Page 10

T HEY SAT IN THE CRACKLING ROOM, THE SMELL OF LIQUOR AND BURNING wood suffocating Kidan. Susenyos Sagad was at complete ease. Unthreatened in the way arrogant men occupied a space.

No, not a man.

A fine ray of sun from the window reminded her of his immortality. He’d cheated out of rot and decay and tricked one of the mightiest stars to cast him in golden light. When he shifted, the sun did its part in the shadows too. Smoothed his texture like honey and glinted on the edge of his cheek like the horizon, played the part in dressing monster as human.

“Ayzosh, atfri.” He spoke in a curving tone.

“What?”

“It’s Amharic.” His eyes hardened. “You hope to inherit House Adane, and yet you don’t know your language?”

He faced Dean Faris with furrowed brows, and they spoke like she wasn’t there while Kidan stewed. Susenyos’s voice in Amharic was harsh, fast, and cutting. It sounded like a language with teeth of its own.

This language was another thing she and June had abandoned when their biological parents died. It was how they survived. They’d forced themselves to forget Amharic, awkwardly stuffing English in their mouths until it became all they consumed. Mama Anoet made sure. Kidan traced the back of her fingers, remembering the pinch she’d get when she responded in her mother tongue. No one could discover they were the Adane children.

Finally, Dean Faris stood. “It is within your right to speak to her directly, but remember the laws. She isn’t your companion yet, but an enrolled student deserves the same extension of courtesy. Kidan, I’ll be outside if you need me.”

Once they were alone, Susenyos poured her a drink that smelled like gasoline.

“I have served House Adane for generations,” he began. “And from the way your back is sitting so stiffly, you appear to loathe this place, which makes me wonder why you’re here. I assume you’re interested in money. Luxury. There is no reason I can’t extend you a small amount of the profits. Things do taste sweeter when shared.”

Kidan fought to speak through clenched teeth. “I assume in this agreement you receive the house.”

He shrugged, reclining in his seat. “Houses are a hassle to maintain.”

“I agree.” She adopted his relaxed tone. “But I love a good challenge.”

His mouth took on an interesting shape. A cross between annoyance and interest. “Are you flirting with me, little bird?”

Breathe. The nerve of this guy. “No.”

“Not interested in money and not attracted to me. I’m afraid we’re running out of things to discuss.”

So, he liked to play games. Kidan eased the tension in her shoulders. “Do you always bring blindfolded girls here?”

Vampires couldn’t drink from just any human, so those girls were from the Acti Families.

“As Dean Faris said, the rules don’t allow it. A shame too, because they provide delicious company.”

Her nausea built. “What do you do to them after?”

He tilted his head. “Send them home.”

“Did you send June Adane home?”

She delivered it without blinking, careful not to miss any spasm of muscle movement. But there was no reason to look so hard. A person outside the arched window could sense the shift in the room, the playful light of his expression draining into something long dead.

He wouldn’t admit it. If the Uxlay laws about humans were this stifling and feared, he wouldn’t. But she wanted to speak her sister’s name in this house, make it known she wouldn’t leave without her.

“I’m afraid you bore me,” he concluded with a wave. “Here I am offering you the world, yet you choose to shrink yourself to baseless accusations.”

This time, her lips quirked. “My sources are pretty good.”

A pinch in his brows. Perhaps concern. He slid a glance at the closed door.

Of course. Dean Faris.

“Then why haven’t the campus authorities arrested me? Why aren’t we in court?”

Kidan could only stare her hatred. If she revealed her source, it had to be timed perfectly, with guarantee of June’s safety, or her proof would bury Kidan itself.

Like a child who’d discovered a treasure, Susenyos leaned forward, eyes bright. “You’re not the first person to accuse me. I must have the face for it. But I will tell you one thing my enemies fail to realize—I enjoy taking credit for my misdeeds, because they are ingenious by themselves. Taking your sister? What’s the challenge in that?”

Kidan reached for her drink, fighting not to smash it across his smug face. Instead, she swallowed the liquid fire. It was hotter than she imagined, but she didn’t break her stare.

He watched her set down the empty glass. “So, shall we talk about how much you’re going to cost me? A million should be enough.”

Kidan rose, examining the luxury of the study. It was old money, furniture rich with expensive wood, cushions velvet and soft to the touch. She ran her fingers over the material.

“That’s a Saui Cushion.” He spoke near, shadow falling over her. Her spine locked at how soundlessly he traveled. “Do you feel how exquisite the stitching is? The artist made only three of those before he died. I could gift it to you, to commemorate our new agreement.”

He treasured things. She could hear it in the cadence of his voice. Objects held more significance than the mention of her sister. Kidan hooked a nail into the stitching.

“Easy,” he warned.

Her mouth twisted, knowing he was watching. She pulled at the delicate red thread, unraveling it.

His sharp hiss tickled her neck before he spoke. “Don’t.”

She faced him slowly, taking in his roiling black eyes and taut posture, the effort to keep his fisted hands by his side instead of around her throat.

She let the thread fall between them, and the red caught in his eyes for a moment, setting them alive. He took a step toward her, stealing all the air from her lungs.

Would he kill her right here?

Dean Faris’s low-heeled shoes clicked, announcing her return. Susenyos stepped away at once. Kidan exhaled.

“Well, Kidan, where will you be sleeping tonight?”

Kidan gave Susenyos her first smile, full and sanguine. He was smart enough to be wary of it, his brows drawing together.

“I’ll take the main bedroom, I think.”