Page 18 of Tainted Blood

Isaiah nodded, then followed Alexius out, holding the door open for me. As I walked out, he leaned down and grabbed my elbow, his fingers gentle but the message clear. I couldn’t see Alexius at all, my boss having disappeared in the dark hallway.

“A moment,” he murmured. “He’s run off, which means I want to take a moment to give you some warnings privately… about him.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I said, trying to stop a wave of righteous indignation from breaking through and keep my words measured.

“He’s never been one for these functions. He came because I asked him. Jacob would also pressure him by attending as well, though Jacob enjoyed them. He wasn’t a politician like me, but he had a way with people you must have noticed that Alexiusdoesn’t.”

“I knew Jacob. He was nice with everyone. I didn’t know anyone who didn’t like him or respect him. He was easy to talk to… and I know Alexius isn’t like that.”

“Good. Most of this might make sense then and will help you stay out of trouble. I’ve warned you that you’re aninterestingperson in our world right now. The protégé, the assistant, the employee, it doesn’t matter the title. You’re his new second, in a sense, where that role had always been Jacob’s. They’ll test you to see if you’re the same shield Jacob could be or a new weakness they can exploit. This goes beyond the threats you’ve been getting. This will be from everyone. None of it should be dangerous, most of it word games, but they’ll want to know just how capable you are, if you’re Jacob’s replacement or something else.”

“I can’t… replace Jacob,” I said quickly, shaking my head.

“No one can, and no one sane will ever ask you to try,” Isaiah continued, his voice still low. “It’s more than that, though. They’ll want to know what makes you tick. Why you? After centuries and centuries by himself, why you? It doesn’t matter if there’s an answer to that question, they’re going to try their best to pick you apart and see what makes you tick because it might give them an insight into him.”

“Isn’t that what you’ve tried to do?” I asked, eyeing him, trying to figure out if I was seeing genuine care and worry on his face or an act.

“Clearly, and I’ve put some of my theories together, but they’re mine and mine alone. Now, back on topic. If you feel in over your head at any point, you are more than welcome to leave his side and come to me. I’ll get you out of any sticky situation. I don’t like the idea of leaving you to be harassed by these vampires when you’re not trained the same way those of my bloodline are. I’m not trying to steal you away from him, but if you become too distressed, and he notices… Well, I don’t want to handle the clean-up, both the blood and furniture, or the political ramifications.”

“Thanks for the offer,” I said, swallowing. There was something terribly earnest about Isaiah at that moment that gave me red flags. Not red flags against him, but this entire situation.

“You must understand that Alexius will kill anyone here if he thinks they’re putting you in danger, Everly. That’s not an idle threat, not from him. Even if there will be a few vampires in attendance who are more powerful, he’s the one who is honed to kill, who knows every inherent weakness to what we are better than anyone else. If he wants someone here dead, they won’t survive the night. Hell, they’ll be lucky if they survive a minute.

“So, you will be teased, you will be pressured, you will be talked down to and into circles, tongue-tied until you’re embarrassed… and you will not lose your calm. You will find a way out of the situation, and you will come to me.”

“What if I’m stopped? Like someone… blocks me from leaving?” I could still vividly remember how Edwin did that very thing, or how Oscar would corner me.

“Then they’re fools, and if Alexius gets to them first, they deserve it.” Isaiah smiled, vicious for a second before turning rather warm. “Now, let’s catch up with him. He’s probably already in my sitting room, tapping his foot with impatience.”

We walked together, passing through the luxurious lounge and through the door Isaiah said was his family quarters. Entering the last hall helped me finalize my mental layout of the basement or what I knew of it. It was a cross under the giant mansion above, four halls around the center, which was the staircase and the lounge. Isaiah’s suite was the last, just like our suite in the other hall.

“I don’t have an entire mansion underneath my home like Alexius. I host too many to put gyms and libraries down here, but the family wing here has space for me to help my bloodline’s newest vampires, or to relax together when they decide to visit me, or I call them in for something.”

“Could you house your entire bloodline? How big is it?”

“I can house my entire bloodline, but not all in this hall. I won’t answer the second with an exact number. That’s my secret.” He chuckled and led me into his suite, where we found Alexius already sitting with a glass. The smell of blood hit my nose, and my fangs dropped.

“Here,” Alexius murmured, holding out the glass. “I don’t need all of this, and it’ll be enough to get you to your last meal. I’ll make more if I need it.”

“Thank you,” I said quickly, grabbing it from him, careful not to spill, and took a long swallow, letting it ease my throat, that perpetual ache I was getting better and better at ignoring.

“Alexius, if you don’t want her harassed incessantly, don’t do that in front of the others,” Isaiah snapped, suddenly annoyed. “Seriously, don’t do that.”

“I meant nothing by it,” Alexius growled in response.

I was still trying to drink, not wanting to stop to engage with them, but I listened to every word.

“Sure, but you know they won’t believe you if you said that. Ancient vampire gives his meal to a young, pretty redhead vampire who he trains and cares for while she works for him… I can hear the rumors. Is he fucking her?”

I nearly choked on the blood.

“Does he control her blood supply in exchange for sexual favors? Does she always get his leftovers instead of her own glass? The fucking ways it could be a scandal…” Isaiah hissed at Alexius and went to a bar in the back of the room.

I finished drinking, putting the empty glass down on the coffee table between Alexius and me.

“Um…”

“I’ll be more careful. I wasn’t thinking,” Alexius said quickly, looking away from both of us. “I didn’t want the blood to go to waste.”

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