Page 6 of The Vampire Debt

I push the door open and step in. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the low glow provided by the rush lights as I remove my cloak and hang it beside the door.

“Ah, Clara,” my father’s voice chimes as though he’s happy to see me. Except, he’s never happy to see me. “There you are.”

My hands freeze in mid motion as suspicion makes my blood run cold. He’s up to something

I quickly bunch my hands into fists and turn to face Father and his guest, forcing my face into a blank mask.

The man at Father’s side is tall and quite possibly the most handsome man I’ve ever laid eyes on. His dark hair is perfectly cut and swept back, it’s not long enough to be tied but, almost. On anyone else, it would look unkempt, but it only adds to his sophisticated appearance. His clothes are tailored and much finer than anything even Xander’s family owns.

He must be from a neighboring town, most likely the cousin of one of the more well-off families here, no doubt one of their unwitting cousins who don’t know better than to stay away from Father. What is a man of his stature doing in our dirty little cottage?

Dread pools over me. That could only mean Father is getting us further into debt. It won’t be long until I can no longer keep up with his spending, it’s nearly impossible as it is. I don’t remember the last time his gambling did anything other than empty our already lacking accounts.

Our guest eyes me up and down, assessing me as if I’m a horse at market. His nostrils flare and his eyes grow wide for a split second before narrowing. I straighten my back as he casts his judgment upon me.

I can only imagine what he’s thinking as he takes me in wearing men’s breeches and riding boots. I’ve obviously come back in from the forest. The mud on my boots gives that away. And without my bow there’s no doubt he thinks I’ve been out trying to catch rabbits with my teeth.

His upper lip twitches.

Finally releasing me from his impenetrable gaze, he pulls a watch from his vest pocket and looks at the time, then replaces it. “I must be going.”

Father’s eyes go wide as he speaks in his friendliest tone, but I can still make out the desperation in his words. “Surely, Mr. Devereaux, you will stay a while longer and allow me a chance to regain what I have lost?”

The man stares down his nose at me as he adjusts his gloves, barely paying attention to Father. “I am afraid that will not be possible at this time. I have other business I must attend to.”

The longer he watches me with cold detachment and eyes that scrutinize and judge, the more my annoyance turns to anger. Surely after this evening he knows the kind of man my father is, and he knows that I must be doing the best I can with this life I was born into…

Then I frown. Why on earth would I care what this man thinks? A man of so little honor that he would take the last of our money because of a stupid betting game… a man who could lose ten times as much and not feel its effects.

His nostrils flare and his eyes narrow. The howling of lesser demons starts up in the distance as the sun begins to lower.

“Very well, Mr. Devereaux, do be careful until you are settled for the night,” Father says, unaware of the strange exchange between us.

I remain rooted in place as the man sneers at me before turning to my father and giving him a dark smile. “It was a pleasure doing business with you. I will return soon to settle the debt,” he says in a rich, languid tone.

“It is a shame you came into town on the same day the vampires did.” Father shakes his head, sneering at his glass of wine before taking a large gulp and finishing it off.

Mr. Devereaux raises one dark brow, finally looking away from me to Father and says, “Indeed.”

They shake hands then he strides toward the door. His gaze cuts to me, narrowing with menace. His eyes look almost black in the dim lighting, save for the faintest hint of deep blue framed by thick, black, enviable lashes. Then he’s out the door and gone before I can begin to understand what his problem with me could possibly be.

“Close the door and get in here, girl. You’re letting all the heat out,” Father snaps.

I jump into action, closing the door after our guest. Then I look down at my hands smudged with dirt. He must think I’m nothing more than some lowly servant. I’m sure I have dirt on my face as well. I rub a spot on the side of my finger. Not dirt. But dried blood from when I pulled my arrow free from that beast.

“Where have you been? I thought I’d told you not to wander today,” he scolds.

My head snaps up. He acts as if we have all the money in the world, yet it’s only thanks to my ‘wandering’that we still have a roof over our heads and food in our bellies most days. “I was out getting this,” I retort, flinging the small bag of coins at him then turn toward the room to check on Kathrine.

“That’s it?” he demands from behind.

“Yes, I had to get Kathrine’s medicine—” I keep my fists at my side to keep from clutching the small vial of liquid in my pocket, lest he take it from me to sell.

“You don’t worry about that. You know to bring home every coin. I am the head of this household and I will take care of the necessities.”

“Then take care of them,” I bite out, rounding on him. “Quit gambling our money away. If it weren’t for me and what I can manage to bring home, we would have starved a long time ago.” There is so much I want to say to him. Though it’s the same every time. The same fight, the same words that fall on deaf ears. I am stopped before I can say anything more by a resounding slap across my cheek that sends my head snapping to the side.

“Watch your mouth. If it weren’t for me, you’d have died on the streets after your mother was taken.”