Hours later, when the house had fallen quiet as its occupants drifted off to sleep, I climbed off the mattress, hit my knees, and crawled out to the patio. I found the shard by feel and almost cried with relief that it hadn’t been discovered.
I plopped down in the grass and brought the shard up to my hair. I sawed off a three-inch hank then tapped the cut ends on the concrete like I was straightening a stack of papers. Once I had an even, blunt edge, I wrapped my used bandage longways to make a sad excuse for a handle. I regarded my makeshift brush with a critical eye. It would have to do. I might only have this one chance. I had to make the most of it.
I picked my tender foot until blood flowed, dipped my brush, and painted a delicate sigil for healing onto my stomach. A prickling sensation spread from my gut out into my limbs, proof the magic was working. That one minor rebellion was all I dared for now. Twisting my hair up into a bun, I hid the jagged edges then threaded the flexible brush into the center. After replacing the shard in the dirt, I crawled back into bed.
I hadn’t prayed to Hecate since Maud died, but my lips formed her name as sleep tugged me under.
At dusk, I choked awake on a scream that brought Lena running. Dressed in polka dot pajamas, her hair swinging in a braid down her back, she skidded into my room followed by two snarly guards.
The males began a thorough search of the room while she fussed over me.
“Miss?” Lena dashed to my side, her wide eyes raking over me. “What’s wrong?”
Sweat plastered my nightgown to my chest, so I hiked the covers up to my chin. The nightmare had slipped through the cracks and dragged me thrashing into awareness, a sign I was truly waking up from the drugged haze.
“A spider,” I croaked. “It was…dangling…” I swiped my fingers through the air, “…in my face.”
One guard snorted while the other shook his head.
“It must have come in from outside.” Her weight shifted like she might stand. “I can shut the doors if you’d like.”
“No,” I rushed out. “Thank you. I’m fine. It just surprised me.”
“Are you sure you’re all right?” A crease formed on her brow. “You look a tad damp. Are you hot?”
“Yes.” I grabbed hold of that excuse with both hands. “That must be what woke me.”
Lena peeled the comforter down to the foot of the bed. “Do you want to sit up for a while or—?”
“I’m pretty tired.” I faked a yawn and snuggled into my pillow. “See you at breakfast.”
Catching my yawn, she covered her mouth. “See you then.” Her eyes popped open wide. “Oh. I almost forgot. I have some wonderful news for you.”
“Oh?” So far, I hadn’t been allowed news of any kind. This didn’t bode well.
“Perhaps I ought to wait until breakfast. I don’t want to ruin your rest with too much excitement.”
“I’m a sound sleeper,” I assured her. They’d made certain of that.
“The master returns tomorrow night.” She gripped my hand and squeezed. “He’ll be so proud of how well you’ve adjusted in his absence.”
“Tomorrow night?” That didn’t leave much time.
“Don’t fret, miss. After breakfast, I’ll bring down clothes from your old room. We’ll find you something to wear that’s sure to please him. We want you to look your best when you’re presented.”
I lived in pajamas these days. How odd would it be to wear real pants? And shoes? “Presented?”
“All new clan members must be presented to the master and his council.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from snapping at her that I was a necromancer, an heiress, and the last Woolworth. Whoever this master was, he couldn’t absorb me into his clan without the Grande Dame’s permission to dissolve my house, and he could hold his breath until his face turned blue waiting on that. Strained as our relationship might be, the Grande Dame would never consent to erasing her sister’s legacy. Not to mention she would never place such a rare and valuable commodity as my blood in the hands of vampires.
“Oh, miss, you must be so thrilled.” She leaned in close and whispered, “Ariana, she’s the upstairs maid, confided that last week, when she tidied Mr. Volkov’s bedroom, she spotted a black velvet box on his nightstand.”
Gooseflesh pebbled my arms. “Really?”
“Oh, yes. How romantic.” Eyes closing in bliss, she almost swooned. “I bet the master asked Mr. Volkov to wait, but now that he’s coming home, things will move faster. Mark my words.”
“I’m not sure how I’ll sleep after hearing all this,” I teased while telling the absolute truth.
“I should have waited until breakfast. I meant to, honest, but you’ve had so many questions. I thought you would rest better knowing they’ll all soon be answered.”
“Thanks…” I bobbed my chin, pretending my head was too heavy for my neck, “…Lena.”
As far as she knew, I was still drugged to the gills. She must think I was paddling as hard as I could to remain conscious. Wouldn’t want to miss any other big announcements. Faking the slide into oblivion required zero effort on my part considering I’d had so much practice. My lashes fluttered, my lids drooped, and my lips parted on a restful exhale.
Lena fell for it hook, line and sinker. She ushered the guards out into the hall, and the door shut with a quiet click behind them.
Alone in my room, I stared up at the ceiling. I gave the guards a good half hour to forget all about little ol’ me and settle into their routine. I had no idea where Lena slept, but judging by the fact she had responded first—and in her pajamas—I was guessing her room was next door to mine.
Once I was certain the coast was clear, I flipped back my covers and pulled up my shirt. The sigil from last night had sweated off, but so had the worst of the lethargy from the drugs. I sat upright without so much as a stitch in my side and planted my feet on the floor with no problem. Standing gave me a twinge, but it was doable. Walking, though. That required supreme effort.
Part of the issue was the lingering dizziness, but the long stretch of inactivity wasn’t helping matters. How long had I been here? More than a few days. Longer than a week. A month? I’d lost track of time somewhere along the way. I had no idea how long formal inquiries lasted, but I had no doubt that was the reason I had been spared the master’s attention so far.
Lena being Lena refused to give me the date or even tell me the day of the week. How much did she understand about what was happening? What did it matter? She wasn’t blind. She saw me languishing day after day after day and had ample opportunities to help me. Instead she placed her hand gently on top of my head and shoved me back under any time I began to surface.
Not this time.
I shuffled over to the wall and braced on that so I could walk laps around the room. It was daylight outside when I finished, but the quaver in my leg muscles burned almost as much as the spark of hope still smoldering in my chest.
Exhaustion trembled through my limbs as I sprawled in bed, but I was afraid to risk napping. Arachnophobia had worked once, but I doubted Lena would buy that excuse twice without it costing me. All I needed was to make it this far then stumble when she decided the lesser of two evils was locking me in at night to save me from parachuting spiders.
Rustling noises in the hall were my cue to lower my eyelashes and angle my face away from the door.
From the corner of my eye, I watched one of the guards smile at Lena as she ducked under his arm and scurried to set up my breakfast on the patio. He was still grinning when he pulled the door shut and locked it behind her.
Arching my back, I stretched and murmured a sluggish, “Good evening.”
“How are you feeling?” Lena rushed to my side. “Would you rather eat breakfast in bed?”
“I can handle the patio,” I assured her then wrinkled my nose enough to do Amelie proud. “I’d rather you changed my sheets in case that spider is still crawling around in here.”
Lena chuckled at my expression. “Very well, miss. As long as you’re sure.”