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I bit the edge of the cloak and tugged, rolling the body forward.
A young woman, eyes open and staring out in horror, had half of her neck torn out. Long, jagged scrapes covered the neck down to the front of her dress, which had been shredded. The plain servant outfit signified she was one of ours. Off to the side, smashed and broken, a wicker basket sat, apples strewn out beside her.
In the distance, the iron gate to the orchard swung back and forth. I followed the trail of blood to the entrance, but any signs of what had attacked her were gone. No sounds, no other scent but the old blood. Going back to the body, I shifted back into human form and kneeled next to the dead servant. Out of the gifts Lord Demious had given me, the bracelet that allowed me to shift and keep my clothes had been the most convenient.
With my finger, I closed her eyes. Based on the scent of her blood and temperature of her skin, she’d been dead for about twelve hours. Wrapping the cloak around her body, I lifted her and began the trek back to the estate. Lord Demious would need to know about this and quickly.
Using my swiftness, I returned to the barracks, calling out to Marco. When he saw what I carried, his eyes went wide. I placed the girl on the floor.
He stared at the covered body. “Who is it?”
“One of the maids. I’m going to get Lord Demious.”
Marco opened his mouth, but I disappeared before he could ask any more questions. If there was something out on the grounds killing our people, why couldn’t I find it? The trail simply wasn’t there.
Inside the manor, I went to Lord Demious’ study. He had a thing for storms and liked to watch them from his balcony, preferably with a glass of honey wine.
I knocked on his door, making sure I wiped any blood on my hands off on my pants.
“Who is it?” he said, and I heard a giggle. He had a female in there with him.
“Baine. It’s important.”
“You may enter.”
Candlelight flickered off the mahogany walls. Lord Demious laid on his chaise lounge, a woman curled against his side. The balcony doors were slightly opened, making the black velvet curtains swing with the wind. He lifted his glass and sipped as the female nibbled on his neck. Her back faced me, making it difficult to see who he had brought into his room.
“Have you been playing in the rain?” With his free hand he stroked the female’s dark hair and she curled into him, her mouth moving to his ear.
“We need to speak, alone,” I said. Without knowing who was in his lap, I couldn’t risk the danger of what I was about to say.
“Surely it can wait,” he replied, moving his hand down the female’s back until it grazed her waist. “I’m otherwise engaged.”
The female slid her arm around his neck and whispered in his ear. He laughed and I could tell I would need to be more direct than I cared for.
“We have a security breach.”
All humor left his face. “Leave us.”
The human kissed his cheek before sliding off his lap. She stood, fixing the front of her dress which had been slightly pulled down.
Claudia.
The eldest of the Haalow sisters. She smiled at me, licking her lips, before glancing to Lord Demious and placing a hand on his shoulder. “Remember what I said.”
He nodded and eyed her with a look I knew too well. If he hadn’t bedded her already, he would. “Wewillcontinue this later.”
Satisfied, she left.
I closed the door behind her. “I see you’ve made your choice.”
“Not yet, but I do like that one very much. We have similar . . . tastes.” He finished the rest of his drink in one gulp and slammed his glass on the table. “What happened?”
“Better if I show you.”
Taking a cloak from the coat rack, he pulled up the hood and followed me outside into the storm and to the barracks. When we arrived, Marco was pacing in front of the body.
Lord Demious kneeled on the floor, the hood of his cloak falling back. He unraveled the cloak covering the body, revealing the dead girl’s face. Marco cursed and punched the wall. He was much closer to the servants than I was. I’d kept my distance from everyone, except my men and Lord Demious.
