Page 69 of Her Creation

“I am not mad—in love and devout, maybe, but hardly mad. Also, I am already known,” he argued gently.

“No one here would assume that you are an infamous Russian killer—”

“I meant as your father’s assistant,” he interjected. “They have already met me. They invited me to a ball.”

“I suppose you are right. Wilhelm and the baron saw you. They believe you are my father’s new lab assistant, though, and his lab assistant would hardly be seen.” Victoria’s body was stiff. Her eyes kept landing on the door to the cold chamber as if her father would crawl out—decaying, bloodied, dead—to fight with her about the need for discretion. The soft pounding of his footsteps looped in the distant corner of her mind, and as she shook, staring at the door, the footsteps curled and coiled within her heart.

The thought of Innominatus escaping sent a vibrating fear into her stomach. People would of course wonder where her father was eventually, but by then she would have a plan of where to go and how to survive—until then, she needed to buy herself some time and take her father’s place in surgeries. But the only way this would work was if she could keep her creation contained in the lab.

“I need to prep my father’s body tomorrow. It will be gruesome, as I’ve left him untended far longer than I should have. I just…was not ready to tend to him, but by the smell, I cannot put it off any longer. If it is too much for you, you may stay in the space of the tunnel, but you may not go near the back door.”

“My God, I will assist you. That is not something one should have to do alone,” he said.

“It’s not something one should have to do at all,” she muttered with a catch in her throat. Why did he have to be so kind and understanding? He really did understand her in a way that she always knew he would.

Victoria made it to the top of the stairs with trembling legs, as she did with every trip on the stairs now, just in time to hear the knock at the front door.

}

Victoria sat next to Helena in the dining room, stirring her tea as a fire blazed behind them. The weather was changing and was warm tonight, but the fire helped lend a sense of comfort to the stark castle.

“I’ve missed you dearly,” said Helena with a thoughtful look on her face.

“Everything is all right. I’m sorry to have worried you; I’ve been terribly busy.”

“Helping your father?” Helena asked gently. “You look well. The time away from Wilhelm has benefited you. Your skin is bright again, and it seems you’ve managed to put on a few much-needed pounds since I saw you last. You look divine.”

Victoria smiled as she swallowed the rest of the tea sandwich in her mouth. It was true, despite the overwhelming horrors that she felt, for some reason, she’d been able to eat again. Her timid, problematic digestion had soothed over the last two weeks since—

Since Innominatus had been alive. It started as him demanding she eat with him, but she couldn’t deny the feeling of safety he brought to her knowing he was always there.

“Are you helping your father, Victoria?” Helena nudged.

Victoria trusted Helena; she knew she would keep her secret and not judge her. “Yes, it’s true. I’ve been assisting my father in his surgeries.” A heavy breath eased out of her tight chest.

“Where is your father?” Helena asked with warm eyes as a slow smile curled on her mouth. “I have just returned from the baron’s, and I long to tell him all the wonderful things that were said about him.” At the mention of her father in present tense, Victoria’s stomach twisted, revolting against the tea she had just swallowed.

“I’m afraid he’s working in the laboratory tonight,” Victoria said cautiously.

“Take me to see him,” Helena said loudly.

Victoria spilled a little of her tea at the request.

“Oh, come on, I am not weak of stomach, and I am well aware of what you have been dabbling in. If you can stomach it, I see no reason why I cannot.” Helena stiffened, raising her chin defiantly though a small smile still played on her lips. “Besides all that, I want to meet this handsome new assistant.”

The teacup in Victoria’s hand bounced off the edge of the wooden table and clanged against the hard floor but remained intact. “Forgive me,” Victoria muttered as her cheeks pinkened and she moved to collect the teacup.

Helena gently guided Victoria off the floor and onto the settee. “Is he unmarried? When I saw Wilhelm, he would not stop speaking of this assistant. He kept badgering me about your relationship with the man. The jealousy is practically dripping off him.”

Victoria swallowed. This was bad. “Wilhelm was asking about my father’s assistant?”

Helena gasped. “Is there something going on between you and this assistant? There is! That’s why you are glowing!” Helena clawed at her chest in mock exasperation.

“No!” Victoria began, but Helena interrupted.

“From my understanding of what the baron said, he’s quite good-looking. Oh, do take me down to the laboratory so that I may meet him, Victoria. Tell me, is it true? Have you begun something with this man? What was his name? Oh, something quite Roman sounding…” She paused to bite her lip and look up at the ceiling with a squint.

“Innominatus Creatura,” Victoria stated as the curls of adrenaline tightened every nerve in her body. “Perhaps another time. They’re working on something quite delicate, I believe,” Victoria said absently, hoping Helena would not ask more questions.