Page 29 of Battle for the Shadow Prince (A Bargain with the Shadow Prince #2)

29

Safe Passage

ELOISE

M arabella slips inside my door a few days later with an enchanted shake in hand. “He’s here.”

“Who’s here?”

“The safe passage I promised you.” Her brows lift as I take the shake. “We have a regular client who has certain privileges in the palace. He’s agreed to escort you inside.”

“Great.” My heart kick-starts into a trot. “I need to change. I can’t go like this.”

Marabella holds up one hand. “There will be time for that. First I need you to sign our agreement. Three months. Then you can go.” She draws the contract out of the inside pocket of her blazer and hands it to me.

I flip through the pages and then look at her in disgust. “This says that you keep one hundred percent of my portion of services rendered to be paid back when the three months are up. You plan to not even pay me the portion I’m owed until the agreement is fulfilled?”

She shrugs. “I need assurance you won’t leave early.”

“What happens if I die?”

Her head tilts in annoyance. “I have no provision for that, but I don’t think you will. The man whose care I’m placing you in is highly reliable.”

I try to focus on the rest of the language, but it’s not like I’m in a place to negotiate. I grab a pen off my desk and sign it. Marabella gives me a broad grin and tucks the contract away.

“Can I get dressed now?” I ask.

“Not yet. You will feed him first.”

I stand, thrusting my fists toward my sides. “I’ve already fed Marcel today. If he takes much more, I’m going to pass out.”

Marabella rolls her eyes. “That’s why I brought you an extra shake.”

I grab the glass off the desk and start sucking it down. They really do help with fatigue and recovery. “What’s in these anyway?”

She waves a hand dismissively. “They’re a concoction of vitamins and herbs developed by our on-site doctor. She goes topside every now and then for ingredients. Whatever’s in it is supposed to increase your red blood cell count.”

I stop drinking and narrow my eyes at her. “Is that healthy? These aren’t going to give me cancer or something, are they?”

“Hasn’t happened yet, and we’ve had people who have worked here for fifty years and counting and have never missed a shake.”

“Fifty years!”

She sighs as if I’m the most exasperating person she’s ever encountered. I finish the shake, deciding that facing Valeska is a more immediate threat than the health of my liver, and hand the glass back to her.

“I’ll send him right in.”

I duck into the bathroom to wash the sticky shake from my hands and freshen up. “Do you even know what you just signed?” Phantom asks, following me into the bathroom.

“I skimmed it,” I say to the fox. “It wasn’t exactly like I had room to negotiate.”

“What ‘services’ did you agree to provide over the next three months?”

I frown. I thought the terms were the same, but the truth is I didn’t read every word. “It’s the same. At least I think it’s the same.”

“Oh, Eloise.”

I rub Phantom’s fuzzy head. “I need to get inside the palace. I’ll never be able to challenge the queen from this room.”

The key jingles in the lock. “Hide. He’s here.”

The fox dissolves into nothing. I check that my daggers are in place before charging from the bathroom to stand where I usually do. I adjust my robe, tying the belt tighter. Standing is the best position to greet my guests. If I sit, the robe rides up. Eyes wander. Ideas are had. I never want to give the wrong impression. I fold my arms over my chest and wait for my palace tour guide to enter.

The vampire who walks through the door is older with skin like parchment and large, bulbous eyes that make him look like a nocturnal animal. His hair is thin, and he’s wearing a red hooded robe similar to a priest’s. He stops inside the door and stares at me awkwardly.

“Hi, I’m Eloise. What’s your name?”

He takes a step toward me, nostrils flaring. “Lazarus.” He draws out his name absently, studying me with a furrowed brow like he’s never seen a human before. He looks ancient. Maybe he can scent my special blood already.

“Well, Lazarus, Marabella says you can get me into the palace to search for my boyfriend after I feed you. Is that true?”

“Er, uh, yes. I’m a scribe in the palace library. I have unparalleled access and knowledge of every palace room.” The words tumble distractedly from his lips as he tips his head in contemplation of me. I’m not sure what’s bothering him, and I don’t care. I want to get this over with so we can find Damien.

I hold out my wrist to him. “I hope you don’t mind the wrist. My neck has had it for today.”

He takes my arm and runs his nose along it, then drops his hold on me, absolutely horrified. He staggers back a step.

“Do you want to feed first or not? We can get Marabella back in here. If you want someone else, it’s fine. I can get dressed and we can go when you’re done. You have the key, just go back to the front desk.”

The man doesn’t move, just stares at me, dumbfounded.

“You know what? Never mind, I can call for help.” I move to reach across the bed and tug the velvet cord.

“You’re her,” he says, stopping me in my tracks. I turn back toward him, a chill traveling through me.

“Excuse me?”

He takes a step toward me, those enormous eyes holding wonder and fear and something I might guess was disapproval. “I can smell him on you. You’re Damien’s mate.”

My hand lowers to trace the hilt of my dagger under the silk robe. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” My voice cracks. A muscle in my jaw twitches. I feel the connection between Phantom and me snap into place. If I have to, I will burn this vampire to ash. I will cut off his head, steal the key, and take my chances in the streets of Night Haven.

But he holds up both hands. “You’re right to be wary. No one else would know, you understand. It’s only he’s my best friend, and I’m an old vampire with a highly developed sense of smell. Shades have a distinct odor compared to vampires. It’s there, in your blood.” He coughs. “Under all the other scents.”

That disapproving look is back, and I get it now. This is Damien’s friend, and he’s probably appalled to see me working here. Tears come to my eyes at the hope that it’s true, that it might be possible that this vampire is on Damien’s side. On our side.

“I had to get into Night Haven,” I say, voice cracking.

“Oh dear, don’t cry. He wouldn’t want you to cry. Your secret is safe with me, only I wouldn’t put your trust in anyone else. You’ve taken a terrible risk coming here. There’s a price on your head.” He tugs a Kleenex out of the box on my desk and hands it to me, and just like that, I decide I have to trust him. I have to know what he knows.

“Is Damien still alive? Do you know where he is?”

Lazarus’s wrinkled face turns serious. “He’s alive, but?—”

“Take me to him,” I say excitedly.

But he shakes his head. “She’s cursed him with a blood bond. If she doesn’t kill you herself, she’ll order him to do it, and he won’t be able to refuse her. Oh, he told me he’d been fighting her, distracting her to avoid giving up your name. If she knew you were here, right next to the palace, I hate to think of the diabolical things she’d do to you or to him.”

Crushing despair makes it hard to breathe. A blood bond with Valeska? She must have forced him to take her blood. Who knows what else she’s forced him to do? And what has Damien done to distract her from me? I swallow down bile as my stomach churns at the thought of her hands on him. I squeeze my eyes closed. I can forgive whatever he’s done. We can put it behind us. But now that I know he’s bonded to her, it’s not enough for me to challenge her. I also need to break that bond.

“How do I break the blood bond?”

Lazarus coughs. “Her blood must be purged from his system.”

“I’m not talking to you, Lazarus,” I say softly, looking at Phantom.

The scribe jumps when he sees the fox standing behind him, his hands flying to his chest although I’m sure it’s been centuries since a heart beat there.

“What is that?” he hisses.

I’m not sure how to describe Phantom except to say, “He’s my familiar.”

“Then you’re a witch?” Lazarus whispers. “You don’t smell like a witch.”

I shake my head. “No. I’m not a witch.”

“But—”

I hold up a finger to Lazarus as Phantom answers my question. “They say that if I feed Damien my blood, it will break her spell on him.” I raise my eyes to the old man who is gaping at the fox. “When he was held by the candle, I used fire, but that was a cursed object, and this time it’s his blood that’s cursed.”

He tucks his chin, looking positively aghast. “You broke the Gowdies’ spell on him?”

I nod.

His face lights up as if he’s just discovered the answer to an alchemical equation. “You are the bearer of the sigil. You are the key, forged of dragon’s blood.”

How does he know about my sigil? Damien must have told him, which means Damien trusts him. I turn my back to Lazarus and lower the robe to show him my tattoo. Behind me, I hear him inhale sharply at the sight.

“Centuries I’ve lived, and after all this time to be surprised, to find something new.” His voice is breathy and filled with awe.

I straighten the robe, making sure everything is covered before I turn back around. “You might as well know I’ve come to challenge Valeska for Damien. Provocationem Ad Mortem.”

His jaw slackens. “Oh dear, that is old law. I’d forgotten it existed until now. No one has invoked the challenge in centuries. How on earth did you ever learn of it?”

I swallow. “A friend of a friend.” Mentioning Sabrina doesn’t seem like a good idea. Not when she’s the one who inspired the plan that brought me here.

His gnarled fingers lift to his lips. “We will need to find the box. We must take care to understand the rules before she does. Knowledge is far more powerful than might in these situations.”

I interrupt him before he can say anything more. “You have to take me to Damien right away, Lazarus. I’m sure what you’re saying is important, but our first priority has to be breaking the blood bond. If he takes my blood and breaks her bond, we can leave here without me challenging her at all. All you have to do is take me to him when he’s alone.”

The ancient scribe toys with the neck of his robe, silent for a moment. He nods to himself as if setting his mind to something. “I know just what to do.”