Chapter 17 - Garrett
The library smelled like mold and rotten eggs.
Regardless of how many windows I opened, and despite the small rotating fan Lucas had set in the corner of the room, the stench permeated everything we touched.
The longer we stayed inside, the more certain I became that I would be carrying that smell home with me.
It pooled up from the floor, where glass panels revealed historic stonework preserved from centuries past. The library was built atop an ancient labyrinth of old tunnels, their purpose long forgotten, their walls crumbling despite the preservation efforts of the city.
Periodically throughout the day, tourists would make their way down to the library basement to view the ruins, but they’d leave as quickly as they appeared, always chased away by the smell.
And I was sure that we were beginning to contribute to that negative smell.
But I’d never cared less about hygiene in my entire life.
Even as I began to smell myself through the heat of the afternoon, as my sweat permeated through my heavy black robes, I kept pulling books down from shelves one at a time, thumbing through dusty pages in search of anything that might help us help Marella.
And, by extension, me.
I couldn’t tell Lucas what had happened to me.
I kept my mouth closed as much as possible.
The new teeth were less pronounced than they had been immediately after drinking blood that morning, but they were still noticeably longer than human canines, and Lucas was familiar enough with the monsters that he’d certainly piece together my predicament.
And I wasn’t quite sure whether I wanted him to know. The man had been secretly searching for a way to break the curse for decades. By all accounts, I should trust him above anyone else when it came to this… problem.
But I could barely admit to myself what I’d become. I couldn’t even think it.
I was a monster.
As the word echoed through my mind, Marella’s face appeared alongside it. Was I truly a monster if I was like her?
Because despite what I’d been taught by the Fratelli, the truth of the matter was that Marella was not, in fact, a monster. Surely, that meant that I wasn’t either.
Then why was the smell of Lucas’s blood making me increasingly hungry?
Each time he stepped in front of the small fan, the acrid stench of the room was briefly replaced by the salty tang of earth and copper—the smell of life and death.
The longer we stayed in this room, the more uncomfortable I became.
After a few hours, it was enough to make my skin itch, and I couldn’t stop myself from fidgeting as I sat across the table from Lucas, each of us focused on a stack of books. I could barely register the words I was reading.
"Are you okay?" His words punched a hole in the quiet, making me jump.
"What?"
He frowned. "Are you okay? You’re fidgeting like crazy."
I did my best to move my lips as little as possible, trying to hide my teeth. "I’m just tired," I lied. "Trying to keep myself focused, you know?"
His eyes bounced back and forth between mine questioningly before he glanced down at his watch. "Oh shit," he let out a low whistle. "It’s nearly seven thirty. We’ve been here all day."
I released a breath, glad for the excuse. "Maybe it’s time to go home? Surely the library will be closing soon." I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen a tourist walk through the room.
Lucas nodded, slamming the book he was reading closed. "Tomorrow’s another day." He smiled wanly at me, like he was repeating a private joke. "I’ve been telling myself that for decades."
I followed suit and closed the book on the table in front of me. Because these were considered valuable artifacts, we wouldn’t be allowed to bring them home with us. So, with a sigh, I set it back in its place on the shelf, making a mental note of where I’d left off.
"Do you want to grab dinner with me?" Lucas asked as we both stood, him turning off the rotating fan and me brushing dust from my robes.
As if on cue, my stomach rumbled loudly enough that I knew he would have heard. But I also knew that this was a hunger that wouldn’t be satisfied at the local osteria.
I winced as I answered. "No, thanks." I searched for an excuse. "I’m going to go see Marella."
It wasn’t until the words had left my mouth that I realized I hadn’t told him her name yet. His eyes widened for a moment, so quickly that I almost thought I had imagined it.
He just nodded, smiling slyly. "As you should."
We were silent as we climbed the stairs to exit the library.
I was so focused on the information I’d read that I nearly forgot to round the corner to the second flight of stairs, and as I tried to continue straight, Lucas bumped into me.
Something hard and heavy in his pocket hit my hip. It felt like a book.
He laughed and redirected me playfully, pulling the pocket away surreptitiously. "Watch where you’re going."
I raised an eyebrow. Why would Lucas be stealing a book?
But he didn’t offer an explanation, and I didn’t push further. He’d been searching much longer than I had. Perhaps he’d stumbled across a lead he wasn’t yet ready to share.
As we exited the library, he nodded at me, and then we walked away in opposite directions. When I turned to look over my shoulder, he had already disappeared into the crowd.
Marella was pacing in the living room when I walked through the door. I had rung the buzzer, but when she didn’t respond, I’d chosen to use my spare key to enter the apartment anyway. When I opened the door, she barely glanced in my direction.
"Are you okay?" I asked as I slipped inside.
She shook her head. "I’ll be fine."
But her brow was furrowed, and her hair looked as though she’d spent hours running her fingers through its strands.
"I think I need your help."
Immediately, she stopped, head snapping towards me, eyes intense and so focused on my face that it nearly made me squirm.
"What happened?" she demanded.
"Nothing," I answered quickly, raising my hands to try to placate her. "I’m… thirsty."
It was an understatement, if I was being honest. I wasn’t just thirsty. I felt as though my throat was made of sand. I needed something to sate the feeling, and fast.
Her eyes widened slightly, but she just shrugged. "So go get something to drink."
"You know I can’t just do that."
Her stare was withering. "I can’t keep giving you my blood freely, Garrett. At some point, one of us has to go elsewhere for sustenance."
I bit my lip, wiping at the unexpected sting; I’d forgotten how sharp my new teeth were for a moment.
"I can’t kill someone," I whispered.
"Okay." She walked towards me slowly, until we were just a few inches apart. I could smell her breath as she spoke. "Then let me kill someone, and then you can drink from me. But I can’t give you any more of my blood until I’ve replenished myself. I can’t pour from an empty cup."
Almost reflexively, I let my hand travel up to touch my throat. I was painfully aware of my need to drink something. She said nothing, staring at me patiently, waiting for permission.
When I finally nodded my consent, she turned on her heel and walked towards the door.
"Do you think you can wait an hour?" she asked, bending over to pull on her shoes. She’d clearly raided the guest closet in the apartment, and the black pants she wore did little to hide the shape of her backside as she tied up the laces.
I felt heat crawl into my throat that had nothing to do with my need for blood.
I coughed. "Shouldn’t I come with you?"
"Why?"
I didn’t have an answer. My mouth opened and closed like a fish, but I couldn’t think of an explanation.
"You’re welcome to come with me if you want," she said, straightening once more. I wasn’t able to move my eyes from her lower half quickly enough, and she definitely caught me staring as she turned. Her green eyes danced mischievously. "You’ll have to watch me kill someone if you do, though."
What little blood there was in my body emptied downward, and my face pulled into a deep frown.
She laughed, tossing her head back. "I thought so.
" Then, she was reaching out towards me, her long, firm fingers brushing my cheek gently before cupping my face.
"You wait here, my delicate little Fratello.
" Her tone belied sarcasm, but beneath the surface was more sincerity than I expected. "I’ll go take care of this little problem, and then I’ll come back and give you whatever you need. "
She spoke the last words low and slow, allowing the implication to hang heavy in the air between us. And despite how hard I’d tried to push it away, the memory of her standing in this room, naked and welcoming before me, crawled its way to the forefront of my mind.
And she knew it.
With one final pat on my cheek, she turned once more and walked towards the door.
"Hang on for one hour, Fratello." She smirked. "I’ll see you soon."