20. Shemaiah
SHEMAIAH
The freestanding clock set against one of the library walls chimes, singing that another hour has passed.
It clicks and whirs as the mechanism swivels around, revealing a fresh face to mark the waning afternoon, gears clicking.
There’s a gilt sun etched into the opal of this particular face—one of four to represent different times of the day.
It moves toward the horizon, the golden hands marking the time at three.
I glance at Pippa, who isn’t looking at the puzzle on the table, but rather, staring off, unseeing.
My gaze dips to the column of her neck. I note the pulse point, slow and steady.
As the next new moon grows closer, I can feel the hunger in me deepening to a hollow ache.
Our fake courtship arrangement has kept Anna and Kay away, but it’s also kept Pippa close. Too close. Always nearby, tempting me.
The only thing that helps ease the desire to sink my teeth into the nape of her neck is the scent of her illness.
I knew she was dying when she agreed to come to Roan Island.
This was always the outcome, but the thought of it didn’t hurt then.
As much as I don’t want to like Pippa, I do like her.
She doesn’t talk for the sake of talking.
Her company is refreshing. She’s wildly smart.
I can give her any puzzle, and she’ll solve most of them.
She has a friendly smile, even if it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.
She’s strong. So very strong and resilient.
And she doesn’t ask for more than I can give.
Yet lately, I want to give her everything.
“Where are you?” I ask once the clock’s whirring has settled back to its faint, repetitive click.
She turns her head and offers me a feeble smile. “I was thinking about Toby.”
She shifts in her seat and leans forward to look at the puzzle.
Her bottom lip, the one she likes to abuse with her teeth, is tucked into her mouth.
This is the first time she’s been out of bed since the boat arrived without Tobias yesterday.
It’s clear the only reason she isn’t putting up a fight to do something more is because she’s still extra fatigued.
But I know it’s coming.
“Where do you think he is, Shemaiah?”
“Gray is looking.”
“I know.” She frowns, her blue eyes shaped with irritation, radiating her worry. But she attempts another of those weak, placating smiles. “Thank you.”
To distract her, I turn my attention back to the puzzle, reaching for another piece. “How many have you placed? I think I’m winning.”
“Puzzles aren’t competitive.”
“They can be.” I search for where my piece might fit. “We count how many pieces we place. The person with the most at the end of an hour wins.”
Her tongue swipes across her bottom lip, making it glisten in the afternoon light. A siren call.
I clear my throat and set my piece. It snaps into place. “This makes ten for me. And I don’t think you’ve found more than three.”
“Well, then we can’t wager. We aren’t starting on even ground.”
“I’ll start anew.”
That gets her to offer me a small but authentic smile and a soft snort from her nose. “I don’t have anything to wager.” She holds out her empty palms.
“Come with me to the new moon party tomorrow night.” I nearly bite my tongue at the suggestion, not sure why I said it.
She sits back and narrows her eyes. “Why?”
Why indeed? I mirror her posture, leaning back in my chair. “To keep me safe.”
She offers an amused sound.
“We’ve been over this. They already believe you’re taken. Anna hasn’t bothered you since you made your impulsive announcement. You shouldn’t have a problem. Besides, you, sir, will need blood.” She reaches for a puzzle piece. “How will you feed with me on your arm?”
The vision of Pippa near me while I feed makes my hearts scramble like two Mavarri children seeking attention. I ignore the sensation and place my hand over hers. “Do we have a wager?”
Her skin is warm, burning into my palm. The heat of that simple touch zips like lightning up my arm and down my spine to parts of my body I shouldn’t be thinking of in the company of my friend.
“And what are you offering?” she asks.
I pull my hand away, returning it to my lap, and subtly adjusting myself under the table. Maybe getting her to come to the new moon party isn’t such a good idea, but now that I’ve said it aloud, I want it. I want to see her there all dressed up. So what can I offer to entice her?
“Well, we’re looking for your son,” I say slowly.
“That isn’t a wager. It’s a statement. Do I need to teach you what a wager is, Shemaiah Roan?”
I grin at her imperious tone as I lean back and study her. “If I win, you’ll attend the new moon party with me. And if you win…”
“Take me to find my son.”
There’s a distant look in her eyes, like she’s worried or remembering something. She swallows and stares at the puzzle piece in her hand.
“What if something happens to you?” I reach for her again, her ungloved fingers colder than before.
She pulls back. “I’m dying. What does it matter if I die on this island, in The Sanatorium, or while looking for my son? The outcome is the same.”
It matters to me. The thought is a reflex I immediately shut down, a secret I lock up.
“Fine.” I won’t lose, so I won’t have to take her to the colonies. We’ve been doing puzzles together every night for weeks. She’s good, but not as good as me. I’ll still get what I want.
“I win, you join me tomorrow. You win, I’ll take you to the colonies.” I hold out my hand.
She studies me for an extra beat, then lifts her pinky. “Pinky swear instead.” She smiles, this time with teeth. I note the soft pink hue of her lips, and the blunt squareness of her teeth when she does.
“Why?”
“It’s more personal than a handshake.” Her grin makes her eyes sparkle, and I realize it’s been a while since I’ve seen that vitality in her.
“Alright,” I say, offering my pinky. “Now what?”
She wraps her littlest finger around mine, her skin soft and warm, then pumps our joined hands once. “There. Deal.”
I place five pieces to three of hers in the first fifteen minutes. By the thirty-minute mark, I’ve got such a lead, I relax. My undoing.
By the time the hour is up, she’s won fifteen to twelve.
I slump back into my chair as the clock chimes the new hour.
The reality of the wager I made sinks in with a sickening feeling.
The idea of Pippa overexerting herself through days of travel, being away from Noah and his help, makes me feel sick to my stomach.
Where will we even look? He’s not in New Essik or New Caldon.
Gray’s already checking Briarton. I’m certain he’ll be back with the boy in a day or two.
Perhaps I can stall long enough for Gray’s return.
“When do we leave?” she asks. “Shall I meet you on the dock when the boat arrives with the guests?”
“I still need to feed.” I stand and pull out her chair for her. I won’t go back on a wager—that’s not the kind of man I am—but I don’t need to hurry things along. “We’ll leave with the guests in the morning. After the party.”
She holds the table for support as she stands, taking deep breaths. A sure sign she’s dizzy. I provide my arm to keep her steady. “I’ve kept you up too late.”
“Shemaiah, your sense of self-flagellation is unparalleled. You didn’t do anything. I sat in the library with a friend, which brought me joy.”
“And I appreciate it.”
She shakes her head with the smallest of eye rolls. “You appreciate the wall I create.”
“I can’t deny that spending time with you has its advantages, one of which is keeping two very zealous women at bay.”
She laughs. “I appreciate your honesty.”
I like the sound of her mirth.
After I leave Pippa at her door with a bow and the promise to have dinner sent to her room, I go to find my brother. Noah will need to be informed of this new development.
As expected, he’s in his laboratory and Ruby is with him.
The two are rarely far from each other. As usual, he’s hunched over a microscope.
Ruby’s sitting at the table with a book in one hand and a writing utensil in the other.
I know she’s working on a research paper for the university, though I don’t know much about it.
“What do you need, Shem?” Noah asks without looking up.
“I’ve agreed to take Pippa to the colonies to search for her son.”
Noah lifts his head, his eyebrows riding high. Ruby sets down her book, giving me all of her attention.
“I know it’s risky, but I’ve already sent Gray and Mrs. Darning, and no one has found the boy. She might not have much time left—” My throat constricts. I have to swallow the emotion before continuing. “We owe her a chance to see her son one more time after the risk she took for us with Hammish.”
“I might have found a way to help her,” Noah says.
“You found a cure?” Ruby asks the question in my own mind.
“No.” Noah’s voice is careful. “But I think I might be able to slow down the progression of the disease.” He stands and motions for me to look through the microscope.
“The women—all of them—have blood that is abnormally thick. It’s slowing down their circulation, preventing their muscles from getting enough oxygen, forcing their hearts to work harder.
Eventually, it will affect their organs. They’ll shut down.”
He speaks so clinically, but the words feel like little knives stabbed into my back.
“So how can you stop that?” Ruby asks, always curious.
“I’m not sure I can. Not until I figure out what’s causing it, which as of yet, is a mystery to me.” Noah looks once more at what’s in the microscope then leans back. “But thinning the blood might free up room in the arteries.”
The beat of my hearts speeds unnaturally fast.
“Blood letting?” Ruby stands and joins us, leaning her hip against the table.
“Possibly, but I suspect it would be best if a Mavarri feeds from them. Our venom has a blood-thinning quality.”
“Fuck,” I mutter, tugging my fingers through my hair without realizing it’s tied back. The leather strap falls to the floor, and I bend to pick it up.
When I stand, Noah is studying me with a skeptical narrowing of his eyes.
“This is wonderful.” Ruby pats my arm. “An easy fix.”
“Not a fix,” Noah says.
Not easy, I think.
“Where is she now?” Ruby asks. “Perhaps you don’t need to wait until the new moon party.” She wiggles her eyebrows with a knowing smile.
Fuck!
“She’s asleep,” I say a little too quickly. “Would you explain all this to her in the morning, Noah? I think it would be best coming from you.”
Ruby tilts her head and narrows her eyes. “You haven’t bitten her yet, have you?”
“I didn’t want… I mean, she’s ill.”
“Well, apparently you don’t need to restrain yourself anymore.” Ruby smiles as if she’s truly delighted, happy I’ve found what she has. If only she knew.
“What if… I lose control and take too much?” It’s not my primary worry—I haven’t lost control while feeding since I was a teenager—but it is a concern, and one Ruby and Noah will believe.
“Are you really afraid that might happen?” Ruby asks.
I ignore her question. “Maybe you should just do blood draws instead? Or we could add venom to a vial and give it to her?”
“Too complicated. Besides, I won’t be able to do blood draws when you’re in the colonies.”
“So you’re alright with us going?”
“You’re right. She deserves this. As long as you’re with her.” Noah nods. “I won’t try to dictate your life, Shem. Not like Hammish did.”
I sigh and retie my hair. “What if she doesn’t want me to bite her?”
“She does,” Ruby reassures. “Trust me. I’ve seen the way she looks at you.”
Right. The way she looks at me when she’s pretending.
“You’ll have the perfect chance to find out at the new moon party tomorrow.” There’s something dark in Noah’s grin, and I almost worry that he might try to lock me up with Pippa the way I locked him up with Ruby during her first new moon on the island.
“You’ll explain it to her, though?” I ask again. I don’t want her to get the wrong idea.
“Yes,” Noah says.
“I’ll talk to her, too,” Ruby adds. “I’ll need to help her pick out something to wear.”
There goes my plan for explaining Pippa’s absence from the party. No one will believe she’s staying away for health reasons when her health might be improved by her attendance. Fuck, she’s really not going to like this.