22. Graves’s Job
GRAVES’S JOB
Irene
Taking Lucy’s body to the townhouse had been disturbing work, especially because she didn’t look dead, apart from the bloodstain on her chest and her paleness. Darius believed that was a sign she was really about to turn.
Now she was resting in a soft bed with fresh clothes as Myrtha and I cleaned her up from the gore.
“Try to convince Ravenhill to give Lucy a chance.” She wiped the blood from Lucy’s chest. “This woman has suffered enough. She didn’t deserve to die.”
“If he kills Bethlen, he’ll return human.” I helped her slide a clean nightgown over Lucy. “And there’s always the risk of Bethlen killing thousands of people.”
“But we could catch him, as you said.” She caressed Lucy’s head with tenderness. “Why is it always us? Why do we always have to be understanding and sacrifice ourselves?”
“A rogue vampire raging through a city as crowded as London is a danger we can’t dismiss. But I agree with you. Lucy should be given a second chance.” I covered Lucy and brushed her hair from her cold cheeks. “I’ll do my best to talk to the duke.”
“Listen.” She lowered her voice. “Graves doesn’t know everything. I’m worried about his reaction when he learns the truth.”
“He doesn’t know Lucy was bitten by a vampire?”
“Shush.” She glanced at the door. “No, he doesn’t. You know how werewolves are. They get easily excited, and once their excitement is triggered, they lose focus. He arrived, saw Lucy dead, and went wild with rage. He has no idea.”
Graves’s sorrow kept stinging my chest, even though he was in another room, taking a bath as Myrtha had ordered him.
I returned to my room, tired and dispirited. Whatever solution we chose, someone was going to suffer. Alex wanted to return human, but Lucy shouldn’t be dead, although she might prefer dying to becoming a vampire.
I sat in front of the vanity and undid my chignon. We were making a huge decision for her without consulting her.
A small vibration of the bond heralded Alex’s arrival. The door inched open.
“Irene?” He entered my bedroom with uncertain steps. Our bond shifted from rigid to soft to quivering. “May I talk to you?”
“Of course.” I offered him the seat in front of me.
He perched on the stuffed chair, hands on his knees. “We’re going to Raven Hall tomorrow. We must find a way to dissolve the fog.”
“I’ll come with you. And thank you for letting Graves return to the Dark Court. He needed it.”
“I did it for you. To make you happy after what happened.” He looked dejected and suffering, and while his actions had hurt me, my heart clenched for him.
I offered him my hand, palm up. He slowly closed his strong fingers around mine, shivering. Then he did something that made me catch my breath.
He brought up my hand and kissed it before placing it on his cheek. A quiver shuddered through him, but he didn’t recoil. His intense gaze was on me, heavy with the weight of his adoration.
He kissed my inner wrist slowly. His soft lips left a path of fire on my skin. I yearned for more.
“I won’t hide anything from you ever again.” He pressed his lips to my palm. “Having disappointed you hurt the most.” He lowered my hand to his chest, even though the gesture cost him a shiver. “I worsened the situation. Raven Hall might be lost because of me.”
“But you aren’t going to be a rogue.” I glanced at his reflection.
It wasn’t as sharp as it should be but blurred at the edges.
There was wildness in him. But the bond couldn’t lie though.
Alex wasn’t going to kill anyone else. “We’ll keep working on your problem, and eventually we’ll overcome it without tricks or spells. No shortcuts. Just you and me.”
“I promise I’ll listen to you more from now on.”
“Excellent.” I laced my fingers through his, and not a quiver bothered him.
He dipped his head and paused half an inch from my lips. My pulse throbbed faster. We kissed each other at the same time.
The kiss was all passion and desperation, desire and fear. He’d kissed me like that when he’d been under Cara’s spell. Tension charged the bond—a sign he was forcing himself not to wince. While I appreciated his effort, I didn’t want him to be in pain when he kissed me.
“Alex.” I broke the kiss. He was so close that I could see the golden specks in his silver-grey irises. “Don’t force yourself.”
“It’s the only way. I have to.” His voice cracked with fear.
“Not now. One step at a time.”
“But—”
“You promised you would listen to me.”
He chuckled. “Fair point.”
I caressed his cheek lightly. “I’d better talk to Graves.”
He brushed his lips over my hand, and my insides clenched. “Thank you for giving me a second chance.” He rose and paused at the door. The bond quivered with an emotion I couldn’t place as he parted his lips. “Good night.”
I was sure he’d meant to say something else.
Graves was in Lucy’s bedroom, hunched on a chair and holding his sister’s hand. He had nothing of the strong, confident man I remembered. He was pale, gaunt, and a haunted expression clouded his face. Dark shadows circled his bloodshot eyes, and his body had lost muscle mass.
He stood up when I entered. “Miss Harlowe.”
I took the armchair next to him. “I’m so sorry about Lucy.”
He sat down, his gaze fixed on the floor.
“I failed her. Again. I should have protected her. Instead, she’s dead.
For the first time, I’m glad my father isn’t alive to see what I’ve done.
She got the flu and was killed because those stupid werewolves believed she was contagious, that she had rabies, and I wasn’t there to help her.
” His sorrow glowed dark blue in his aura and left no space for any other emotion.
“Actually, there’s something you should know.” I cleared my throat. “Lucy didn’t catch influenza or rabies. She was bitten by a vampire and—”
“What?” His demeanour changed in a moment from sad to furious as he shot up. “Was it Ravenhill? Is that what you’re trying to tell me? I’m going to kill him.” Rage exploded scarlet in his aura, and fur grew on his face, neck, and hands.
Now I understood why Alex had trouble talking with Graves. “It wasn’t him.”
“Then who? Tell me.”
I closed my hands. “First, you calm down. And I would appreciate it if you didn’t use that tone with me. I’m trying to help.”
His fur withdrew. “My apologies.”
“You must have heard of people found dead, bloodless, in Whitechapel.”
He sat down. “Yes, I have. I thought Ravenhill was responsible for those deaths.”
I was offended on Alex’s behalf. “You don’t understand him at all. It wasn’t Alex, but a rogue vampire called Bethlen. He bit Lucy.” I paused to let him ponder my words.
“I don’t understand. Who killed Lucy then? Did he kill Lucy? Did he drink too much from her?” The veins in his neck swelled.
I supposed his inner wolf wanted to come out.
“No, he didn’t drain her, but Lucy might rise again as a vampire if Bethlen had intended to turn her.”
The look on his face was difficult to interpret. It could be anything from hope to disgust. His aura didn’t offer any hints either. It was a solid grey cloud with no tendrils or movements, although the sorrow for his sister’s death reached my chest.
“Lucy becoming a vampire?” Even his tone was dangerously flat.
Scarlet flashed through his aura—anger.
“We aren’t sure. We need to find Bethlen and ask him. But it’s good news.”
“Good news?” He looked like his old, strong self for a moment. “Lucy might become a bloodthirsty monster who cares only about biting people, and that’s the good news.”
“That’s not true, and do you prefer her to be dead?”
He clenched his fists, likely in an effort to keep himself calm. “Who is this vampire?”
“Alex’s sire, the Count of Bethlen. He’s ancient and powerful. He’s busy getting his revenge against Rothbart, a sorcerer who feeds off people’s pain and fear.”
His features tightened, and concern tinted his aura with sepia. “I know whom you’re talking about.”
That surprised me. “Do you?”
He rubbed his face hard, reddening the skin. His emotions exploded like the bubbles from a well-shaken champagne bottle. Colours glowed around him with a good dose of darkness. There was shame, fear, and deceit.
“What is it?” I twirled a finger towards his head. “I can detect your emotions. Please don’t lie.”
“There’s something I should tell you.” He chuckled bitterly. “Ravenhill is going to kill me.”
“Trust me, Ravenhill isn’t going to hurt you.” Not after what he’d done. “Can we stop talking about killing, please?”
“I suppose I owe him because he defended me and cared about Lucy.” Graves exhaled and placed his hands in his lap. “I worked for Rothbart in the past few months.”
“What?” The shock was so deep I closed my fists hard enough to hurt my palms with my fingernails. “Were you aware he tried to kill me?” White light glowed out of me.
It was ironic that now it was me bursting with anger. But Rothbart was the only person I truly hated, and it wasn’t a pleasant sensation.
“I’m sorry.” His aura changed to burnt orange and dark blue—his shame and sorrow prickled my skin.
“After I left the Dark Court, I didn’t want to live with my sister.
I was too ashamed to tell her I’d been kicked out after I failed to take over the role of duke and that a vampire had nearly killed me.
And I’d rather die than ask Knight for help.
I wandered London alone, half-starving, sleeping in the open until Rothbart found me. ”
“He found you?”
More shame glowed around him. “He did. He wanted to recruit me to help him bring down Ravenhill. He said the things Ravenhill said about him weren’t true, that he hadn’t hurt anyone, and that if we worked together, we could take him down and start a new Dark Court, fairer for everyone.”
“And you agreed?” I controlled my voice out of respect for Lucy.
“I didn’t. I told him to leave me alone.
But he returned over and over until I agreed.
At first, because I was desperate, but I’m not stupid.
I was aware he wanted to manipulate me. Then I thought that, if I stayed with Rothbart, I could give Ravenhill good information on him in exchange for being treated better in the court or get the position of earl. ”
His choices were questionable, but I let him talk.
“Then a vampire started to kill his minions. Three or four people died every week. Rothbart became worried although some men had never worked with him. They’d been common criminals.
Hell, I was worried too. I thought Ravenhill was behind the killings and that I would be next.
Besides, Rothbart treated me worse than Ravenhill.
” He showed me the bruises on his arms and neck.
“As you said, he feeds on people’s pain and fear.
He hurt me to grow stronger while I grew weaker.
My werewolf powers struggle to heal my body.
” He shook his head. “I can’t believe I let him abuse me. ”
My anger vanished at his deep, genuine pain and sorrow. “Rothbart is a deceiver. He charms people and forces them to do his bidding. I know what it is like to be in his presence.”
He blinked and sniffled. “I stayed with him. He paid me for small jobs. Nothing violent or illegal. He wanted me to spy on people, mostly young women, and report to him.”
“He was searching for a new victim, a woman to trick and kill.” I wondered if Rothbart had ordered one of his minions to follow me as well.
Graves hid his bruises, shame burning in his aura. “I didn’t earn his trust, but I’m a good tracker. I didn’t sleep or eat for days, following him. Discovering his secrets was my obsession, the only thing that kept me alive.”
“Did you learn anything relevant about him?”
He raised his head. “I know where to find him.”