Page 38 of Terror at the Gates

“There are plates just above you,” she added.

I opened the cabinet and took out two plates before uncovering the cake. Though it had cooled long ago, somehow it still smelled warm.

My mouth watered.

“When did you make this?” I asked.

“Oh, sometime last night,” she said. “I couldn’t sleep.”

I cut two pieces and plated them. If Esther had done it herself, there wouldn’t have been a crumb out of place, but since I was chaos incarnate, mine were messy. I assessed them, trying to decide which one was prettier. I went with the left and gave that to her.

I turned toward the island and poured her tea.

“Is Gabriel snoring too loud?” I asked. “You could shove a sock in his mouth.”

She laughed softly. “No, he wasn’t home. I have a hard time sleeping when he is away.”

“He wasn’t home at all?” I asked.

“Zahariev needed him,” she said.

I paused as I entered the living room, carrying a tray with our tea and cake, realizing I was probably the reason.

“I’ll talk to Zahariev. Gabe should be home with you, especially at night.”

Esther laughed. I loved making her laugh, but I was serious.

“I do not mind so much,” she said. “Especially if he is being called away to take care of you.”

I lowered my gaze, swallowing hard. I set the tray down between us before taking a seat opposite Esther. I could feel her gaze on me, but I avoided it, nervously arranging our tea and cake.

“Are you all right?” she asked, her voice full of warmth and concern.

I appreciated it but also didn’t want to talk about last night. When I thought about it, all I could see was Abram’s ashen face and bleeding eyes.

“I’m fine,” I said, taking a sip of hot tea, burning my tongue. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to visit sooner. Things have just been…”

I didn’t know how to explain the status of my life.Difficultseemed extreme. I still had a roof over my head and food to eat, even though my diet consisted mostly of salty noodles.

“Not the best,” I said. “But I think they are about to get better. Zahariev finally gave me a job.”

Her brows rose like she was surprised. “That’s wonderful. What will you be doing?”

I hesitated, suddenly feeling insecure.

“Dancing,” I said, sipping my tea. “At Praise.”

“Dancing?” she repeated, almost breathless. “Zahariev agreed to let you dance?”

“You don’t approve,” I said. Disappointment settled over me, a cold weight sinking into my bones.

“I am just surprised,” she said. “I expected him to at least give you a job within the family.”

I almost laughed. “Zahariev would never. I annoy him too much.”

More relevant, though, was the fact that I was the daughter of a rival. Right now, the families were on good terms, but that didn’t mean we swapped secrets. I already knew more about Zahariev’s dealings than he probably wanted.

“You don’t annoy him,” Esther said. “It is Zahariev’s honor to keep you safe.”