Page 66 of The Vampire Debt

“Will you be having dinner tonight, Miss?”

“No, thank you,” I say backing away, needing space to think more.

“The others and I will be staying late tonight, as the Master requested, if you need anything.”

“Thank you,” I say as I begin walking again in the direction I came from.

“The gardens are lovely this time of night,” she says quietly.

I smile wanly. “Thank you, but I don’t think I will be leaving the manor, it is almost dark.”

Again, I am stopped in my tracks as she speaks again. “The atrium is also lovely.”

My patience growing thin, I give her the best smile I can—strained as it is—and nod. There are only so many times I can thank her for unnecessary suggestions that distract me from the thoughts weighing heavily on my mind.

Finally, she bows and goes on her way.

Letting my mind wander, my feet move of their own accord. It’s not until I am in the expansive music room again that I come out of my thoughts and look at my surroundings.

My face warms, remembering the way Alaric’s hands glided over my skin, the way his mouth felt on mine…

I hurry through the room and nearly run down the hall, stopping at the glass doors. When I pull them open, warm, humid air hits my face in a soft wave.

I’m instantly surrounded by the scent of roses and many other exotic flowers I don’t recognize. Botany was never a subject I excelled at, but their combined fragrances are beautiful. Oil lamps are placed sporadically throughout, making this feel like a cozy, sanctuary far removed from the world.

Plants of all kinds line the glass walls and a cobblestone path winds its way through the space. At the center of it all is a raised pool of water with the floral sculpture pouring fresh water into it.

On the far end, there’s a thin wrought iron, spiral staircase leading to a suspended balcony that encircles the entire room for yet another layer of plants. Thick vines climb up the stairs. About halfway up, between one floor and the next, is a clear view of the night.

I walk along the path, around the outer edges, and follow the long way to the pool in the center. I dip the tips of my fingers into the cool water as I pass, creating ripples that wake out.

I place my foot on the bottom step and grip the railing as it sways gently. It’s old and the lack of use makes me wonder who takes care of the plants above, and how. I place my foot on the next step up—this one stays firmly in place. After climbing a few more steps, it seems to only be the first that is loose.

Outside, the landscape is bathed in silver light as the full moon hangs heavy in the sky, drowning out the stars.

I stare outside, my gaze unfocused and unseeing. All I can think about is Alaric, the way he kissed me, the way he looked uncertain, how he asked to mark me, and how I had ruined his life. I had done to him what I was so afraid of having happen to me: the one person I have left in the world, taken from me.

But that’s exactly what I did to him.

It’s unforgivable.

In the end, I was the one who turned out to be the monster. I don’t even know how he can stand to look at me, how he could want to touch me, or to be in the same space without ripping my throat out.

I lean back on the railing and take a deep breath in then let it out.

Everything shifts and I am falling. I grab at the railing, but before I can register what’s happening, the metal clink of it hitting the ground echoes loudly. The metal moans beneath me as the steps bend out and down. My equilibrium shifts and I can’t tell which way is up, and all I can do is grab at anything to catch myself.

Time slows. My fingers claw at nothing until I catch a bent section of the railing. As I close my grasp, time speeds back up. The metal groans again, bending further from supporting my weight.

I look down. If I fall it will hurt like hell, but I don’t think it will kill me—at least I hope it won’t. My heart is a deafening beat in my ears.

I cry out as the part I cling desperately to shifts again. Using every bit of strength I have, I reach up with my free hand and try to grab onto something more substantial.

One second I am hanging, suspended in the air, the next there’s a loud crack and I’m falling.

I hit the ground, but it hardly registers as my head cracks against the stone.

Stars explode across my vision as pain lances through my skull. I lay there gasping for breath and wait for the agony to lessen. I roll to my side. The world moves in unsettling ways as though I’m on a small ship in the middle of a stormy sea.