Page 24 of Cruelly Fated
Valor produced a black square of velvet and held it out. I frowned—a handkerchief? I took it automatically, staring at the embroidered red “V” in the corner, then thrust it towards him.
“I can’t use this. I’ll get blood on it—”
The vampire gently pushed my hand back, a small smile on his lips. “That’s the point. A gentlemanly gesture and an apology for causing you distress. Your manager assured me… Well, never mind.”
I dabbed the blood beneath my nose and leaned my head back against the wall, hoping gravity would stop the bleeding. Now I was stuck staring up at the mysterious stranger who looked like he’d just stepped off the cover ofFae Fortuneor some high-powered Wall Street mag.
I groaned. “Larry is…Larry.” The cold-blooded sleazeball chased every dollar. One glance at Valor in his sleek suit and polished shoes, and Larry would roll out the crimson carpet, even if the vampire were a serial killer.
Valor flashed a row of perfectly straight white teeth, the telltale fangs now retracted.
“You want a free tip?” he said. “Next time you use an illusion, don’t run.”
“Ha ha,” I deadpanned.
His brows lifted slightly, curious now, maybe even impressed.
“I was skeptical when Kyon told me about your gift. But whatever you did feltreal. Have you ever tried developing it?”
I frowned. “No. It’s a useless task.” I blinked, my head finally clearing. “Why are you here again?”
Valor’s expression darkened with something unreadable.
“Kyon requested to see you. We need your help.” He lowered his voice and leaned closer. “I can’t speak here.”
I studied him. Kyon and I had a deal, and yesterday he was content waiting until next Wednesday. What changed?
“I can’t leave. My shift is about to start,” I said, rising to my feet and offering the bloodstained handkerchief back to him.
“Keep it,” he said, not missing a beat.
“And besides,” I added, “aren’t visitations limited to once a week? I’m sure he’d rather spend his time with his family than waste it on me.”
“His family would rather forget he exists,” Valor said quietly. “And they nearly succeeded.”
My stomach twisted.I thought…Marley said Kyon was the dragon king’s son—a literal prince. What did he do, for his own blood to cut him off like that? What didIdo by drawing his attention to my family?
“Lucky for you, VIP visitors can come and go as they please, and you’re looking at one,” Valor said.
“So you’re one ofthem? A prince.” I did a double take. He fit the profile perfectly. What were the odds of me meeting two princes in a span of two weeks?
He chuckled, amused. “That’s what they call us. Yes.”
“Why does he want to see me? We had a deal.”
“Your grandfather’s safe,” he said. “Kyon simply wants to ask you a favor. Would you accompany me?”
The way he spoke, so polite and confident, made the outright refusal difficult.
“What about my job?” I asked. “I can’t afford to lose a shift.”
“I’ve got this,” he said smoothly. “Meet you at the front?”
And before I could agree or argue, he vanished, the back-room door swinging shut in his wake. A shiver passed through me.
I crept toward the entrance, peeking out just in time to catch Valor speaking to Larry, my boss’s big-fish air oozing out of him. Valor handed Larry a business card and a thick wad of bills.
My bag had somehow landed near the bar. I grabbed it, slinging it over my shoulder, and meandered toward the main entrance. Valor waited there already, flashing in place as if he’d never left and holding the door open.
