Page 9 of Collected By the Crow

“I have all I need.” She paused in the doorway. “And a whole lot of questions.”

“Naturally.” His voice sounded as stiff as his rigid body.

“First of all, you said Qadaire for short. Short for what?”

“I am Qadaire Von Keichemer, Lord of Viatra Zen, Slayer of Dracula VI, Inherited Vampire King of Viatra.”

“Erm, okay. Lots to unpack there. Let’s start with, vampire? Are all vampires like this?” She waved in his general direction, hoping it wasn’t rude to ask. She wasn’t convinced he really was a vampire, but learning what he thought of himself would be useful. “Also, slayer of whom? Do you eat humans, and should I be concerned? Will it affect our—”

Fanged incisors glinted behind a curled lip. Fangs! Had he sharpened those himself? Curiosity and trepidation snapped her mouth shut.

He growled, an ominous sound that clashed with the downy feathers around his jaw. “I understand you’re a scientist, Dr. Billing, but control yourself.”

Cass took a few steps into the red-drenched room and let the door creak shut behind her. She was coming on too strong, one of her specialties. Regardless, she needed answers, and she wouldn’t stop until she felt safe.

“All right, that’s fair. But answer my questions first.”

He stood completely still, his sneer as frosty as a glacier. It was eerie, but she stood her ground, despite the fearful tremble in her spine.

“I don’t eat anyone. I drink blood. You and Zero are safe. Not all vampires suffer my deformities. They were a parting gift from the despot, Dracula the Sixth, a mad king who would have wiped out the humans in this hemisphere by 1692. The court that once lived here all fled or died with their master that day.” His head twitched to the side in a distinctly bird-like motion. “Anything else?”

“How did you decide to target me? Have you been stalking me?” Memories of pop culture surfaced. “Can you control me? Are you using magic on me right now?”

He recoiled. In a blink, he was an ice sculpture again, all emotion chipped away. “I’ve done my research. I’ve kept an eye on your progress, but never outside of the professional context. I have not glamored you.” His charcoal eyes narrowed. “If that’s satisfactory, let us move on. Your pup has awaited your return.”

She glanced around the expansive living-slash-entry room. All of the glaringly red furniture made her skin crawl. Even the wallpaper was red, with black accents. What an angry color to live with everywhere.

“Where is he?”

“Resting in the main lab. This way.”

He reached for her luggage, which she readily gave up. Even with taloned feet, her host seemed to glide over the floor. She could literally see him taking steps, but his body held so still. Scratches pockmarked any stretch of floor that wasn’t carpet. Cass shivered and shrugged further into her shawl.

He led her down a long, dark hallway. They passed corridors that stretched to either side, so far that they ended in pitch-blackness. The place was huge. They walked until little signs of life started to crop up. Glinting gold and silver trinkets lined shelves of fancy glass-paned display cases. Wall-mounted shelves were filled with cultured collections, from beautiful blown glass to wooden carvings.

At the end of the hallway was a grand lab. It was so large, so wide, the painted ceiling so incredibly high, that she wondered what it’d been originally. The intricately carved columns and stained glass windows—in shades of red, unsurprisingly—suggested it was used to host guests.

“Is this a repurposed ballroom?”

“Yes.”

“Did you do this?”

“Yes.”

“Wow.” What would one person do in a home so large? “Do all the rooms have purpose?”

“Little else than the south wing is still functional. Basic living quarters, a library, two small labs, and this main one.”

She would’ve asked more, but a lump on one of the rolling chairs moved restlessly.

“Hey, buddy.” Cass scratched Zero’s ears vigorously. He leaned back on the chair, exposing a sliver of his belly. She happily obliged. “How are you feeling, goofball?”

Zero responded with a few fond licks of her chin. Her heart warmed, glad to see him so comfortable. That was weird, right? Their host was a feathery, four-armed, self-proclaimed vampire, yet here was Zero, lounging and wagging his tail.

When Cass turned back to Qadaire, she considered him with more intent. Who was he, really? Although she typically didn’t find people attractive until after she’d caught feelings, she could see the beauty in him. He was like one of Michelangelo’s marble men, chiseled from his feather-framed forehead to the tapered lines that disappeared beneath his waistline.

“This lab is insane. You have tools here for so many different fields.” Was it possible he knew how to use all of them? That he knew the story behind all the artifacts lining the hallway? What an impressive memory he must have. “What all do you study?”

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