Page 7 of The Demon's Discovery
“Yes, briefly.”
“And she’s interested?”
“Yes, I’d dare say enthusiastic about it, though her employers were cagey at best. She will hopefully be here Monday afternoon to tour the campus.”
Rylan tilted his head to the side. He coughed out a laugh, crossing his arms over his chest. “Monday?”
“I figured if you disagreed, I could still convince you once she arrived. Unless you’d already left, in which case,” I shrugged, raising my hands. “Forgiveness is sometimes easier to obtain than permission.” I grinned as he narrowed his eyes at me. Getting a rise out of my brothers was something I never tired of.
Rylan started for the stairs, shaking his head. “And you wonder why I don’t want to leave you alone?” he teased. “Fine. If she’s well skilled, perhaps we’ll add her to the faculty roster inthe fall. If not, she’s free to test for enrollment. She’ll be under your supervision, of course?”
“Naturally.”
“Very well. Perhaps some respite is in order…” He tinkered with a few more objects before stuffing his hands in his pockets. Without another word, he strode toward the doorway.
“You’re going to pack?” I shouted after him as he’d already vanished down the stairwell.
“Yes, I am. No need to gloat.”
“Shall I make you a mirror then? So you can reach me, or I you, if there’s urgency? All you’ll have to do is speak a series of words to activate it, it’s quite simple.”
“I suppose. And I’ll make you some extra tincture?” The words echoed back at me, growing further away all the time.
“Excellent idea.” Rylan had been making me a specially formulated tincture for as long as I could remember to help me manage the bloodlust curse the book thief had left me with. Whether it truly helped or not was up for debate, especially as episodes had been slowly escalating in frequency and aggressiveness, but I took it religiously anyway. “Give Calla my love,” I needled him. He grunted in response, which was an improvement over his normal growl.
Finding his fated mate had made my brother relentlessly possessive. My sister-in-law was lovely, and I was happy for my brother that he’d found his match, but she was certainly not someone I felt romantic about.
I gathered up the documents we’d been reviewing, a burn rising behind my ribs. I rubbed at my chest with the heel of my hand, trying to recall if I’d eaten anything suspicious as I made my way down the massive set of stairs.
Something fluttery invaded my chest the night I’d bumped into Greta and hadn’t let go since. I was inclined to blame Lara’s terrible wine. If I were human, mortal, or otherwise susceptibleto illness, I might actually be concerned with the state of my heart. The only other explanation was some kind of magical interference, perhaps. My brother’s gifts included being able to conduct and direct electrical current with his hands, so some kind of friction due to the magic between us was another—albeit less likely—option, as it had never been an issue between us before.
Once I’d made my way to the second floor, I turned down the hall and unlocked the door of my apartment. After dropping the paperwork on the low coffee table, I sank into the plush dark-gray sofa, grateful for the resourcefulness of my brother and his staff. While not luxurious, the faculty quarters I’d been provided afforded all the comforts I needed while living and teaching at the collegium.
I closed my eyes, and unbidden, the image of Greta and her flushed cheeks swirled in my mind. It was ridiculous how many times her face had presented itself to me since our brief conversations. Eyes open or closed, it didn’t matter.
Her intelligent hazel eyes, incredible height, riot of short brown curls… everything about her had arrested my thoughts in a way I’d long forgotten was possible. It was thrilling, but the novelty of it also terrified me. It wasn’t like me to be so distracted by a woman, not even one such as her.
Frowning, I rubbed at my chest some more and got back to my feet. I decided distracting myself by setting up a two-way mirror and helping my brother pack was a far better option than sitting alone with my dangerous thoughts.
Chapter 4
Greta
“You made us look foolish,” Henrik hissed, pounding his fist firmly against the tabletop.
My cup jumped, some of my tea sloshing over the rim as I stared at the collection of gouges and divots in the table, chagrinned but unrepentant.
“And you diverted all the attention from Bea to yourself. You have no idea how important Mr. Feland is! He has titles, likely wealth beyond imagining. He seemed interested in Bea and her talents before you interrupted with your late arrival. I swear, Greta. It’s like you do these things on purpose,” Lara ranted, frantically waving her fork as she spoke.
I stilled. They often twisted things around to suit their needs, even when it made little sense to me, but Vassago had been quite clear—he’d come to interview us about a necklace and had no desire in being a potential suitor. I was beyond confused by their description of his visit’s intent. If he’d been there for Bea, I wouldn’t have been invited into the den. “I thought?—”
“I worry that you never think!” Lara pointed her finger at me, cutting herself off with a firm shake of her head. “After all we’ve done for you. All these years. I simply don’t understand!Even your trial for Mariam was a complete disaster. I cannot continue to find such opportunities for you only to have you fail spectacularly at them, you know. That’s seven now,sevenpotential other homes for you to gain work where you’ve botched the trial.”
Misery made me sag. She didn’t need to remind me about any of that. They’d gone so far as to allow me to do tests for other employers in their own home, and every single time, I messed it all up. The Goss brothers barely escaped me spilling their soup in their laps. I’d nearly fallen asleep at the feet of the old Cooke couple before he’d gotten through an incomprehensible series of interview questions. Each time was another crushing failure.
Lara huffed a breath. “By rights, we could have put you on the streets to fend for yourself years ago, if not for—” She stopped abruptly when Henrik cleared his throat. I looked between them, anxiety tingling along my skin at what they were leaving unsaid.
“We’ve always treated you uniquely to the other staff, and this is how you repay us?” Henrik asked, tone brutally quiet.
