Chapter 15
Cillian was gone.
After all the big talk of being patient for him, he’d had to leave today for an emergency meeting.
Amelia had been very hush-hush about who it was with, and I took her avoidance as a cue that whatever he’d gotten involved with was trouble.
Danger lingered around the man like an aura. Too bad for me I was addicted.
I lost myself in the stacks for the day, since he’d given me free reign to organize as I saw fit, and the variety of books overwhelmed me.
I’d expected to find some comparable to those in Peregrine City’s library, but no.
This held unique books for almost every monster species I could think of, though my knowledge was clearly limited as I discovered new types all day.
And yet, despite the thrill of searching the stacks and starting to flip through some of the books, the place also reminded me even more of his presence.
The way he’d kissed me yesterday had been nothing short of transformative, as if I’d been sleepwalking through life only to jolt awake.
When I’d been back in my room, the temptation to jerk off and find release myself had risen in a strong way, but I’d tamped it down. Because the curiosity of what he might deliver if I waited held an even stronger appeal.
Except now he was gone, and Amelia had been vague about the timing of his return.
I placed another book on the shelf, in its new location, one that made a bit more sense.
The stacks clearly hadn’t been organized in an age, and even when people had put the books back, they hadn’t all placed them in the spots they belonged.
The golden rays of the setting sun tapered in through the windows, casting their gilded light across the surfaces.
Yearning tugged deep inside me. And the truth of who I yearned for still elicited complicated emotions, because my situation with Cillian was anything but ordinary. Yet those stolen moments here with him remained in such bright and evocative color inside my mind.
Was he okay? He rarely left his tower, apart from furtive meetings down in the casino, but he seemed almost as trapped as I was some days.
And my escape had taught me that the man had dangerous enemies out there.
A knock sounded at the door, drawing my attention.
My heart raced, but when I spun around, Amelia stood in the entrance. She was dressed down in a muscle shirt, black pants, and combat boots, looking far more herself than when she donned a staff uniform. For a woman who was probably in her fifties, she was fit enough to take me down in a fight.
“If you’re bored later, we’ve got our monthly game night. We’re playing Sparks. Even though Cillian hasn’t come back yet, if he makes it in tonight, he’ll join us.” Her eyes softened, and I couldn’t help but wonder how much she’d pieced together.
I chewed on my lower lip. I hadn’t played Sparks in a long while, and I’d never been good at it in the past, but the idea of a diversion sounded perfect right now. “You’ll have to refresh me on the rules.”
“We ordered pizza too,” she said. “Since Theo’s with Cillian right now.”
I hadn’t realized my shoulders were tensed until they relaxed.
If Cillian wasn’t alone, that made me feel marginally better, even though I suspected what they’d headed into wasn’t as simple as a business meeting.
And whoever it was with wouldn’t be docile.
No detours to go and pet puppies or frolic through a garden.
“I’m down for pizza. Is it just you, Charles, and me then?”
Amelia grinned, one that made her look younger than her years. “Oh, no. Game night is when everyone else comes to visit.”
I lifted my hand in a mock gasp. “You’re telling me Cillian has friends?”
She smirked. “Shocking, I know. This is tradition spanning decades if you’d believe that.”
I sucked in a sharp breath, envy stabbing me in the chest. Truth be told, now that I was beginning to see other sides of the demon, I could believe it.
I’d witnessed how differently he acted with Charles, Theo, and Amelia compared to his business partners, and I wished I had the sort of friendships that lasted over a decade, or even ones that could last years.
Deep down, I’d known it, but coming here had made me realize how superficial and fleeting most of my relationships were.
After the first week or so, messages had dried up from coworkers and acquaintances, confirming that was all I’d ever had. Nothing deeper. Nothing true.
The only one who still contacted me was my father.
“Come on,” Amelia said. “The books will survive a night alone.”
I shook my head, as if I could clear my mind somehow, and pulled away from the stacks.
Maybe it was from being trapped up here, maybe not, but the truth was, Charles, Amelia, Theo, and even Cillian were the closest interactions I’d had in a long while outside my immediate family.
“You already sold me with pizza. Though how many people should I anticipate?”
Amelia shrugged as she walked in step with me down the corridor. “It varies every month. Depends on obligations, who needs an outlet or an escape. Sofia won’t be attending—though she mentioned she met you—but Ursuline has arrived. Jaffar might be in town tonight as well.”
“You throw these names out as if they should have some meaning to me,” I joked as we slowed closer to the dining hall.
“They will,” she said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “I have a feeling you’ll fit right in.”
My heart squeezed tight at her acceptance. While Charles was affable and easy to like, and gave as much in turn, Amelia didn’t seem as easily won. Her approval meant more than I could vocalize, especially with how much of a right hand she was for Cillian. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me,” she said. “I plan on wiping the floor with everyone in Sparks tonight. Adding another head at the table just makes for a more enjoyable victory.”
We stopped in front of the dining hall, which had been transformed for the evening.
The lights were dimmer, with a reddish glow that cast a hazy club vibe to the whole room.
A few of the tables had been pushed together, which made a larger one to sit around even though there weren’t a great number of people here.
Charles sat at the big table along with three newcomers.
The lack of Cillian’s presence in the room was noticeable, as if I hadn’t realized how much space he took up until he was absent.
My heart thumped a little harder.
“Did you order the pizza yet?” Amelia asked Charles.
“Yeah,” he said, lounging back in his seat. “I chose different toppings on each one, so no one needs to fight.”
“We’ll always find a reason to debate,” a handsome man said.
He had a pallor to his skin despite its brown tone.
When he grinned, fangs poked out, clarifying the situation at once.
Vampire. The man wore casual clothes like formal wear—a slouchy beige shirt and white chinos—and his black hair was artfully tousled.
“Who’s the newcomer?” An almost regal voice sounded, and I glanced over to the opposite side of the table where a cecaelia sprawled out by the table, their tentacles taking up the space where seats would be on either side of them.
Their pale blue skin looked a little purplish in the dimly lit ambiance of the room, and their short silver hair, sharp jawline, and fierce, dark eyes were lethal.
“I’m the personal assistant,” I introduced myself.
“Never expected to meet you here,” the third person at the table announced.
I hadn’t recognized her on sight, but the voice was familiar.
I blinked for a second, until I registered it was the server from Haven—Gretel.
Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she seemed a little more lethal in this environment, even though Haven hadn’t dulled her sharp edges.
“Same could be said of you,” I responded, taking a seat in one of the open spots next to Charles.
“You must be the innocent waif wandering the halls my wife ran into,” Gretel murmured.
My eyes widened. I shouldn’t be surprised Gretel was married to Sofia, given her ties to Haven. Yet the web here was more intricate than I could’ve conceived.
“Will Cillian be joining us later?” Ursuline asked.
Amelia plunked into the seat on the other side of Charles. “Unlikely, though that’s the goal. He got tangled up responding to Glacier business.”
Jaffar scoffed. “They’re despicable. Their pretense of tolerating our kind is flimsy at best.”
“Olivia will learn that the hard way someday,” Ursuline responded.
My attention perked up at the name of Cillian’s ex.
What was Glacier? I’d already filed away the name to research later—it rang a bell.
Whatever business Cillian and Theo were dealing with tonight was clearly dangerous, but I remained in the dark.
Even if all I had were scraps to work with, I’d uncover what was going on.
“Fuck that bitch,” Charles said with a smile on his face.
“Enough yammering,” Amelia said, casting a quick glance in my direction. Was there something she didn’t want me to know? “Let’s get a few games of Sparks in.”
“You ready to get your ass beat, old woman?” Gretel teased.
“Please, you like them older,” Amelia shot back, a flirt to her tone that shocked me. I’d seen Theo and Charles relaxed before, but Amelia was the most businesslike out of the three. It seemed that this was the place she let her hair down.
“Then you’ll love me,” Jaffar commented dryly. “Long life’s one of the many perks.”
“I’d love some pizza if it would hurry up and arrive already.” Charles leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach.
“Missing Theo?” I asked.
His lips twisted in a wry grin. “He always makes sure I’m well fed.”
Gretel rolled her eyes. “No one wants to hear about your sexcapades, Charles.”
“I’d rather hear about yours, Gretel,” Ursuline teased, their voice low and alluring. “Guaranteed Sofia’s a wildcat in the bedroom.”