Page 31 of Vipers and Vendettas

Tabitha is speaking in hushed tones to Jules. She looks over her shoulder, her angry eyes finding me.

‘Idiot!’ she spits.

‘You forget your?—’

But she’s already turned back to Jules, gripping her hand as she looks at the bruises that are already visible around her throat.

‘What the hell!’ Daemon growls low in my ear. ‘I thought you wanted her back, not dead, Maddox.’

He brushes past me and kneels in front of Jules, who shies away from him and tries to get up despite Tabitha murmuring for her to stay where she is.

Jules ignores her, getting to her feet. Tabitha rises with her, giving me another reproachful look.

‘You have to tell them,’ she says to Jules, her voice soft.

Jules shakes her head, glancing at me and then at Daemon.

‘If you won’t, I will.’

Jules grips Tabitha’s arm hard. ‘No,’ she whispers hoarsely, her eyes pleading.

‘I have to, girl. I’m sorry.’

‘What other secrets have you been keeping?’ I thunder at Jules.

Our housekeeper turns to look at me. ‘She’s pregnant, you fool!’

Of all the things she could have said, Jules being pregnant would be last on the list.

I’m stunned to silence for at least a minute, and Daemon, who’s still standing next to her, clearly is as well.

I look down at the slight bump of her stomach that I’d have missed if my attention hadn’t been drawn to it.

‘Impossible,’ I finally say, and it doesn’t seem like nearly enough of a response.

Tabitha snorts and turns back to Jules. ‘Come on. Let’s get you to your room, dear,’ she says.

Jules is just staring at the floor, but I see her nod very slightly.

Feeling like everything is spinning out of kilter, I grab the link key I’ve been keeping in my pocket and put it on the library door. This is something Icancontrol.

I open it.

‘Her room,’ I snap, my tone brooking no more descension.

Tabitha sighs, her shoulders sinking. She looks disappointed in me, and I try not to care. She isn’t my mother. She’s a servant.

She leads Jules through, into the fold that I’ve remodeled for when we got our wayward thief back. It was Krase’s, but now that we’re no longer classed as criminals, I’m hoping the fae-made space can contain her, at least for now. We can’t very well have her walking around the estate. Fuck knows what possessions of ours she’ll take on the way out next time if she gets a chance.

I shut the door, leaving Tabitha to put Jules to bed.

‘That was too much,’ Daemon growls. ‘You could have hurt her, Julian. More than bruises.’

I wince. If Daemon thinks I went too far, then not only have I crossed the line, the line is a speck in the distance to me.

I sit down heavily in my chair and face Daemon.

‘Where did you find her?Howdid you?’