Chapter 33

There was no sleeping after Ezekiel’s visit. I was wired and a little hungry. I grabbed a robe, shoved my feet into boots, and headed down to the kitchens.

The corridors were silent and creepy, as usual, and a couple of times I was sure that I was being followed. And yes, I might have jogged a little, but I made it to the kitchen, the heart of the castle which I’d only been in during the daytime. It was dark when I entered, but before I could reach for the lantern by the door, the room flared to life with light, and Ingrid materialized by the stove.

“Well, hello there, dear. What can I get you?”

“Oh, you don’t have to get me anything. I can probably find something to nibble on myself.”

She gave me an indulgent smile. “I’m sure you could, but wouldn’t it be much quicker if you let me serve you? After all, that is what I’m here for.” My stomach growled, and her gaze dropped to it. “Your stomach agrees, I see. Sit, sit, I have just the thing for a late-night treat.”

I pulled out one of the heavy wooden chairs and sat while she bustled about lighting the stove and getting some containers from the fridge. A few minutes later, the room smelled meaty and delicious. She popped a bowl of chicken and dumpling stew in front of me with a hunk of richly buttered bread and a cup of tea.

“Eat up, dear.”

My stomach growled, this time in anticipation, and I set to work on the meal. I looked up after a minute to find her standing by the stove, hands clasped in front of her.

“I don’t suppose you need to eat, do you?”

A dark look crossed her features, and for a moment I caught the impression of a pointed chin and sharp teeth. It was fleeting but left me unsettled.

She ducked her head. “No, I suppose we don’t need to eat.”

“Will you sit with me while I do?”

She hesitated before taking a seat opposite me.

“Tell me about yourself.” I spooned stew into my mouth while she stared at me like I’d sprouted two heads. “What?”

“You want to know about me? I’m dead, dear.”

“But you were alive once. So…what did you do? Did you always work here? What about family? Friends? Hobbies?”

She frowned and looked away. “It’s been a long time since I thought about any of those things…I suppose I used to sew, embroidery. I was very good at it. I wanted to be a seamstress, but we fell on hard times, and Mother…She found me a position here at the castle.”

“How long ago was that?”

She took a deep breath and smiled. “A long time ago. Now, eat up that stew before it gets cold.”

I ate in silence for a few moments, aware that she was watching me carefully. I threw her a smile. “If you don’t stop staring at me like that, I’ll start to suspect you’ve poisoned the stew and you’re waiting for me to keel over.”

She gasped, eyes flying wide. “Why, I would never do such a thing.”

“It’s fine. I’m joking.”

“And aren’t jests meant to be funny?”

“Oh, come on, it was kinda funny, right?”

She cracked a small smile. “Maybe a little.”

My spoon scraped the bottom of the bowl, and I sat back with a satisfied belch that had her eyes widening once more. “That was delicious.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, dear.”

I sipped my tea, and she watched me with the kind of expression that preceded a question. I waited, and she finally leaned forward in her seat, elbows on the table.

“You’re not her, are you?”

“Sorry? Her? Her who?”

She shook her head. “Of course you’re not. Shame.” She pushed back her chair and rounded the table to gather the bowl and plate. “Off to bed with you now. You need your sleep.”

I glanced at the darkened doorway that led to the many corridors between the kitchen and my bedroom.

“Don’t worry, child, the way will be lit. We have the east wing under control. The lost ones won’t harm you.”

“Thanks again for the food and the company.”

“Oh, anytime, dear, anytime.”

I had a feeling I’d be taking her up on her offer.

The next twodays went in a blur because we actually got a small case. A faeblood owned store was robbed in the seedier part of Dracul territory, an area they called Brimswood Park due to the huge park that sat on its borders—home to a couple of half-blood fae clans who had more fae in them than human.

Dracul territory seemed to attract all sorts. Back in the Fringe, I’d barely come across any faebloods or half-bloods, and you wouldn’t find any purebloods in any part of the city. They’d refused to sign the Accords and retreated to the Evergreen—a vast forestland just outside the city wards where they had their own customs and rules.

Brimswood was the closest thing to the Evergreen that you’d find in the city, and not even the vampires ventured inside. Luckily for us, our case didn’t point to the park, and we were able to track the thief to a local bar where he was attempting to sell the stolen goods to a pawn shop owner by the name of Neeval Crux.

It felt good to be achieving something other than data input, and as the afternoon came to a close, the cherry on the cake dropped with a call from Lorenzo.

I answered quickly. “Hey, it’s good to hear from you. I was getting worried.”

“I apologize for that, Orina. There were some issues with the line.”

He sounded distracted. Worried. “Is everything all right?”

“It will be. You focus on the rising and Tepes. I’ve found someone to come and assist you. A young mageri. Her name is Holly Abbot, and she’ll be with you in a couple of days. She’s more than adept at tracking and pretty good at telling when someone is lying.”

“Thank you. Any news from Nyx?”

“Nothing from Morningstar at all. The wards are still up. We’re waiting…”

My stomach contracted with nerves. “Okay, you’ll let me know if anything happens?”

“Of course. And Orina, you’ll do the same…if you need me…”

I smiled down the phone. “Of course.”

I hung up, and everyone in the office pretended to be busy, as if they hadn’t been listening to my every word.

“We have help coming. Holly Abbot, a mageri. She’s a tracker.”

Padma let out a low whistle. “I didn’t think you’d pull it off, but you did.”

“I didn’t do anything; Lorenzo did.”

“You know what I mean.”

I grabbed my jacket and sword, ready to leave. “Yeah, I do, and this means we might be able to solve some of our cold cases.”

Padma shrugged on her coat.

“Mystical trackers are insanely good,” Edwin said. “Or so I’ve heard.”

We trooped toward the exit.

“But they don’t usually work with the Order,” Merry added as she set our alarm. “The mageri like to keep their trackers close. Your friend must have some clout.”

“He does. He’s practically mageri royalty.”

We stepped out into the night, and I took a deep breath, letting the angst and the tension of the last few days go because tomorrow…tomorrow would be a better day.

Hemlock pickedme up at the carriage stables, and I was glad for the time alone in the carriage to mentally prepare myself for the evening ahead.

The Midnight Ball was set to begin at…well, midnight, and every head of house had been invited as well as over a hundred humans from old bloodlines considered royalty in themselves by their long-standing association to the nobles.

I’d quizzed Ingrid on it over late-night tea in the kitchens. The specter had become somewhat of a confidant over the past couple of days. She was stern but sweet, reminding me of Babs, the woman who’d raised my best friend Nyx. Babs was the only mother figure I’d had. Both my parents had been killed in a fire when I was a child. They’d been retired Order members, and I’d been their miracle baby—or so everyone told me. They’d had terrible trouble conceiving once they’d given up their blessing, but I’d finally come along four years into them trying.

I’d been loved. I knew that much. I felt it when I thought about them, but the night of the fire was a dark patch in my mind. The memories lost to me. They say trauma can do that. Block memories. Micah had saved me, and the Order raised me.

But Babs, Quinn, and Nyx had given me a real sense of family, and now Ingrid was a warm haven hidden in the cold dark heart of Ezekiel’s crusty-ass castle.

I stayed in my room for supper, then napped before waking at ten in the evening to shower and change into my Order uniform.

I’d be attending in an official capacity tonight, none of this fancy dress bullshit.

The distant sound of hooves and the whinny of horses told me that people had begun to arrive. It was half past eleven, and Ingrid had made it clear that the ballroom doors wouldn’t open till midnight on the dot. The hallway and courtyard were going to get very crowded.

I took a deep breath and left the sanctuary of my room in search of Ezekiel.

Up until now, I’d steered clear of the north wing—his domain—and he hadn’t sought me out since our little session on my bed two nights ago.

But it was my job to manage him, especially when around humans, and tonight there would be hundreds of warm veins to entice him, but honestly, I was more worried about how the other vampires would behave.

If the fledglings who’d attacked me were anything to go by, then we might have a problem tonight.

Ordell stepped out of his room as I passed. “Orina, where are you going?”

He’d barely spoken two words to me the last couple of days, and now I got a whole sentence. It pissed me off how much that hurt, and it pissed me off even more that I couldn’t help but appreciate how fucking good he looked in his black tee and jeans, weapons holster at his hip, silvery blond hair tied back. He looked dangerous and enticing, and I wanted him but couldn’t have him, so when I spoke, my tone was a little curt. “To find Ezekiel.”

“You’re not going alone.”

“Aren’t I? Seems like I’ve been doing pretty much everything else alone the past few days.”

He pressed his lips together and exhaled through his nose. “You know you can come to us for anything work related and?—”

“I know. So are you coming?” I didn’t want to get into a whole conversation about feelings right now. Tonight was work, and I needed a clear head for that.

He looked like he wanted to say something else, but in the end, he simply stepped across the hallway and rapped on Hemlock’s door.

Hemlock emerged, kitted out in all black like his brother. His dark hair was slicked back tonight, and his arctic gaze was sharp as it bounced between me and Ordell. “We good?”

“Great.” I flashed him a smile. “Let’s go find the vampire king.”

I clipped off down the corridor, hoping that they got a good look at my ass. I had a nice ass, and neither of them would ever get to kiss it.

The north wingwas blocked off by an ornate door with candelabras built into the wall on either side of it. A heavy wooden knocker in the shape of a lion’s head with a ring in its mouth sat in the center of the door.

The lion’s eyes were closed, but when my fingers touched the ring, they snapped open.

I pulled my hand back. “What the hell?”

“It’s all right,” Ordell said. “I’ve seen this kind of thing before. Let Ezekiel know we’re here to escort him to the ball.”

The lion shifted its gaze from me to Ordell then back again before its eyes drifted closed once more.

“What is that thing?”

“A summons. They come in many forms,” Ordell said. “Magical guardians and messengers.”

“Is it…alive?”

“Not really, but it’s been given a basic sentience and a role.”

The door swung open a moment later, and Ezekiel stepped out looking as regal and put together as always, but when his golden gaze fell on me, I was back in my room, pressed to the mattress with his fingers sliding against my most intimate place.

I dropped my gaze, needing a moment to compose myself, and when I met his eyes once more, a small smug smile played on his lips.

“I’m disappointed, Miss Lighthart. I would have thought you’d have relished the opportunity to wear a pretty dress.”

He knew exactly how I felt about dresses. “Ha, ha. I’m attending in an official capacity tonight, that’s all.”

“A shame. I would have placed my name on your dance card.”

“I don’t dance.” I fell into step beside him, the hunters behind us as we made our way down the corridor. “What’s the point of this ball, really?”

“I already told you. It’s an opportunity for humans to pay homage to their liege. A chance for vampires and humans to mingle in a sophisticated setting.”

“Is that all?”

He slid a sly look my way. “Why, don’t you trust me? I thought you would, especially after the other night.”

My cheeks heated.

“What happened the other night?” Ordell asked.

My cheeks burned. “Nothing.”

Ezekiel chuckled, low and sexy. “Oh, I wouldn’t call it nothing, Miss Lighthart. Calling it nothing is highly insulting.”

I could feel Hemlock and Ordell staring at me. I felt sick.

Thank fuck neither of them pushed for more information. No doubt there would be questions later. Not that I owed them any answers.

We stopped at the top of the main staircase, and music drifted up to greet us, along with the hum of voices.

“Are you ready?” Ezekiel threw me a sly glance. “Are you ready for some fun?”

I didn’t like the way he said that. Not one bit.

My stomach hollowed with foreboding, but I tamped down on it. Ezekiel had saved my life twice. Held back from hurting me. He was capable of good deeds. He just needed a little encouragement.

It would be fine.