hackles because I didn’t like her bringing up my wife.
In an irritated tone, I snapped, “She’s fine with it.” But a soon as I said that, I realized I had not seen Odessa since earlier in the evening. That left me confused. Where was she? I frowned, looking around the room, and didn’t see her anywhere. Did she leave already? Without even speaking to me? Letting me introduce her to society as my blood wife? Now I was frustrated.
“She’s not meant for these kinds of events.” I flipped my hand offhandedly, suddenly souring my mood. “Let’s not talk of her for now.”
I spent the next couple of hours mingling with guests, before I realized the night was winding down. I still had not seen Odessa since earlier in the evening so I assumed she went home without telling me. I would have words with her when I returned home.
It took another thirty minutes or so saying goodbye to those who mattered, and made my way out to my driver. Chauffie appeared in an awfully quiet, agitated state. I didn’t ask because I was already on edge from Odessa leaving without bothering to tell me. I was glad I had engaged in the taking the night before because then I would not have to tonight. I did not want her physically near me after she made an embarrassment of me by leaving. Luckily, other than Quinn, no one else had asked about my blood wife, even though it had been hinted that would be occurring tonight.
Once I arrived home, even more agitated, Renald was in the front entrance, looking highly more tense than usual.
“I am not in the mood for whatever this is, Renald. Is the Madam in bed already?”
Renald looked even more agitated after I spoke. In a tight voice, Renald responded, “The Madam has left the estate.”
I jolted. “What? Oh, for goodness sakes! I’m going to bed. Let me know when the Madam returns. I need to speak with her.” I was already walking away, but I swore I heard Renald say something like, “She won’t be coming back.”
The next morning, I felt heavy and on edge. While eating breakfast, I inquired about Odessa again since she was not at the breakfast table.
Renald spoke up from his corner area, terse, “I told you, the Madam left the estate last night, sir.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. She’ll be back.”
Still in a tight tone, Renald muttered, “That’s not likely to happen.”
I grunted. “And why is that?” I was getting irritated now. This tantrum she was throwing was getting ridiculous.
“Because she took two suitcases with her and had Chauffie drop her off somewhere.”
I almost choked on my tea. “Somewhere? You don’t even know where she went?” I stared at Renald in shock.
His eyes narrowed at me, making me feel uneasy and I was starting to panic.
“She said you had made a choice and would be bringing a new Madam home.”
“What? Where did she get that idea? She’s being dramatic. Nothing happened.”
“Master, could you tell me what exactly ‘nothing’ was that Madam Odessa would feel that a new Madam would be arriving any time?”
I felt sick. She couldn’t possibly think I was going to replace her with Quinn? Yes, I had been enjoying Quinn’s company, okay maybe even disappointed that she had not been my blood wife, but that didn’t mean I wanted to replace my blood wife. Did I?
I slammed my hand down on the table, shaking those thoughts out.
“It was nothing. Odessa will just have to throw her little tantrum. Then she will come back, and we’ll resume our ways.” But I didn’t feel so sure about that. And Renald’s response did not reinforce that matter one bit.
“I wouldn’t hold my breath.”
By the second day of no word from my blood wife, I was starting to get anxious and highly agitated. I would need to take the blood soon. I needed her to come back home. I would not chase my wife while she was having a tantrum. That was all this was, right? Just a tantrum.
On the afternoon of that second day, my sister arrived for a visit. And she set me off on a whole chain of fear and desperation.
I was sitting in my home office, trying to get something, anything, done, but my nerves were shot. I needed Odessa to come back. I needed to take the blood. Renald stood in the entrance to the door, drawing my attention.
“Yes, Renald?” My tone was snappy, but I couldn’t help it. I was starting to lose focus. I had been told that after five days, a vampyr becomes slower, sluggish until they reach the last stage. It was called the craze. Because that was exactly what happened. The vampyr no longer had functioning thought, body responses were violent and jerky, and the vampyr could no longer comprehend. There was no coming back from that stage. The only option was death. It was rare, but it had happened or we wouldn’t know the information we knew.
