Page 67 of The Vampire Debt

I turn my head and retch. Each violent movement causes another series of stabbing pain to roll over me.

Eventually I settle, lying on the cold stone ground.

I don’t know how long I lie here, only that some time passes before I can gather myself and sit up without feeling sick from the pain.

Somehow, I manage to get to my feet, though it takes a lot of effort. My entire body feels bruised and beaten.

“Miss!” Elise’s voice cries out from the entry way and I cringe at the shrillness of it. She hurries to me and grabs my arm to help steady me. “What happened, Miss?”

“The railing broke when I was climbing up,” I say.

“What were you doing up there? Those old stairs are rickety and dangerous,” she says, and I manage to hold the sharp reply on the tip of my tongue. “Come, Miss, let's get you somewhere I can get a look at you.”

I don’t have the will to argue with her that I don’t need her to check me out. I only need to lie down.

Once we make it across the manor to the stairs, I know I won’t be able to climb. So instead she leads me to the drawing room.

I lean back in the chaise lounge and sigh, glad to be off my feet. The fire crackles and dances in the hearth and I let my eyes slide closed.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Clara

“I brought you tea,Miss. You had a close call,” Elise says as she enters the drawing room.

My eyes snap open. I must have fallen asleep. With some effort I manage to sit upright.

I watch Elise pour the tea then add a single lump of sugar and a splash of cream. My muscles ache in this position, so I stand, feeling the need to test my body to see if there are any serious injuries.

Moving around doesn’t feel as bad as I feared it would.

“Drink up, Miss,” she says, holding the cup out to me.

The herbal scent of the tea is strong, and I honestly don’t think I can stomach much at the moment, however I take a sip to be polite. I know she went to some effort, no matter how small, making it for me.Hitting my head must have affected me more than I realized, because even the tea seems off. I go to set it down, but she frowns.

“What is this?” I ask.

“Drink more, Miss. It will help you feel better, I promise. It’s Mrs. Westfield’s special blend,” she says sweetly. She flits around the room straightening pillows on the chaise lounge and other menial tasks.

I take a few more sips until I cannot stomach another drop.

Elise watches me curiously. It makes me wonder how awful I must look right now. “You should finish—”

“I’m sorry, I can’t right now… please give me a few moments.” I walk over to the large window and push aside the thick, heavy material of the curtain to rest my forehead against the cool glass panes and gaze out into the night.

A wave of unsettling vertigo washes over me. My fingers curl into the thick velvet as I wait for the feeling to pass.

Turning back to the interior of the room, my vision wavers and I press a clammy hand to my forehead. I blink several times, trying to clear the blur from my eyes. I’m feeling worse by the second and it makes me glad I have nothing else in my stomach to purge.

When the world manages to right itself once more, I see Elise has remained standing in the same spot as before, her arms now crossed over her chest, and she’s watching with a strange intensity.

“I promise, I will be fine,” I say, dismissing her, even though I don’t know if that’s true.

“It would have been better if you’d finished your tea,” she says quietly.

My head is swimming. Her face goes in and out of focus.

“I think I need to sit down,” I murmur. Making my way back across the room, using the wall to steady me. “I’m not feeling well.” For the first time in so long, I feel completely helpless. I’m desperate for some sense of safety and comfort. I wish—