Page 46 of House of Vampires and Flame

“I’m a hard worker,” I said. “You want me to be your new squire?”

“Why not? It doesn’t hurt to add another squire to my pile,” he said.

“So, you want me to carry your sword—or in Your Highness’s case, your wand? And when you’re killed, I’ll make sure you get an honorable burial?”

He growled. “What the fuck are you saying, boy?” Menace rolled off the powerful mage prince, all his good nature and playfulness vanishing.

Bea tensed, waving her demure hands in front of her. “Your Highness, Little Bob didn’t mean it.”

“That’s my job for Prince Louis.” I shrugged. “I assumed you’d want me for the same.”

Cade narrowed his deep turquoise eyes. “Did Louis tell you those were your duties?”

“I asked him if that was what he wanted me to do, since that was what a squire did for his knight in the old days. My prince didn’t say otherwise, so I assumed that was it. I requested to have my job description along with my pay written into a contract. I’ll have to follow up with His Highness. It’s been a week and he hasn’t paid me.” I bit my lip, anxiety knotting my stomach. “I’m going to see Prince Louis now to get it sorted out.”

Think of all those times he made me watch him fuck! I wasn’t going to watch it for free anymore! I had bills to pay.

Cade stared at me incredulously, then suddenly roared with laughter while running a hand over his reddish hair.

His mage minions joined in the laughter.

I didn’t see how it was funny that Prince Louis hadn’t paid me. The rich really had no idea how the poor suffered.

“Aren’t you a delight, Little Bob?” he purred.

I gave Bea a look, knowing that she wouldn’t be punished since Cade was obviously in a good mood. He was delighted.

“No sir, but I gotta go,” I said. “Have a good day.”

Without another word, I shot away from his table and flew down the stairs before his mage minions could stop me.

I was out of the door in seconds.

11

“Prince Louis is gone,” Drusilla said as soon as she saw me shooting into the maroon stone building of the House of Vampires.

Was she waiting for me in the lobby to deliver the bad news? Two attendants stood behind the counter, browsing through their tablets, probably on Spinchat.

Bad news traveled fast.

“Gone?” I widened my eyes, shifting my weight from my left foot to the right uncomfortably. “Who killed him?” I shook my head in dismay. “Fuck, I’m too late! Now who is going to reimburse me for my one week’s hard work? I’m now worried sick that he might not have told the accountant that I am on the payroll! I just can’t get a break, can I?”

And I had to worry about burying him. I hadn’t even picked a graveyard for him yet. I was new to this realm!

Drusilla glared at me, which seemed to dilute her moping. As his PA, she usually followed him around. Everyone could see that she had a crush on her boss. Too bad that she had to be the one who kept bringing gorgeous women to his rooms for him to feed on and fuck.

I didn’t think that she ever got fucked, even though she was a blonde, and Louis had a thing for blondes. But at least he didn’t ask her to watch him fuck, as he demanded of me.

The vampire prince got off on seeing me flush with anger and desire, anger from me and desire from Sy. He could smell her desire and mistook it as mine.

That was one of the reasons that I asked Bea to find some spells and potions to turn my golden curls to straight, dark hair. I wanted to turn him off with my new look.

Drusilla shook her head, her high ponytail swinging, as if she was disappointed in me. Actually, it was more than disappointment. I rocked on my toes and retreated a step, just in case she tried to hit me with the tablet in her hand.

She straightened her silver chalice shirt and smart pants. She always wore pants. One day, I’d tell her that she could try a miniskirt without wearing panties, then sit across from Louis, lifting her foot subtly and crossing her leg a few times while taking notes from him.

I saw an old movie once, and the woman in it got into the cop’s pants with that move.

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