Page 81 of Claim of Blood
The pause that followed was brittle.
“That’s when the Walkers showed up,” he finally whispered. “They pulled him off me. Killed him. Told me I was lucky.”
Kenneth didn’t move, but Adam saw his hands clench briefly at his sides.
Joshua wrapped his arms around himself. “They gave me clean clothes, food, a place to sleep. Told me the real monsters were hiding in plain sight. Vampires, witches, shifters. That if I stayed with them, I’d be safe.”
His voice broke again. “I didn’t really believe it. It sounded like church all over again. Fire and demons. But... they fed me. And they were kind. Kinder than anyone else had been in years. They gave me something to do. A place to belong. I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
“Then they gave us this job. Said it was just a test. One night. One kill.” Joshua looked up, voice raw. “I just wanted to survive.”
Kenneth was quiet for a long moment, studying the scarred teenager with something approaching recognition. Finally, he helped Joshua to his feet with surprising gentleness.
“Please,” Joshua whispered, swaying slightly. “I don’t want to die.”
“You’re not going to die,” Kenneth said softly. “But you’re going to need to earn that mercy.”
Adam watched this exchange with growing interest. Kenneth’s protective instincts were clearly engaged, but the vampire was too smart to simply declare his intentions outright.
“Kenneth,” Adam said carefully, “are you requesting guardianship of this particular stray?”
Kenneth’s answering smile held depths Adam rarely saw from the usually flippant vampire. “If you’ll permit it. He could be... useful to me.”
Adam considered for a moment. Kenneth was more than capable of handling one lost teenager. The intelligence value of having a former hunter, however reluctant and brief, who understood the Walkers’ recruitment methods could prove useful. “Very well. But with conditions.”
“Of course.”
“He doesn’t leave your residence unless you’re with him. He’s not permitted in PDC proper, and he has no involvement in your business operations. No access to Court information beyond basic protocols.” Adam’s tone brooked no argument. “His freedom is forfeit until the Court Council determines he poses no threat.”
Kenneth nodded without hesitation. “Agreed.” He turned to Joshua, voice firming. “You will thank Adam for sparing your life. Now.”
“Thank you,” Joshua whispered, voice shaking but sincere. “Thank you for letting me live. I’m grateful, I swear.”
Adam raised an eyebrow at Kenneth’s presumption. “Don’t thank me just yet, boy. You may not be permitted to live long if you prove troublesome.”
Fresh sobs wracked Joshua’s thin shoulders, but Kenneth’s hand settled on him, steadying. “You’ll learn,” Kenneth murmured. “I’ll see to it.”
Kenneth surveyed the neat arrangement of bodies, his entrepreneurial instincts returning with startling speed. “Oh,” he breathed, clearly struck by inspiration. “Not a drop wasted. Pristine condition. Do you know how rare it is to get hunter blood this fresh?”
Adam shot him a look that questioned his priorities, but Kenneth was already calculating profit margins.
“I’ll handle the cleanup,” Kenneth went on, now eyeing the corpses like inventory. “Nathaniel’s crew can wait an hour or two.”
“Very well.” Adam’s tone suggested he was choosing not to comment on Kenneth’s enthusiasm. “Though do remind Nathaniel that his pack’s cleaning fees are becoming rather creative lately.”
“That’s because someone keeps giving him ideas about ‘hazard pay,’” Maja said dryly as they moved toward the door. “I believe his exact words were, ‘supernatural pest control deserves premium rates.’”
As they reached the exit, the door opened to reveal a tall, lean vampire with aristocratic features and an expression of weary patience. Jon paused, taking in the carnage, then the blood-free but terrified teenager, and sighed deeply.
“Jon!” Kenneth’s voice held the manic brightness of a startup pitch. “Perfect timing. Think about it—Hunter’s Reserve. We could triple our premium bloodwine prices! Oh, and this,” he gestured to the trembling boy, “is my new... project.”
Jon’s expression suggested he’d just bitten into something particularly sour. “I... what?”
“Don’t worry,” Kenneth said cheerfully. “He’s coming back to Innsbrook with me immediately. No business involvement whatsoever. Adam’s orders.”
“Let me guess,” Jon’s dry tone carried down the hall as Adam and Maja stepped out. “You still expect me to do the actual draining for your Hunter’s Reserve?”
“Well, of course!” Kenneth’s delighted response echoed behind them. “You’re the only one who gets the right ratios for proper aging.”
