9. Hidden Pain
HIDDEN PAIN
Irene
Knight started walking, but Alex didn’t move to follow him.
I tugged at his hand. “The sooner we see what he wants, the sooner we can leave.”
Besides, we were very close to Knight’s territory. His commanding attitude was understandable, and Alex had never caused petty problems with the werewolves.
“Alex,” I whispered.
“Fine,” he gritted out.
We sped up to match Knight’s long strides.
His long dark coat fluttered around his thick legs.
He led us through narrow alleys smelling of rotten meat and humidity.
Children in tattered clothes and dirty faces waved and cheered when they saw Knight.
Judging by their amber eyes, they had to be werewolves.
One of them grabbed his leg and flashed a toothless smile. “Your Grace.” He talked with a lisp, and his aura spread a happy yellow light around.
Knight stroked the child’s head. “Is your father better?”
The child nodded and released the Moon Duke’s leg. “Thank you, sir.”
Knight returned the smile before proceeding. I watched the yellow and mauve aura of the child, sensing his absolute joy and admiration.
A yank on the bond caused me to jolt.
“What is it, Knight?” Alex nearly growled. “Where are you leading us?”
Knight glanced at us over his shoulder. “You know Miss Lucy Graves, don’t you? You visited her a few days ago.”
“Is she all right?” I held Alex’s arm more tightly.
He gave me a sweet, boyish smile, only for me. “I asked a physician to examine her,” Alex said, returning serious, “and I sent my footmen to bring her supplies, because she was starving, as is everyone in this bloody hole.”
Knight spun and came face-to-face with him. They stood a few inches apart. Before the deal with Carabosse, Alex would have leapt back at the closeness.
The tips of Knight’s canines appeared from underneath his upper lip.
“Are you accusing me of something, Ravenhill?”
Alex didn’t flinch. “Your children are starving and dirty on the street. The houses are decrepit, and Lucy was left alone. A leader is supposed to take care of his community.”
“And you’re such a good leader, aren’t you?” Knight’s voice lowered.
“No one is starving in the Dark Court.” Alex’s eyes turned obsidian.
“But you threaten to kill whoever disagrees with you.” A growl rumbled from Knight’s chest. “What about that?”
They got closer, their muscles swelling. Fur started to grow underneath the collar of Knight’s shirt, and Alex’s biceps bulged.
“Gentlemen.” Darius produced a golden light that sneaked between the two hot-headed men. “There’s no need to start a fight.”
Especially since Alex had been careful not to start a conflict with Knight in the past. But now he had got bothered all of a sudden?
Knight swatted the golden light away, or tried to. “Bloody wizard.”
“Mage.” Darius took a small bag out of his pocket and popped a chocolate bonbon into his mouth.
“Semantics,” Knight said, taking the narrow alley leading to Lucy’s home.
Darius deliberately tilted his head from side to side, pursing his lips. He wolfed down another bonbon.
His magic needed fuel, and every time he cast a spell, he needed to replenish his energy with rich food. Which made me think of Carabosse. The energy to cast such a strong spell had come from Alex’s sacrifice. Whatever that had been.
I drew in a breath, following Knight. “Talking about Lucy. Did someone attack her?”
“No, but she’s sick and stubborn.” He entered Lucy’s home with a quick knock and crossed the room, functioning as an entrance hall and sitting room, to stop in the bedroom. A lavender light shot through his aura—sympathy. But it lasted a moment. “There. Look at her.”
Lucy was lying in her bed, shivering. Sweat glistened on her skin, and her matted hair was plastered to her cheeks.
“My goodness.” I rushed to her side, and her pain hit me in the chest like a punch.
Her aura was a violet cloud of agony. Any other emotion was subdued by her pain.
“What is it?” I touched her forehead; it was boiling.
Knight kept his distance. “I sent for a physician as well.” He angled towards Alex. “Because, despite what someone might think, I do care for the people in my territory, even though Lucy isn’t part of the Moon Court. The physician examined her and said she had influenza. But I don’t believe it.”
“Why?” Alex came closer, calm once more.
“No one else has caught any disease.” Knight averted his gaze from a corset lying on a chair. A crimson flame of embarrassment speared through his aura.
My, my. The mighty Moon Duke was prudish.
“She’s the only one sick in the entire court,” he said in a gruff voice.
He put a hand on the back of a chair where a pair of stockings was draped. The moment he touched them, he withdrew his hand, and his aura glowed a deeper shade of crimson.
“Not you again.” Lucy waved a hand either at Alex or at Knight. “Leave me alone. It’s nothing.”
“Irene.” Darius stared at Lucy intently. “Can you tell me exactly how much pain she is in?”
“Of course.”
I focused on her feelings, embracing them and letting them flow through me. A gasp came out of me as I started to shiver and boil as well. She had a terrible headache and felt exhausted and cold. But there was something else. A sharp pain, like a stab, in…her leg.
I blocked the connection with her. “Her leg hurts. It burns and throbs. It’s either a wound or an infection.”
Darius turned around and twirled a finger to signal Alex to do the same. “Can you take a look at her leg?” He snapped his fingers at Knight who was still facing Lucy. “Give the lady some privacy.”
“Right.” Knight turned around as well. Embarrassment returned to glow crimson in his halo.
Either female undergarments shocked him, or he had a fancy for Lucy, but I didn’t have time to dig deeper into his aura.
“Lucy, I need to see your leg.” I waited for Lucy to nod before I gently lifted the cover and her nightgown.
Her legs weren’t swollen, bruised, or covered in pustules as I’d feared. Aside from the pale skin, her legs looked healthy.
“Where does your leg hurt?”
She exhaled and put a hand on her thigh. “Here. But it’s nothing. Just a scratch.”
I lifted the nightgown to her waist and froze. A vampire bite marked her inner thigh. The swollen red wounds were the same as those of the dead men.
I covered her with a shaky hand. “How did you get those wounds?”
“I’m not sure. But I disinfected them. They’ll heal.”
“I don’t think so.” I helped her drink some water. “Lucy, you’ve been bitten by a vampire.”
“What?” Darius, Alex, and Knight chorused, turning towards me.
Lucy lay petrified. Her shivers stopped. “It can’t be.” Pure, undiluted fear flooded her halo with purple.
“I’m sure. A vampire attacked you.” I tucked the covers around her.
“I don’t remember anything.” Lucy coughed into her fist.
“Has someone come here to see you?” I made sure she was fully covered.
“Someone who asked to be properly invited in,” Darius added.
Lucy shook her head. “No one.”
I wasn’t surprised by her answer. At first, Alex hadn’t remembered anything about the vampire who had turned him; he hadn’t even remembered how he’d injured his neck.
Lucy rubbed her forehead. “Am I going to die or…” She licked her lips. “Become a vampire?”
We waited for Darius’s answer. It was the first time I’d seen him uncertain.
He gently placed a hand on Lucy’s forehead. “The vampire didn’t kill you, obviously, but that doesn’t mean he wants to turn you. The symptoms of someone who has a strong reaction to the bite and of someone about to be turned are the same. The chills, fever, and fatigue are present in both cases.”
“A strong reaction?” Knight cast nervous glances at Lucy.
Darius lifted a shoulder. “A vampire bite is a venomous animal bite. Some people die from bee stings. Others don’t.
I thought that only people who got bitten multiple times develop a fever, but that’s not true.
De Mirabilibus Mundi told me.” He patted his pocket.
“It’s perfectly possible that Lucy is feeling ill because of a simple bite from a vampire who needed just to feed.
Some people who have been bitten by a vampire feel absolutely fine afterwards. ”
Like me. Alex’s bite had never caused me discomfort.
“Besides, a vampire needs to bite someone three times to turn them.” I glanced at Lucy. “She has only one pair of wounds.”
Darius rubbed his forehead, pulling down a corner of his mouth. “The vampire might have bitten the same spot three times. It’s a way to conceal the number of times the human has been bitten. And one pair of wounds attracts less attention than many.”
Lucy released a shuddering breath, shaking her head. “It can’t be. I can’t believe that a vampire bit me more than once without me remembering it.”
“What do you suggest we do?” Knight hadn’t lied when he’d said he cared because tea-rose pink compassion glowed around his head. “I don’t want a recently turned vampire in my territory. She’s going to be ravishing.”
“What?” Alex angled towards him.
“I mean, ravenous.” Knight cleared his throat.
“We can take her with us to the mansion.” I caught Alex’s gaze. “Can’t we?”
Lucy’s cheeks flushed. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“I don’t think you have a choice, Miss Graves.” Alex’s tone was rather sweet, considering the situation.
She pursed her lips tightly. “Knight told me everything that had happened in Raven Hall. I’m not leaving my home to go with the man who almost killed my brother.”
She had a point. Her mistrust was understandable. And vampires and werewolves weren’t exactly best friends.
“Whitechapel is my responsibility.” Knight jabbed a finger in the direction of the door. “I can’t let a thirsty vampire roam the streets. The Moon Court isn’t like the Dark Court. There are families here, children, and vulnerable people.”
“There are families, children, and vulnerable people in Crowsbury, too,” Alex said.
Knight didn’t reply to that.
“I don’t want to leave my house.” Lucy coughed. “As Mr. Strange said, I might not turn.” Despite her words, fear filled her aura with deep purple.
“You must take Miss Graves with you.” Concern more than anger shone sepia around Knight. “You know how to deal with a new vampire. There are children on my streets.”
“I can’t force her.” A hint of obsidian flashed in Alex’s gaze. “Irene, show her your cross.”
That was a good idea. I dangled my gold cross in front of Lucy, and she didn’t flinch.
“This is ridiculous.” She closed her hand around the cross. “See? Nothing.”
“That means there’s time,” Alex said. “If the vampire meant to turn her, she won’t turn today or tomorrow.”
“Bloodthirsty vampires should stay away from children.” Knight stepped closer to him.
“Yet one of them slid in right under your nose, killed three men, and bit Miss Graves.”
“I’m tired of your attitude, Ravenhill.”
Their voices rose, and Lucy’s pain intensified.
“Please.” I held up a hand. “Lucy isn’t well, and we’re bothering her.
” I waited for Alex and Knight to shut up.
“What if I return here with Myrtha?” I faced Lucy.
“You aren’t well and need help, and Myrtha is a wonderful, caring person.
Would that be all right with you?” I hoped Myrtha would convince Lucy to come with us.
Lucy nodded. “Thank you.”
“Meanwhile, Knight will make sure there’s always someone with you.” I gave him a challenging look.
He nodded. “Of course.”
“Someone caring and not frightening,” I added.
His chest heaved. “Consider it done.” He slanted towards Alex. “And my wolves and I are going to patrol the streets tonight.”
I made sure Lucy had water and fresh sandwiches before leaving. Knight volunteered to stay with her while his werewolves fetched a woman who was also a nurse.
I left Lucy’s house with a burdened heart.
“Lucy is just like her brother. Stubborn.” Alex winced as the sunlight hit him.
“She lost her house after the war between her clan and Knight’s pack and got it back recently.
” I rubbed the spot on my chest where our bond pulled.
Alex seemed more irritated by the minute.
“She got it back only thanks to the deal you made with Knight. I’m not surprised she doesn’t want to leave it. ”
“And she doesn’t trust us.” Darius ate another bonbon. “Two rogue vampires in London sounds unlikely.”
“Do you think it’s the same vampire who killed those thugs?” Alex stepped into the shadows.
“Who else?” Darius said.
“Why didn’t he kill her?” I asked.
“As Darius said, the rogue isn’t at his last stage.” Alex slowed his pace as if tired. Sweat dampened his skin. “If the rogue wants to turn her, I don’t see what he has to gain either.”
“We must patrol the streets of Whitechapel at night,” Darius said. “Find this bloody rogue.”
We remained silent until we climbed into the carriage.
Alex slumped in the seat. “Perhaps this is the price I have to pay for Carabosse’s spell. Weakness in the sunlight. It’s killing me.”
“If it stops here, it’s not that terrible.” I laced my fingers through his.
“I doubt it’ll stop here.” Darius sounded so serious and certain Alex didn’t reply.
If that was the beginning of a big change in Alex, then what would the end be?