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And as the friendly enough vampire valet helped him wash and dress—into a fucking suit, of course—ugh—he realized he'd forgotten to ask Yesenia to get some chocolate for Nora. Even if he thought they would be fucked-up as a couple and wasn't aiming to try, he wasn't one to break a promise to get some for her. "Bates, is it?"
"Yes, Dr. Vale."
"If I have a favor, would you help me?"
He nodded. "Of course. Dark Lord Yates said to give you almost anything you wished."
It was on the tip of his tongue to ask exactly what the restrictions were, but River pushed it aside. He'd work that out later, after he'd talked with his brother-in-law face-to-face. "Then here's what I need…"
And as he described his gift, River asked a few questions about Nora and added a few extra things just because.
ChapterSeven
Nora looked at herself in the mirror, smoothed the front of her dark purple dress, and decided she was ready for supper. Especially since she'd managed to tame her irritation down at Bates taking care of River's bandages instead of her. Most of River's cuts and burns had healed enough in his sleep—no doubt thanks to his own magic—that there wasn't much to do, let alone a need to wait for a more experienced healer like Nora to oversee things.
It should've been a relief, truly. The less she touched his skin, the less she had to fight the strange draw she had to him. Yes, he was her fated one. And yet, Nora had never really felt a pull toward any male in her adult life. And for good reason—because getting close might result in marriage.
Which then led to bedding. Something she didn't even know if she could endure without a heavy dose of alcohol or laudanum.
And yet, her thoughts kept drifting to the fae witch. Even with him still injured and obviously emaciated from his captivity, his green eyes and full lips kept popping into her head. More than that, during a nap, she'd kissed him in a dream.
All without fear, which was a first for her.
So it was most definitely a good thing she didn't have to touch his skin again. Quite good.
A knock garnered her attention, and after a quick nod to herself in the mirror, she called for the person to enter. The maid who often helped her when needed, Sarah, came in carrying a few paper-wrapped packages.
After shutting the door, Sarah walked up and held them out. "These are for you."
Remembering the last time she'd received a package—one that had contained her son's pocket watch covered in blood—she swallowed and asked, "Who are they from?"
"Dr. Vale."
Why would River send her packages? She played with the string on the top one. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, Miss Yates. He asked Bates to get these for you since he can't move on his own yet." When Nora didn't immediately open them, Sarah added, "Aren't you curious what's inside them?"
She glanced up at Sarah. "I know you want to find your fated one, Sarah, and would probably love to be showered with gifts. But it's not the same for me. Maybe I should return them to discourage him."
Since the maid had known Nora for decades now, she spoke more freely than most. "It can't hurt to see what he sent, can it? I smelled chocolate coming from one of them."
Glancing down at the packages again, her heart rate kicked up. Had he really remembered how she used to love chocolate, back before she entered her frozen state?
After staring another few beats, Nora's curiosity won out. She slowly undid the string of the top package before peeling away the paper wrapping. Inside was a cardboard box with flowers painted on the top. She lifted the lid and a mixture of chocolate, and almonds, and even cherry cordials drifted up to her nose.
Her mouth watered. It'd been more than fifty years since she'd had any chocolate.
But should she eat them? It would mean accepting River's gift, and she wasn't sure that was wise.
Sarah gestured toward the chocolates. "Go ahead and taste one, miss. I won't tell anyone you ate a piece right before supper."
As she stared at the round chocolates, all she could think about was how it'd felt to have the delicacy melt on her tongue.
Would her memories live up to it?Go ahead, Nora. It's not as if it's a piece of jewelry or something valuable.Convinced, she lifted one that smelled of pure chocolate, put it in her mouth, and let it melt a little on her tongue.
She moaned at the sweetness and chewed it slowly, as if it might be her last taste. It was better than she'd ever remembered.
Nora put the lid back on the box and traced the flower design. For some reason, her eyes heated with tears. It was silly, but she'd never had someone unrelated to her give such a meaningful gift.
