Chapter Twenty

Taking Precaution

Charlotte laid a fire in Sarah’s fireplace. Sarah was next to her on the floor picking glass out of the Shape-shifter’s appendages.

“What happened to Edwin?” Charlotte asked as she finished and dusted off her sooty hands.

“Dunno,” said Mr. Třínožka. “One day I was talkin’ to him in his shoppe, the next day I came back, I found him on the floor like that.”

“It’s a good thing you left.” Sarah finished fastening the bandage together. “If they ever figured out you knew Charlotte, they would have come looking for you, too.”

“Thank you there, missy.”

“Aww.” Sarah grinned. “How cute are you?” She turned to Charlotte. “I love country monsters.” She skipped to the back of the room to put her first aid away.

“Can you fix Edwin, Sarah?” Charlotte asked.

“I’ll see what I can do. There must be some way.” She stepped back over to the fireplace, hanging a small black cauldron over the hook. “Hot cider will be ready in ten minutes. Those testy mosquito people are just going to have to wait.”

Charlotte sat cross-legged in front of the fire. The warmth felt so good to her cheeks. She wondered when she would ever see the sun again. Mr. Třínožka sat behind her with a thump, his eight legs stretching out. Dust from the old rug flickered through the air in the flame light.

“Feels good to be safe for now.” He pushed the bridge of his spectacles up on his nose.

“Yes.” Charlotte sighed, not believing it would last. She wondered exactly how long it would take for one of Aiden’s men to find her. All she had to do now was play the waiting game. She peered over her shoulder. “Sarah?”

Sarah was flipping through her prized spell book. “Yes, love?”

“In your vision, all you saw was me walking down the aisle?”

Sarah stopped and looked at her. “The fates are very tricky, Charlotte. You never want to question them or second-guess what they are trying to tell you. The vision I saw is etched in stone and sure to happen. They only show you a small piece of what is to come, but it’s up to you to handle the rest.”

“But what exactly was the bit you saw again?”

“Enough, Charlotte. The more I talk about it, the more upset you’re going to get.” The Witch dug her pointy, little nose deeper into the book.

Charlotte sighed and, resting her chin on her knees, watched the fire again. Mr. Třínožka placed a hand on her shoulder, which made her feel even warmer. He smelled to Charlotte like one of those butterscotch candies you forgot about in your pocket for a year. The older, the sweeter.

“No matter what, we’re gonna stick together.” His mustache ruffled.

Charlotte smiled so big her eyes crinkled. “Thank you.”

He grumbled something incoherent behind her.

“Okay. I think I found a spell for Edwin, but it’s going to take me a few days to produce. It requires a lot of things that are going to be slightly difficult to find in the city.” Sarah paced, still squinting at the pages.

“Who’s left in the Occult, Mr. Třínožka?” Charlotte asked.

“Not many. The Elves are still sittin’ pretty like always, but a lot of the Fairies left town. And with lunch gone, most of the Shape-shifters go.” He bristled. “That one Witchy friend a yers. She’s gone.”

“Evangeline?” Charlotte spun to face him. She hadn’t thought about her in days. She remembered the promise Evangeline made the morning they were caught.

“Yessum. That’d be the one,” he muttered. “They arrested her. Took her away in shackles through the town square.”

A lump started to form in Charlotte’s throat. They had to have killed her, she thought. She silently turned back around to the fire, sorry for all the bad things she ever said to her. The contents in the pot started to bubble in front of her.

“Whoops! Cider’s ready!” Sarah sprung for the cauldron, taking it off the hook with the hem of her skirt. “Excuse me.” She placed the pot on the crooked gnome coffee table, then pulled a small ceramic mug from her apron pocket and filled it with the hot, russet liquid. She handed it to Charlotte. “There you go! Drink it up. If you keep them waiting any longer I’m afraid they might go fishing for rats.” She absentmindedly flipped her spell book open to the page she had left off.

“You’re not one of those…one of those….” Mr. Třínožka searched for the word.

“A blood doll?” Charlotte downed the cup in one gulp and closed her eyes, waiting for the dizziness to go away. “Yes. I am.” She gritted her teeth like it had been a shot of whisky and walked out of the room.

Valek was waiting in the hallway leaning against the wall.

Charlotte stopped. “Hi.”

“Hello.” He dropped his gaze.

“Well, I finally understand why Francis hates me.” She bit her lower lip.

“Hate is the wrong word.”

“Envies me,” she amended.

“He does, but I know for a fact he doesn’t dislike you as much as he is letting on—because you are making me happy.”

Charlotte recalled the night they first got to Francis’ house, when he covered the coffin lid for her. She remembered how kind his face looked.

Valek changed the subject. “Are you returning to your room?”

“I figure I’d better, before someone kills me.”

She meant it as a joke but Valek didn’t crack a smile. He pressed both his hands to the wall behind her, entrapping her there. He leaned in close. “I love you, Lottie.”

I love you so much, Valek.

“I want to come with you,” he said.

“You can’t handle it.” She ducked out from between his arms and started up the stairs.

“No. I can’t.” He turned to follow her. “But if I sit there and watch, I expect they would be less inclined to take advantage of the situation.” He smiled. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine, now. But I think it’s better if I just handle this alone.” She stopped on the second to final step and looked at him, her hand on the banister. “You keep a lot of secrets from me, Valek.”

His face fell. “I’m going to make all of this up to you.”

Charlotte pressed her forehead to his, shaking her head left to right in a sort of nuzzle. She pulled away, leaving him smiling.

“What was that?” he asked.

“I was attaching my brain to yours. I know it already is, but maybe if I keep doing that, I’ll be able to read your mind, and then you won’t be able to keep anything else from me.” Charlotte smiled and continued walking.

“Lottie?”

Charlotte stopped and looked at him again.

“No more secrets.” He smiled.

She smiled back before disappearing down the dark hallway into her room.

Dusana was already sitting on the bed, waiting. Broken glass still shimmered on the floor like the fangs in her mouth.

“Where did we leave off?”

“Where’s Lusian?”

“You seemed a little apprehensive before so we thought it would be better for you if we did this separately.” She opened her arms wide, beckoning Charlotte to her side.

Charlotte glanced behind her to see Valek had defiantly slipped in after her. He stood with his arms crossed, staring at Dusana.

“How the guardian protects his virgin ever so fervently,” the dark Vampire said musically.

Charlotte could have sworn something red swelled under the moonstone surface of Valek’s face, but that was indeed impossible.

***

Dusana was beginning to finish up. Valek sent a wave of anger smashing into her consciousness from his side of the room. She opened her eyes, glaring up at him, as she pulled away and licked the wound on Charlotte’s wrist clean.

“Done.” She smiled and got up from the bedside. She walked out of the room with a stained grin toward Valek.

Once she was gone, he hurried over to his Lottie, taking her small hand in his. She was too weak to get up, or to even lift her head to look at him. He scooped her up in his arms.

“You were right. I cannot handle this,” he murmured as he dashed out of the room.

“Where are you taking me?” Her head rolled back onto his shoulder.

“To finish my conversation with Francis.” Valek flew down the lavender hallways and staircases to the hallway with the basement trap door.

“I need Sarah first.” Her eyelids slit open as she appraised where they were going.

“No, my love. You’ll be okay. He must see you like this to understand.” Valek kicked open the wooden door and plummeted into the darkness.

He landed easily, interrupting Lusian mid-thought. The coven turned to look at him.

“Ah, Valek you’re just in time, my friend.” Francis dramatically extended his arms as he stood. “And you have made a delivery.” He licked his chops at the sight of the girl.

Charlotte grimaced and rolled her head toward Valek’s shoulder in an effort to hide.

“Francis, I’m sorry, but this is going to end now. Not even Sarah’s potions can keep her healthy anymore. Perhaps if there were less of us. But for her sake, I am taking both of us away from here. Thank you for your hospitality.” Valek turned to ascend up to the house, but he was instantly met with Francis blocking the way.

“I’m afraid we had an agreement, Valek.” Francis’ jet eyes shifted once toward Lusian and back.

“Well, I’m revoking it. If you could kindly step aside,” Valek ordered.

“I will kill her.”

“I am stronger than you.”

There was silence for a moment. Francis kept his thoughts guarded.

“I know you won’t hurt her,” Valek finally spoke. “Look at her. She cannot live another night like this. We must find another way.”

Francis frowned and looked at Lusian again. “You…cannot leave us. We won’t survive.”

Valek smirked. “Do you think because I survived the Regime once, I can overthrow the entire court?”

“You survived the Regime twice,” Andela murmered from her seat near the fireplace. “You are the only Vampire to have ever done that.”

Valek lowered his eyes. He thought for a moment. “Fine. We stay. But there must be a new agreement. I insist it. Charlotte is not to be confined, or fed upon like a caged rat.”

“Then you cannot feed on her either,” Francis proclaimed quickly, the bottom of his cane striking the dirt floor.

Valek’s nostrils flared. “I agree.”

“Good. Also, I own you again. I will be your master, as when I first created you.” Francis raised his eyebrows.

Valek’s face quivered at this.

“I was once your liege. I made you. I shall be again. If you do not agree, then you are free to go, but I cannot promise your safety once you cross the threshold of this house.”

“Fine,” Valek concluded finally.

“That means you will follow my orders as I give them.”

“Fine,” Valek said again. “But Charlotte will sleep down here with me. If…she wishes.” His voice broke on the last part.

“Fine,” Francis faltered.

“Good.”

“Good,” said Lusian. “Valek, there are plans we have been discussing that we wish to share with you, if you lovers are done quarreling.”