“Not by any supernatural means, but I’ve raised you since you were eleven. I know how your mind works.”
Amaia tried to grasp the memories lurking beneath the surface. “I was a whore. What am I to be now?”
Lawrence chuckled. “No, my dear. You were a courtesan. One of the best. Certainly the best I ever trained. You were never merely a good fuck. It was your company men like the Marquess of Buckingham, Prince Charles, and King James wanted. You don’t think a common whore could afford to live in this house, do you?”
Amaia took in the delicate tapestries on the walls, the intricate silver candlesticks, the mahogany table, and her own silk nightgown. These were not the trappings of a streetwalker, and they were all because of Lawrence. He had managed her affairs well.
“Don’t worry about the future. I’ll take care of you, just as I always have.”
Amaia fingered the engagement ring on her right forefinger. The memory of Michael offering it to her flashed before her. In quick succession, she saw images of them together. He had been willing to take care of her, that much seemed certain. Looking at the pearl centerpiece, she felt a slight discomfort, a wisp of the emotion she had felt upon receiving it. The pearl was a symbol of purity and evidence of Michael’s delusions. He had never accepted that she enjoyed her life as a courtesan. When given the chance, she had jumped at the opportunity to gain independence as a vampire. She had always despised girls who had been foolish enough to follow the siren’s call of love. Love was weak; it hadn’t been strong enough to keep her from killing the only man who’d ever devoted himself to her. Looking back, it seemed strange that she had been so close to abandoning her own credo. Still, the ring was a lovely piece. The rubies surrounding the pearl played with the light in ways she hadn’t noticed as a human. It was a ring worth keeping.
Amaia’s eyes settled back on Lawrence. He sat perfectly still. It did look unnatural, a marked difference from the way he had conducted himself thus far. “What is it?”
His eyes focused back on her. “It’s my sire, Zenas. I can’t put him off any longer. He wanted to be here when you woke. He is very anxious to meet you.”
“Me?” That a vampire would desire to see her surprised Amaia. What was she to a vampire? It dawned on her that Lawrence had a whole other life populated with people unknown to her.
“Yes, you have been eagerly awaited.” Lawrence rose and sped to her room, and Amaia followed. He went to her wardrobe and pulled out one of her fanciest gowns, a light cream satin with crystals sewn into the fabric. There was only one reason to wear a dress like that: to show off. Its sole purpose was to announce wealth and prestige. “You’ll wear this. I convinced him to wait until tonight. There’s no use having you go out in daylight when you’re barely an hour old. That gives us some time, but not much.”
Amaia readied herself with the ease of much practice. Hair was combed, lips reddened, face whitened with ceruse. Lawrence handed her stays. “I’ll help you dress. I don’t want a maid seeing you yet. You can’t quite pass as human.”
Amaia’s ribs moved as the stays tightened. The pressure increased more than she thought possible. “I can’t breathe.”
“You don’t have to.”
She waited for her lungs to burn, for her mouth to gape open to gulp in air, but it never happened. Come to think of it, she had only breathed to talk or catch more of a scent ever since she’d woken.
“You will need to learn to mimic breathing. It’s one of those things humans won’t be able to identify, but they do notice the stillness. Breathing aids in more natural movement. However, it’s not a necessity, and in this case, it is quite the advantage.” His hands on Amaia’s shoulders turned her to the full-length mirror.
A gasp escaped her lips as she took in her appearance. Her hands flew to her impossibly small waist and then made their way up to breasts that appeared fuller, lifted as they were by the stays. “Will my clothes fit properly?”
“No, they won’t have the tailored appearance you’re used to, but it’s not such a big difference that anyone will mind. Today I’ll pin you in, and it should be fine. We’ll have them all altered eventually or just buy you new ones.”