chapter ten
THE POISONER
M y body ached like I’d slept on gravel.
I inspected red and purple bruising as I sat up in bed.
There was a mixture of those caused by the chase and those caused by his filthy mouth.
Aside from the marks, large scrapes crosshatched from my shoulder down to my lower back from the altercation.
Even the fabric of my bedsheets brushing against them produced an unpleasant sting.
“What a prick,” I huffed, swinging my legs off the edge. As I put pressure on my ankle, I realized that it would be added to the list of damage he caused, as it must have twisted unfavorably during my struggle. Inconvenient, but nothing I could not walk off.
Placed on the nightstand, there was a single nightshade stem.
Why does he insist on leaving gifts?
Placed next to the bloom was a handkerchief. The white fabric bled red from one of the sides. When unraveled, a brittle, disembodied finger was placed neatly in the silk.
My nose creased at the smell. I was sure there would be a story in the paper about the owner of the appendage in question. No matter, I did not have time for puzzles today. The finger was disposed of discreetly in the toilet.
It reminded me of a cat I once had who liked bringing me dead critters every morning.
As amusing as it was, there was no time to deliberate about the Creature’s less than savory habits. I had things to do today.
Phoebe and I were supposed to shop for dresses for her garden party, though I believed she threw it together only to make me feel better.
I pressed on the bruise on my sternum, and memories of the weight of his boot resurfaced. The smell of leather was still fresh in my nose. The marks scattered up my neck, my breasts, my ribs.
However, I could feel my face get hot when I remembered how I reacted to that encounter—I still could not believe I prodded around in his mouth.
How embarrassing. Sometimes I wished I could turn that annoyingly impulsive side of my brain off.
But I could not blame myself entirely for my motives.
How often did anyone get so close to a brand-new species? I had to know.
The dress for today was a conservative mourning gown to hide the fresh markings up my neck, so nothing strayed from my typical attire.
I rubbed my palm across my sore neck, eliciting a deep sigh.
Even though it had been nothing more than petting, he was absurdly rough.
There was no need for this crude display.
“Which one? Pink or blue?” Phoebe asked. She peered at me over her shoulder as the seamstress held up two fabrics.
“Why not something different? A mint or sage?” I suggested tiredly.
“Oh, I nearly forgot that greens were an option,” she mumbled, giving the seamstress one look before the nimble artist fled to the back to pull more silks.
“Your eyes are red. Are you still not sleeping?” Phoebe went up on her toes to grab my face, inspecting either side.
In doing so, she spotted the bright purple and black bruise peeking out from under my high collar.
“Alina Katarzyna Lis! What is that ?” she squeaked, squeezing my face in her bout of excitement.
My eyes were not the only thing that had turned red by now.
“Nothing! Nothing! ” I tried to hush her.
“I feel so betrayed. You’re off conquesting and haven’t told me all the delicious details? I am truly offended,” she said in faux disappointment.
Her giddy demeanor settled when the front door of the shop rang, indicating a new customer. However, her cast was less than amused when she peered past me to see who it was. The change in her demeanor was as sharp as the first winter breeze.
My brows knit together before I craned my neck to see who could have caused such a drastic change in her attitude.
That devilish smirk appeared before us.
“God must be looking favorably on me today if he placed you in my path,” the Creature said as he entered the shop, his tone so sickly sweet that I could feel a cavity forming already. In his hand was the blackened shirt from the previous night.
“Mr. Forbes—” I began.
“Silas,” he reminded me, his eyes trailing to Phoebe.
“ Silas ,” Phoebe acknowledged him with a tight smile, though she was too expressive to hide her distaste. “What brings you to a seamstress? Do you not have your own?” she asked coldly.
“It is Sunday, Miss Aston. I would not ask good Christians to work on a Sunday!” he replied with a tinge of sarcasm in his tone.
These two seemed to have… history ?
“Besides, some nasty moth ate through my shirt,” he said, holding it up. It had a large black stain on the shoulder from where my knife had pierced him.
My focus landed on the shirt, and when I returned to his face, he was already looking at me. “Was it a moth or a squid?”
He only answered with a laugh before setting his shirt on the counter. An apprentice gathered it quickly.
“Well, it was a pleasure as always to see you, Miss Aston.” He gave her a snarky farewell before he turned to me. “Alina.” My name rolled off his tongue as he lifted my hand to kiss my bruised knuckle, his eyes not leaving mine.
After a moment’s pause to run his thumb over my skin, the corner of his lip tugged up subtly before he pulled away.
As I watched him leave, green eyes burned holes into the side of my face with the intensity of Phoebe’s glare.
Turning sheepishly, I came face-to-face with the most aggravated expression I had ever seen on my dear friend.
My shoulders tensed, and I could only muster an awkward smile, wiping my hand on my dress where he’d touched it.
“Please don’t tell me?—”
“No, it’s not?—”
“ Anyone but him, Alina!” she scolded, slapping my shoulder with her gathered gloves. “Promise me you’ll stay away from him.” Her expression was stern.
“I’ve tried, trust me. He’s like a dog to a butcher’s dumpster,” I grumbled, scratching my neck again.
“It just…happened. It was no thing.” I could not say much more about the encounter without her thinking I was a madwoman, but alarming her was the last thing I wanted to do.
She would not understand this sick chase I had been stuck in.
She did not have to be worried for much longer, thankfully.
I just needed a little more time to get rid of him.
Her gaze flicked between my face and my neck in suspicion.
“Ma’am! Your fabrics!”
I was relieved when the seamstress spoke, holding up a few silks for Phoebe to pick from. The tension slowly dissipated as she settled back into her fashionable state of mind.
A string of jealousy wrapped around my heart and pulled me into a knot.
Was he only fixated on me to get back at Phoebe for some long-lost fling?
He had been following me, studying my life.
I would not be surprised if he knew of my association with the Astons.
She had never mentioned him, though I was gone a long time and might have missed some things.
I would have thought she would mention a man in her life, since she spared no other details regarding her endeavors.
Though I suspected she was unaware of his…
true nature. If she was, everyone would have heard about it by now.
That made me feel that my acquaintance with the Creature was somewhat special.
If I found that even a hair had been plucked from her head, I would be removing his heart and keeping it in a jar on my desk. It would make for a perfect paperweight.
Phoebe bought me a few new dresses. She convinced me to get a deep red and a navy evening gown. She said she would deliver them so I didn’t have to carry them while on my errands.
The market bustled today, as it was a pleasant afternoon, sun rays peeking through the overcast. It was a little warm in my black attire, but it was not like I had a choice to wear anything else.
My neck had turned all kinds of colors from the abrasions of the night before.
The markings worsened as the day passed, so I purchased some ingredients for a bruising oil.
With my covered basket, I skimmed over the crumpled list pinched between my fingers. Oranges, lilies, violets, cherries, castor oil, vinegar, and earthworms —though I had already gathered worms at the park earlier.
A body pressing against my back nearly caused me to drop my basket. A certain Creature leaned down by my ear. “You smell like cherries today. Did you wear that for me?”
“Maybe you smell cherries because you’re about to have a seizure. Perhaps the venom did affect you after all,” I scoffed, refusing to pull my eyes from my list.
“You know, that cut you left healed quite smooth. Have you thought of working in cosmetics?” he bantered, reaching around to pluck the list from my fingers. He held it above my head as he inspected the handwriting.
“You bug!” I looked straight up, and the back of my head hit his chest.
“This is…quite the list. Has anyone informed you that you’re an extremely odd woman, or do they assume that you already know?” He tilted his head down at me.
Reaching up on the tips of my toes, I snatched it back and walked away.
“You always look so disappointed when you see me.” He sighed. “Is it because you’re hoping one of your little potions will work? I hate to break it to you, but if a knife in me didn’t work, neither will fancy tinctures.”
“Why did you keep that shirt? It’s ruined. You could buy a million shirts.” I was still reeling from this morning’s encounter.
“Because it’s a masterpiece made by my dear shadow. I can’t bring myself to throw art away!” he teased. “Besides, then I would have to admit to stalking you. I would much rather make all the excuses in the world to see you,” he said sweetly as he walked beside me.
We went down to Caldwell’s together, or rather, he followed me.
“Alina! Oh! Mr. Forbes!” Mrs. Caldwell said, flustered, brushing off some stray foliage from the counter and smiling nervously. “What brings you two in today?”
The Creature opened his mouth to speak.
“Just the import and a few more items,” I spoke quickly, sliding her my list.
How embarrassing that so many people were seeing us together.
I knew that Phoebe would chew off my ear on the telephone the following day.
Rumors spread faster than steam engines nowadays.
The more he was seen with me, the more suspicious I would become when I threw his soon-to-be lifeless body in the same harbor where he left those girls.
Mrs. Caldwell lifted a thin wooden crate from behind the counter, placing it in front of me. Her eyes shifted between us. “So I take it she liked them?” Her eyes landed on the Creature.
“You could say that.” He flashed a deceptively sweet smile her way.
“Mrs. Caldwell, I actually have another request. Could you check the back to see if I had any leftover blackberry stems?” I asked, trying to hide my displeasure with him as I spoke.
“Oh! Yes, of course, let me check on that for you.” She nodded, turning and slipping into the depths of her shop.
I turned quickly to the Creature. “What do you think you’re doing?” I bite out through clenched teeth, shoving a finger at his chest.
“Is it really such a terrible crime to buy you flowers?” A slight twitch of a smirk appeared as he attempted to play the fool. I was sure there were many bad thoughts stewing in that rotten brain of his that I would rather not know.
Mrs. Caldwell returned with my things, and I put the loose flowers inside the covered basket, keeping the lid ajar to let the buds breathe. When I went to grab the box, he snatched it.
“No need to burden yourself with such a heavy box! You should be resting instead of doing heavy work,” he taunted. How patronizing.
If my gaze were an arrow, it would be through his head already.
With my sweetest smile, I bid my florist a good day.
When we reached the outside, I snatched my box back. “Don’t ever do that again unless you want arsenic in your whiskey,” I seethed.
He could humiliate me all he wanted in private, but doing so in public was playing with dynamite.
“Oh? I’d love to see you try.” He lowered his voice. “How would you manage that, my dear shadow?”
With a saccharine grin, I stood on my toes to whisper against his ear. “You’ll let me do it. You’ll beg me to, because I know that you can’t bear to stay away. Isn’t that right? ”
He stared momentarily. “Perhaps.” He cocked his head at me. “Let me at least hail a coach for you. Can’t have you overexerting yourself like last night .”
My expression returned to its typical stoicism, and I took my time studying his expression. Finally, I backed down and took a step back.
He took that as a truce and waved down a passing coachman.
The Creature’s intentions were lost on me.
Considering what happened last night, it was all too playful, too friendly.
I noticed his gaze lingering on my neck.
Despite his words about my own misery when I saw him, he seemed disappointed that he was unable to see his exploits that tainted my skin.
I would go as far as to say he was irritated.
He helped me into the cab with my hand in his, leaning down to it in what I thought would be a kiss. His fangs snapped forward and moved to bite a finger.
I snapped my hand away. “You are a fiend ,” I hissed, yanking the cab door closed.
“Only for you.” He shrugged.
“That’s a lie, Creature. You’re always a fiend.”
The cab jolted forward, and his silhouette disappeared as we passed.