Page 17 of The Hawk and the Nightingale

“As you say, my lady.” Amalie bowed her head. Varushka smiled, and moved on through the crowd. As soon as she was gone Amalie turned back to the platform; the guards were cutting down Iveta’s blood soaked body, then they carried her off the platform and away from view. Amalie knew she was being brought to Marek’s special chamber, but not the one where he slept. The one where he destroyed.

Iveta was dumped onto the floor in the servant’s wing shortly before sunrise. Those loyal to Amalie collected her, and brought the barely living girl to Amalie’s chamber. They laid her on Amalie’s bed, and brought hot water for a bath, and clear broth for Iveta to sip as soon as she was awake. Amalie and the rest of her handmaidens remembered the change well, and understood that once Iveta woke she would be ravenous, but too weak to consume blood for some time yet. That nightmare was yet to come. It was a nightmare Amalie had lived in for longer than she cared to think about.

And so Amalie cleaned and dressed Iveta’s wounds, and the rest of the servants took on Iveta’s duties and distracted the overseers so she had time to heal. Two full days after she’d been returned to Amalie, Iveta opened her eyes.

“I will destroy him for this,” Iveta rasped, her ravaged throat still only partly healed.

“We will,” Amalie promised. “Varushka, too.”

Chapter Thirteen

Hawk - Prague, Present Day

When Hawk returned to the infirmary, he found Amalie awake and sitting on the cot with her back against the wall. Iveta was sprawled out on the cot beside her, with her head lying in Amalie’s lap.

“How is she?” Hawk asked.

Amalie cocked an eyebrow at him. “Asking after Iveta before me?”

“You are obviously feeling better.” Hawk leaned over and kissed Amalie. “Tell me what you need.”

“We’re good,” Amalie said, then Iveta rolled onto her back and cracked an eyelid.

“A coffee would be great,” Iveta said. “Sugar, no milk. Some food would be nice, too. I assume you do feed your guests?”

“I have coffee already made upstairs,” he said. “Can you walk?”

“Of course,” Iveta said, then she stood and offered a hand to Amalie. “Food?”

“We have food in the kitchens, or we can have something delivered.” Amalie looped her arm with Hawk’s; he hadn’t realized how much he needed to touch her, to know she was all right, until she did that. He kissed the top of her head, and asked, “Are you feeling better?”

“I am.” She smiled up at him. “Thank you, for taking care of us.”

“Thank him later,” Iveta said. “I’m starving.”

Hawk brought them to the glass walled office he and Amalie had shared the night before. The room had been thoroughly cleaned, and to Hawk’s eyes it appeared to have never been used. Iveta took one step inside the room, breathed deeply, and narrowed her eyes at Amalie.

“Here, really?” she demanded. “He couldn’t be bothered to bring you to a proper bedroom?”

“Iveta,” Amalie said, her cheeks scarlet. “It wasn’t like that!”

Iveta took another deep breath. “Oh, yes it was. And you,” she said, rounding on Hawk. “You fuck where you keep your food?”

“Ahem.” Hawk felt his own face warm. “This is a private room reserved for me and my special guests. It has a wet bar, and a fridge.”

“And a very comfortable couch,” Amalie added.

“I am not sitting on that, not after what you two did.” Iveta went to the coffee machine and began pouring mugs. “What happened while we were out?”

“We’ve begun reinforcing the club.” Hawk went to the corner cabinet and withdrew a floor plan of the Moravian Ballroom, and spread it out on the table. “Peter—he’s my manager—has had all of the secondary entrances blocked. The only way in or out is through the front. That way, we can control how many of Marek’s people get inside, and how quickly. Also, we’ve put the word out that we’re closed tonight for a special event. Peter also obtained a few gallons of holy water. I’m not sure what he plans on doing with that; putting it in the sprinkler system, maybe?” He looked up, saw Amalie and Iveta’s bewildered faces. “What?”

“Why are you leading Marek here?” Amalie asked.

“You said his followers are young and inexperienced,” Hawk began. “Peter and I have put together a plan to lure them inside and, well, destroy them.” When neither woman spoke, Hawk asked, “Isn’t that what you want?”

“Yes, but why are you doing this?” Amalie pressed. “This isn’t your problem.”

“I disagree. I made you meet me here, in public. You were reticent, but I was desperate to know you, and because of my insistence I may have compromised your safety, and the safety of your people,” Hawk replied. “I need to make this right.”

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