Chapter 14
Chapter
Fourteen
IWALK DOWN THE NORTH wing hall, rattling off the names of the occupants in my head. Lillian. Across from her is Cameron. Samuel, then Nial. Rath. Anna resides upstairs, her bedroom across from Ian’s vacant one, and right next to mine. And here, at the very end of the hall, I reach Markov’s.
I go to knock on his door, but it opens before my knuckles can connect with the mahogany.
“Come in, Alivia,” he says in that dark, calm voice. A hint of that scary smile forms on his lips and age lines spread around his eyes.
“Thank you,” I say as I step inside.
Markov’s room is fitting of him. The walls are painted a deep red, his bedding black, and all the furniture matches. Hints of chrome splash throughout. It is the epitome of a vampire’s room, and no one else would be such a perfect resident.
“That was quite a display you put on a few hours ago,” he says as he walks to the other side of his suite, hands in his pockets as usual. “Quite the thing you’ve accomplished, making conquest of nearly Jasmine’s entire House in just a few short weeks.”
I don’t have words for his compliment, so I move on instead. “I need you to know that I will never force anything upon you,” I say. “I will never tell you that you have to do something. But I need us to be on understanding and equal terms.”
Markov sinks into the black leather chair. He crosses his legs and folds his hands in his lap. Just as I am doing, I feel everything Markov does is with purpose. “I’m listening.”
“I do not know you well, Markov,” I state. I choose to stand, and I do that on purpose too. “But I do feel I have gotten a solid glimpse of your feeding habits.”
The smile on his face grows and a hint of red sparks in his eyes.
“I understand that your—our—kind has no choice but to feed,” I continue. “I would never deny you that. But I need you to understand how hard I have been working these past few weeks to gain the trust of the people of Silent Bend.”
Markov studies me for a moment. Not a long one. He is a smart man and he puts everything together in about three seconds. Probably faster. I wouldn’t doubt he used those extra two seconds to watch me sweat. But I don’t.
“It would not be conducive to trust building and fear elimination if members of your House fed off of the people of Silent Bend.”
And he states it there.
“No,” I say. I finally cross to the other chair and sit beside him. I gave him the largest suite in this wing for a reason. “And I know surviving off of blood bags alone will not satisfy you.”
The upward pull of his lips confirms it.
“I can turn a blind eye,” I say. “I will not lie and tell you that I am okay with the harm of civilians and other human beings, with their deaths. But I do understand you. Do what you must.”
Markov leans forward, placing his forearms on his knees. His deep eyes study me heavily. They’re terrifying, but I also see what I need in them. “You have my word that I will not feed in your town, Alivia Ryan.”
I may be afraid of very little as of late, but apparently Markov is one person that can still place a little piece of ice in my heart, because as I reach forward, my hands very lightly tremble. But I force them steady as I take his hand.
Markov closes his eyes at the contact and raises my hand up to his nose. He takes a slow, long pull of my scent. That smile still clings to his lips and he tips his head to one side, his eyes still closed.
“Your scent is divinely decadent, my dear,” he says as he opens his eyes to stare at me. Red awakens in them, smoldering amongst the darkness. “It was delicious as a gift, contained in a little bag, but fresh…”
“You may have a taste, if you can control yourself,” I promise him, as I have the others. “But not until tomorrow. Dr. Jarvis regulates how much I can handle giving.”
“Oh my dear,” Markov says as he squeezes my hand. “If I were to sample just a taste, I would not be able to stop myself, and I do not think you want me to be the one who causes your resurrection.”
He releases my hand and it does shake as I pull it back into my body. The look in his eyes tells me Markov knows exactly what kind of effect he is having on me.
“I have a proposition for you,” I tell him. I need to maintain control of this situation, even if I feel I will never truly succeed with this man. “And I hope you will be open to it and willing.”
Markov tips his head that he is listening.
“I know very little about King Cyrus and how he works.” I lean back in my chair and cross my legs. “I understand he likes games, I know how desperate he is to be reunited with his queen. But I need someone who has lived a long time and heard many stories at my side when he arrives.”
“Are you calling me old, Alivia?” he asks with an amused smile.
“Yes,” I say back with coyness.
He actually smiles wide enough to show teeth. “Yes, yes I am.”
I smile in return. “I want you by my side, as an advisor, you could say. When the King comes, I am going to need you.”
He takes a moment to consider it. Rolling the implications around in that devious head of his. And gradually, he smiles. “It would be my pleasure to serve you, my queen.”