She knocked on the wooden frame. “The door’s sticking. I’ll ask Bruno to fix it.”
“Thanks, I was going to mention it. Want tea?”
“No, thank you. I’m here to give you notice we’re getting new windows installed next week.”
My eyebrows crept up. “The whole building?”
Nodding, she pushed her glasses to the bridge of her nose. At least they were connected to a chain around her neck. Judging from the number of times they slid, I guessed there were plenty of moments she missed and they dropped off her nose completely.
“They’re past their best and some of the lower-floor windows have started to crack. Elliot wants all of them replaced at the same time.”
“I smell a rent increase in my future.”
She offered a weak smile. “Wouldn’t surprise me.”
“Will you be with them?” My flat was warded, but I’d carved an exception in the spell for Mona. She was the landlord. If there was an emergency, I needed her to be able to enter if I wasn’t here. Of course, that presented a risk because multiple animals violated the lease, but I’d weighed the pros and cons and made what I felt was an informed decision.
“I’ll let them in if you’re not here, but I have no interest in hanging about while they work.” She rolled her eyes. “You know how men are. It’ll be all bawdy chatter. Half the time I swear it’s to make me uncomfortable.”
I mulled over the situation. I’d have to send the animals to the temporary realm I used in case of emergency, but they hated it there. The last time I sent them, Big Red expressed his displeasure upon his return by having explosive diarrhea all over the flat.
“You know, there’s actually nothing wrong with my windows, so maybe you could skip mine. It’s only the door I’d like fixed at the moment.”
Mona pressed her lips together to form a thin line. “I’m not sure that will matter. Once Elliot gets a bee in his bonnet…” She shrugged. “You know how men are.”
“I would appreciate it if you could let him know my windows are perfect as they are.”
“I can tell you right now what the answer will be. He won’t want to deal with yours later.”
I begrudgingly accepted defeat. If I put up too much of a fight, they’d wonder why. I didn’t need anyone suspicious of me.
One of the animals brushed against the back of my leg and I jerked the door so that there was only an inch gap. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m desperate for a shower.”
Mona sniffed the air. “Yes, I thought I smelled fish. You should really open the windows when you cook it.”
“Good suggestion. I’ll definitely do that next time.” I started to close the door, but Mona wedged the toe of her shoe in the doorway to stop it.
“There’s one more matter to discuss.”
Uh oh. “What is it?”
“The rubbish collection schedule has changed to Mondays. If you put yours out too early, you’ll be asked to bring it in. We don’t need to attract pests. There are more than enough of those already.”
“Noted. Thank you.”
I closed the door and pressed my forehead against the doorjamb. I really needed to add an early warning system to my ward. I’d never forgive myself if I came home to find the animals gone. I knew exactly what would happen to them too. There’d be no rehoming. They’d end up on someone’s dinner plate. Even Hera. These were desperate times for many people and they weren’t above eating whatever meat they could get their hands on.
This seemed like a sign from the universe to accept the prince’s offer. If I needed to change flats unexpectedly, I’d need the money to pay the security deposit plus first and last month’s rent. It was money I didn’t have.
I locked the door and turned to face the animals. “I can’t take any chances. I’ll have to send you to your holiday home until these windows are installed.”
In the meantime, I’d do the job for House Lewis and collect the generous fee. If I needed the money to move, I’d have it. If not, it would be a nice nest egg.
I ignored the noises of disapproval and headed to the bathroom for a hot shower. I did some of my best thinking in there and right now I needed to strategize. Tomorrow I would enter the belly of the beast and I had to force myself to think through every possible scenario to quell my nerves. I needed to feel prepared for every outcome, however unrealistic.
I took extra time in the shower, letting the warm water slide down my skin. I scrubbed every inch of my body and washed my hair twice. Pure decadence. If today was my last full day on earth, I figured I might as well take a moment to enjoy the little things.
After I dressed, I patted every head in the flat, tossed a handful of seeds outside for Barnaby, and said a silent prayer before falling into bed. My words would fall on deaf ears, I knew, but I pretended they mattered all the same.
Sometimes the only way to make it through this life was to pretend I was living a very different one.
6
A silver statue of Britannia greeted me as I skirted the monument on my way to the palace. Not too fast or too slow. No movement that would raise the suspicions of security. The vampire queen rose from the earth like a silver butterfly from her concrete cocoon. Five figures surrounded the base of the statue, each one representing a House she defeated to become the leading royal family in the region—Peyton in the Southwest, Duncan in Scotland, Osmond across the Strait of Dover, Kane in Wales, and Troy in Ireland. Modesty, thy name is not Britannia.
House Lewis spared no expense to maintain the grandeur of the palace. Since the Great Eruption, most buildings in the city had fallen into disrepair or were left in ruins because the owners couldn’t afford the costly repairs or upkeep. Not this one. The French neoclassical style of the facade was lovingly preserved, along with the balcony where the royal family addressed their adoring crowds. Or so I’d been told. Any crowd that involved vampires didn’t include me.
I steadied my breathing and slowed my heart rate. Walking into a building full of vampires was risky enough. Walking into the palace of the most powerful vampire House in the realm was borderline insane, not that I had much choice. His Highland Highness made it pretty darn clear that I was the Chosen One for this particular task and no other expendable minion would do.
A row of guards stood sentry in front of the gates. Every vampire assigned to royal security was a lethal killer given carte blanche to act on a perceived threat. If I so much as raised a hand too quickly, I’d lose it. This was my last chance to back away slowly. I allowed one final glance at my skin—no sign of silver. Quelling my nerves, I approached the imposing gates of the palace.
The guards didn’t react to my presence. They seemed to know my arrival was expected. Instead of the usual tingling sensation I felt in the presence of vampires, my skin was on fire. Danger, my body shrieked. Ahead of me the palace loomed, splendid yet foreboding.
The gates opened and I strode toward the entrance with purpose, taking comfort in the weapons strapped to my back and my thigh. It was a false sense of security, of course. No matter how many weapons I carried inside, I would still be one person against the entire royal guard.
A gap appeared as the doors opened to welcome me. I was mildly surprised by their willingness to admit me without stripping me of my weapons, but I chalked that up to hubris. House Lewis was the royal vampire family for a reason. Their bloody past was prominent in recent history books. At the start of the Eternal Night, Britannia Lewis led the family to power and greatness, supplanting the humans who were no longer fit to rule, and was honored with a city and palace that now bore her name.