Page 13 of Kiss of Seduction (Court of Chains #1)

They didn’t move until backup from the Court of Chains arrived. Evie couldn’t. She wouldn’t. She didn’t want to let go of Natalya.

Blake and Flea were the first ones through the door, both wearing worried expressions. They changed to shock when they noticed Evie halfway sitting in Natalya’s lap, embracing her. The reaction was repeated by every other patrol team member who entered the apartment.

When they started asking questions, Natalya lifted Evie up as if she weighed nothing at all and took her to the couch. She wrapped Evie in a blanket, caressing her hands and arms as Natalya talked to the patrol team.

“He’s here,” Blake reported, having heard something in her earpiece. Barely a second later, Aleksander was outside the apartment door. He inspected the carnage, his face dark and angry.

“You have to invite him in,” Natalya said to Evie.

“No,” Evie whined, voice shaking. “Please. He’s a vampire. He’ll—”

“If he tries to hurt you, I’ll stake him.” Natalya looked at Aleksander, smiling tensely. “No offense.”

“None taken.” He didn’t return the smile. Evie took a deep breath.

“Would you please come in?” she said quietly. Aleksander crossed the threshold. He looked at the bloody corpse on the floor.

“Who’s this?”

“Austin. One of Varro’s spawn.” Natalya face twisted with held back fury. “His oldest, Stefano, was here too. He got away.”

Aleksander shot a surprised glance at Evie. “They came for her? That was daring.”

“It’s wounded pride more than anything. Stefano felt slighted that he lost his favorite toy.”

“He’s a little prick,” Flea said. “I bet he snuck in here to steal her back because his feelings were hurt. Two boys acting without daddy’s permission.”

“That’s not right,” Evie whispered, regretting it as everyone turned their attention to her. She did her best to ignore them, focusing on Natalya. “Varro sent them.”

Everyone was silent. Aleksander moved closer to her. “Are you sure?”

Evie’s breathing turned rapid, but Natalya’s hand squeezing hers calmed her enough that she could speak.

“They said Varro wanted me back and that the Court of Chains would be busy with the ferals they herded to your borders. And then they—”

A wave of nausea hit, thinking about what Natalya had interrupted. She only just managed to keep herself under control, but she couldn’t stop her breathing from getting shallow again.

Natalya put her arms around her, holding her tight, and the act made it possible to slow her breathing before it turned panting. Seeing it, Aleksander frowned.

“How are you doing that?”

“I’m wondering that myself,” Natalya said. “It’s not important right now.”

“It is important. I don’t think it was just a common slave you rescued, Natalya. Not even her being a Seraphic can explain such a concentrated effort to get her back. Herding ferals like that is risky and costly. She’s important to Varro.” He looked at Evie again. “Why are you important?”

“I don’t know. I swear,” Evie said. “He liked when I danced. That’s all.”

Aleksander narrowed his eyes. He didn’t look away from her.

“Natalya, you said you first saw her because she was the entertainment for your meeting with Varro, yes?”

Natalya’s eyes widened slightly. “Did Varro often do that to you, Evie? Made you dance while he had meetings?”

That wasn’t all he’d done. He’d done so much worse to her in front of guests.

“He made me do a lot of things.”

Natalya’s eyes filled with strands of scarlet. She turned back to Aleksander.

“She knows something. There’s something she saw or heard that he doesn’t want others to know.”

“Then he’ll keep coming for her,” Aleksander said, and panic surged through Evie again. She knew how scrupulous and patient Varro could be. If he wanted her, he would get her. Maybe not in the near future, but Varro had eternity to work with. And he wouldn’t stop.

Aleksander looked around the apartment.

“She can’t stay here. Not when it can be so easily breached. We’ll keep her at Court. She can stay in one of the nightrooms.”

“No,” Natalya said. Aleksander raised an eyebrow.

“Forgive me for placing her security over her comfort. She’s bringing an angry King to our borders. She’s a liability.”

“We’re not putting her in a cell, Aleksander.” Natalya caressed Evie’s cheek. “Evie will stay with me.”

Natalya ran a finger over her lips. It had become a soothing movement. Something that calmed her and made her thoughts slow down before they sprinted away into unease. And there was plenty to be uneasy about.

She was in her apartment, freshly clean and dressed.

The injury from Stefano’s fangs had already closed.

Down the hall, she could hear the shower running.

Evie was still washing off, as she had been for several minutes.

It would take more than water to remove the feel of Stefano and Austin’s hands.

Time was the only real cure. Time and comfort.

Natalya wasn’t sure how much of either she could provide.

She had responsibilities that would keep her away, and she shouldn’t be the one comforting Evie. She needed protection, and Natalya’s high-rise apartment was near bombproof, but Evie should be with family and friends. Only she had none of the first and few of the second.

Even knowing Natalya wasn’t what Evie needed, the prospect of not being near her summoned a dull ache in her chest. More of that unfamiliarly intense concern.

The shower turned off, and a few moments later, Evie came into view. She was wearing what Natalya had set out for her. Pajama pants and an old, long-sleeved t-shirt. The clothes had been on Evie’s bed in her apartment. Natalya made sure to bring it when they left.

“How are you feeling?” Natalya asked.

Evie’s eyes unfocused, and her breathing quickened. It was too big a question.

“How was the shower?” Natalya said instead. Evie sighed out some of the tension, her shoulders relaxing.

“It was good. It helped... a little.” Evie looked around the apartment as though she was expecting the shadows to grow teeth. “Your place is… nice.”

Natalya’s apartment was grand, though it looked more like a hotel suite than a lived-in home. Wood and steel furniture gave it an industrial feel similar to the club below, and the walls were decorated with the same sort of sensual artwork as she had in her office.

“I don’t spend much time here,” Natalya said. “It’s too empty.”

Evie smiled carefully. “You don’t have guests often?”

“Is it that obvious?”

“You just seem tense, is all.” Evie looked away from her. Not shy, but nervous. “Thank you. For letting me stay here. I don’t think I would have liked living in a nightroom much. They’re too dark.”

“It’s the least I can do. I may leave for a few hours at a time to tend to business below, but I’ll always be near. You won’t be left alone until we figure out why Varro wants you back.”

“How will you do that?” Evie crossed her arms. “Are you a mind reader or something?”

“I’m not, no.” Natalya smiled, but it faded quickly. “We’ll have to talk about what went on at the estate. What was said, who was there, how they acted. If there’s something you know that’s a threat to Varro, we need to find out.”

“I didn’t even know what they were talking about most of the time.”

“The risk to Varro is if you give that information to someone who does know. Whatever he’s planning, he desperately doesn’t want us to find out. That means we must.”

Evie’s face fell at the statement. Her eyes lost some of their luster. She looked exhausted, but her shoulders were taut.

“How did you know I needed help tonight?”

Natalya cocked her head in surprise. Evie may be scared, but she was observant. No wonder Varro was worried. And though Natalya didn’t like sharing her secrets with anyone, the last thing Evie needed was to be kept in the dark.

“Since you kissed me in my office, I have been able to sense what you’re feeling. When you’re sad, or happy, or afraid. It’s how I knew you were in danger.”

Evie looked startled. “Can you do that with everyone?”

“No. I can detect and affect emotions, as well as senses, but only if I can see or touch someone. That I can feel you always is… disconcerting.”

“Is that why everyone was staring at us?”

“They don’t know. And I’d prefer it stays that way. I’m not in the habit of sharing things about me that I don’t even understand myself.” Natalya noticed a slight smirk creep onto Evie’s face. She agreed with the statement. “They were staring because you were touching me.”

Evie frowned, confused at first and then frightened. “Was I not allowed to?”

“You’ve done nothing wrong.” Natalya moved next to her, taking Evie’s hand. “What do you feel?”

“A tingling. And a sort of… warmth.” Her freckled cheeks turned pink. “It’s nice, I guess.”

“What you’re feeling right now is my influence at its baseline.

No holding back, and no pushing you. To other humans, this touch makes their nerves hypersensitive.

It feels like flames. It takes great effort for me to make it bearable.

” Natalya let go of her hand, though it took her a second to actually do it.

“Supernaturals are naturally resistant. You’re a Seraphic, which might mean you’re that too, but it doesn’t explain how I can feel you as I do. Not understanding it concerns me.”

Natalya didn’t mention that the last time she had the ability was with Roland. She didn’t want to think about him, especially not in the same vein as Evie.

Natalya pulled a key from her pocket. “This is the only key to the master bedroom. You’ll sleep there.”

Evie hesitated a moment before accepting the key. “You won’t need it?”

“I only need to sleep if I’m injured.”

Evie swallowed and turned the key in her hand, doubt and nervousness flashing over her beautiful features. An understandable reaction. The security of a door probably felt flimsy after what she saw Natalya do to the one in her apartment.

“I know you’re afraid. That’s alright.” Natalya offered a calming smile, and Evie gave her a tentative one back.

Natalya almost took her hand again, only just stopping herself.

Instead, she nodded at a small pouch on the nearby dining table.

“Take that with you. It’s salt infused with sage, garlic, and clove.

If you hold onto it, it’ll hurt me to touch you.

If you line it along the door, I won’t be able to enter. ”

“Really?” Evie sounded baffled. “Just from salt?”

“It’s not just salt. It’s the rites used to make it that are important. The effect wears off after a few weeks, but you’ll always have fresh salt available.”

Evie picked up the pouch, confused. Natalya smiled at her.

“Vampires can die to the sun and to a sliver of wood. They and other supernaturals are bound by the borders of residence rather than ones drawn in salt. We all have weaknesses. Some are better known than others. Now go rest, or at least try. You look like you’re already half asleep.”

Evie clutched the key and the pouch. She made it a few steps toward the bedroom before she stopped.

“Can you stay with me?”

Natalya tensed, remembering how Evie had wanted to show her gratitude before.

“I don’t want to be alone,” Evie said, seeing Natalya’s hesitation. Her voice was almost inaudible. “It’ll just be until I fall asleep.”

Natalya should refuse. It was one thing to protect Evie from the very real dangers of the night, but this would go beyond that. She should let her be alone or call someone else to be with her. It should be the easiest thing. Why couldn’t she say the words?

Evie’s lip quivered slightly. “Please.”

The word removed any thought of not going with her.

In the bedroom, Evie climbed under the covers, hugging the pouch of salt like it was the only thing that could protect her. In this instance, it was. As long as she held it, Natalya couldn’t touch her without feeling pain.

Seeing Evie clutch the pouch so desperately hurt more than Natalya was willing to admit.

“Just until I fall asleep,” Evie repeated as Natalya sat next to her on the bed. She kept her distance, though right then she wanted nothing more than to hold Evie and run her fingers through her long hair. Doing so would make Evie feel calm. It would make Natalya feel calm.

Instead, Natalya only smiled at her.

“Yes, darling. Just until you fall asleep.”