Chapter 14 Arabella #2
Gideon yelps as Cleo VII expands her hood, her tongue flicking across his cheek. He staggers back, upsetting a cardboard box filled with Peruvian clay figurines, and adding them to the mess of coins on the floor.
Thank you, girl.
I hold out my arm and Cleo VII slithers around it, settling herself back around my neck. There’s a bulge inside her length. She must’ve found a mouse hiding in the vault and had herself a snack. I stroke her cool skin affectionately. I am myself again.
Gideon is my enemy, my mark, and nothing more.
“We were talking about Winnie,” I say coolly, enjoying how rattled he is as he tries to untangle himself from a bunch of gold chains.
“Yes. Winnie’s actually already at Sanctus. One of our members hired Dracluttera to organise his possessions.”
That’s right. Winnie is doing a roaring trade as a professional organiser specialising in decluttering for Upyr.
While I have made a habit of carefully curating my possessions over the years, many of my kin hold onto objects for centuries, which can create storage issues, especially when downsizing from a castle to a Sanctus “executive treehouse”.
Gideon hops around, picking up Peruvian clay figurines.
Thankfully, none appear broken. I move deeper into the vault, inspecting the objects and keeping as much distance between me and Gideon as possible.
I pull out sacks of coins and notice some are much lighter than others.
I’m behind a towering pile of Eighteenth Dynasty statues when Winnie texts to say she’s waiting upstairs.
“Never fear. Winnie’s here to save the day,” she calls out as I emerge into Brimstone.
She’s wearing one of her favourite organising outfits – lavender wide-leg trousers with a soft grey shirt.
There’s a smear of dust on her sleeve. Her eyes sparkle with excitement at the idea of tackling a new mess.
A man turns from the bar to hand her a drink that matches her trousers.
He sips a goblet of blood. “Gideon, Arabella, this is Paul Badica, my first client on Sanctus Estate. Over the centuries, he has amassed quite the collection of, er, pornographic woodcuts. I’m helping him to catalogue everything, and I’m trying to convince him to donate to the Prague sex museum so he can become a philanthropist instead of an, er, pervert. ”
“It is the best of all the sex museums,” Gideon muses, stepping forwards to clink his own goblet with Winnie’s.
I have strong opinions about the best sex museums, but I’m too busy staring at Paul to voice them.
“Hello, Arabella.” Paul Badica waves, as if we’re old friends and not… and not…
I knew it was all too good to be true.
Cleo VII senses my unease. She raises her body from my shoulder and expands her neck ribs into her hood. A low hiss escapes her.
“She’s hissing at you,” Gideon says to Badica, his eyes locking on mine.
“I’m not afraid of snakes.”
“I’m not talking about the snake.”
Gideon’s right – I’m hissing under my breath.
Paul grins, but his lips wobble as he notices Gideon’s expression, which has flipped from friendly to dangerous.
Gideon points to the door, the gesture sharper than any blade. His voice is low and dangerous when he says. “Your help isn’t required, Badica. Go back to your woody woodcuts.”
“But—”
Gideon snaps his fingers. Two hulking security goons appear and drag Badica to the exit. Patrons step out of their way. No one dares say a word in Badica’s defence. That’s the power Gideon Blake has at Sanctus – a power he wears as well as that exquisitely-tailored suit.
“That’s my client!” Winnie plants her hands on her hips and glares at Gideon.
“He was my client, too.” I stroke Cleo VII’s back until she settles.
“He used to frequent my theatre in Paris, back when he was a cardinal. I can assure you that whatever you saw in those woodcuts is tame compared to the things he made us grandes horizontales do.” I glare at Gideon. “How could you let him in here?”
“Truthfully, I have no memory of him. When I was at La Petite Mort, I had eyes for only one vampire.”
I fold my arms, refusing to acknowledge the delight fizzing in my stomach at his words. The depth of his feelings for me will only make my revenge that much sweeter. “He is a pervert and a scoundrel. He treated my girls appallingly.”
He has seen too much. He will tell anyone who listens what I used to do. He’s already told people.
I’m not ashamed of La Petite Mort. I’m not ashamed of being a sex worker, but I am ashamed that I ever had to take money from men like him, men who saw me and my girls as things he could possess.
He will ruin the life I’ve made for myself here.
He will ruin my revenge.
As much as the vampire community thinks it is inclusive and accepting, as much as Gideon has promised that Sanctus Estate is a place where our kin can be ourselves, they won’t want their exclusive little enclave sullied by a grandes horizontales, especially not one who ousts their beloved leader.
“Your girls?” Winnie looks confused.
I glare at her until my words sink in and her cheeks redden.
Winnie’s face falls. “Arabella, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I was so excited to get my first Sanctus client, but I’m not working for someone like that. I’ll drop him immediately.”
Gideon’s face darkens. “And I’ll revoke his membership.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Why would you do that? In case you’ve forgotten, you need his money.”
“You have to feel safe here,” he says simply.
The ice encasing my heart cracks open.
I don’t know what safe feels like.
I’ve been hiding for so long, lying low, staying in the shadows, keeping myself small because I have to hold on to the thin sliver of freedom I’ve clawed out for myself. No matter how successful I am, no matter how much money I save, it never feels like enough, because I’ve lost it all before…
My heart feels too raw, too exposed. I can’t meet Gideon’s eyes. I can’t bear the openness in his words. He’s not supposed to protect me.
“Arabella?” Winnie asks. “Are you okay?”
I swallow. I’m finding it hard to breathe.
“I’m fine. It’s the dust down in the vault.
” I drag her towards the entrance to the basement, my skin prickling with the awareness of Gideon’s eyes on my back.
“Winnie, you get started organising the coins. I’ll create the inventory and make some calls to my buyers.
Gideon, you stand out of the way and try not to break anything.
Let’s see if we can save Sanctus Estate. ”
And while we’re at it, let’s destroy Gideon Blake.
Only then will I truly be safe.