Page 74 of The Vampire Debt

She’s strong and will heal, but Clara needs time. Clara retreats, angling her body away from me. I take half a step forward and halt when she visibly cringes.

“You should have been safe. I failed to keep my promise that it was a place you could go without worry.”

Clara wraps her arms around herself, her shoulders hunched.

To look at her now, she has the wild eyes of an injured wolf being cornered, unpredictable, and ready to lash out.

“When I found you on the floor bleeding… that was not your doing was it?” I ask.

She shakes her head.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

She doesn’t speak for a long moment then raises one shoulder in a half shrug. I want her to answer, but I can see she is in no state to be pushed, so I let it go.

At least now I know it wasn’t an attempt to get away from me. That fact eases me somehow.

I pull the dagger from my boot. I had meant to give it back to her after last night, but she hadn’t asked for it and part of me had hoped she wouldn’t want it or need it. “Take this, and keep it on you at all times, my dear Clara.”

Her large brown eyes rise from the dagger to mine. Clara doesn’t move for several heartbeats, then she reaches out with slow, careful movements, wrapping her fingers around the hilt and lifting it from my palm. I drop my hand as she clutches it to her.

“Will you be attempting to draw blood tonight?”

Clara startles, blinking at me in bewilderment. A crooked smile slowly forms across her full lips. The bargain is still in effect.

She steps up to me, closing the distance. She makes a soft humming sound as she lifts the dagger between us and slides the point across my chest.

Indecision wars in her eyes. She’s debating. If she tried, she would fail, a fact we both know—unless I let her. It is a thought I hate to contemplate, but it seems to be the only viable solution to get her somewhere safe.

“No,” she says. The word is dry and forced. “Not tonight. I am exhausted.”

With all her talk of leaving, she chose not to. And we both know I would not have stopped her this time.

I can’t even begin to let myself contemplate what this means.

“Things will not get easier for you anytime soon,” I say.

She nods. Simple and decisive.

Her ignorance at the matter sparks my irritation. So I say, “I can’t be at your side all of the time to keep them from you.”

“I understand,” she says.

“Have you considered the mark?”

“I can’t.” She lifts her chin, setting her jaw in determination. “I can’t take the chance I’ll never see Kitty again.”

She is a fool. I nearly say as much but manage to stay my tongue when I catch the hope glittering in her eyes.

Then I bow my head, and turn toward the door. I must go and deal with Lawrence.

“Thank you,” she says in a soft whisper.

I turn to look at her over my shoulder. She stands a little taller. What in the Otherworld am I going to do with her?

“We will speak again soon,” I say, then take my leave, closing the door quietly behind me.

Then a soft whisper floats through the door, and I’m not sure if she means for me to hear it or not. “I won’t accept a victory even if you try to cheat by handing it to me.”