Page 58 of Bloodgrove

Will frowned. “Mr. Arcos is an ambassador and travels there regularly. You receive goods from us…”

“And it is the same with our king,” Saint said triumphantly.

That did nothing to satisfy Will’s curiosity. He sagged against the wall, his wings spreading to either side of him. “But I do not understand why Duchess Ormonde and Mr. Arcos are so determined to become his Red Hand. Why do they believe he would help them?”

Saint adjusted his cap and shrugged. “I cannot tell you anything more… That is all I heard from the vampires.”

“From the vampires?”

“Yes. They told me the King built this house.”

Will straightened. “The vampires speak to you?”

Saint shrugged. “Some of the stronger vampires still have enough memories left to recount fragments.”

Will knew he should not ask any more, that whatever Elodie and Mr. Arcos were planning was none of his concern. At the same time, he knew he needed answers if he meant to survive the next few months here. For Elodie, he had to risk it.

“How can I speak to a vampire?”

Saint studied him through narrowed eyes, then shrugged. “Come with me the next time I go hunting. I need fresh specimens for my laboratory anyway. Did you receive your human bones?”

Will shuddered at the memory of the torture chamber hidden beneath the little shop. Even so, he nodded. “Not a word about this to the duchess. Or Mr. Arcos.”

“Not a word about what?” Elodie asked at that very moment. She leaned one shoulder against the edge of the alcove, her sweeping skirts filling the small space. The beads of the embroidered eyes glittered within her shadowed silhouette against the ballroom’s red glow.

“Duchess Ormonde!” Saint sat upright at once and gazed up at her with something close to reverence.

“Saint.” Elodie pressed her lips together, reminding Will strongly of an older sister looking at her troublesome younger brother.

“I am going to check on my father.” The moment the words left him, Saint squeezed past her and darted away, the bells of his costume still echoing behind him.

Will laughed quietly as they watched the young man disappear. The more often he saw Saint, the less physical attraction he felt toward him, but the more he came to appreciate his peculiar nature and bright eyes. He was entirely a product of this city, and yet it had failed to dim his light.

“What was that about?” he asked.

Elodie sighed and sat beside him on the bench. Here in the shadows, her costume looked even more bizarre, especially with the eyes spreading across her forehead like those of a spider, glittering in the weak light. “He has worshiped me since he was ten. At some point, I made the mistake of showing him my wardrobe, and ever since then, he believes my house is a wonderland.”

Her fingers moved over the elaborate embroidery and plucked at an eye until the thread came loose.

Will settled back into his corner. “Not only him. So many of the people I danced with tonight admire you.”

“That is the point. They may not influence the final decision, but their approval is a form of currency in this city. I hope the investment pays off in the end.” Rather than blossoming beneath the praise, she seemed to fold in on herself.

Carefully, Will slid his hand across the bench until he could brush his little finger over hers. She hooked her finger around his and spread her wide skirt over their hands. A small smile returned.

Will did not understand why seeing her suffer affected him so deeply, or why, despite all her games, he still wanted to see her flourish.

Yes, her goal was honorable. Her methods were not.

Chapter 31

Moonlight seeped through the windows, but Will could not tell whether he was dreaming or lying awake. The distant chiming of a grandfather clock in the stairwell announced midnight, and he felt exhaustion pour lead into his limbs.

But he waited in that place between sleep and waking for the Albatross.

“Beauty born of moonlight and stardust,” a voice whispered from the shadows. “You await me as a lover yearns for his heart.”

Moonlit bones detached themselves from the corners of the room. Wings with claws at their tips dragged across the floorboards, their few feathers broken. The skull, half beak and half wolf’s face, rose above the bed as the monster crawled toward Will.