Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 85552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“I’m pretty heavy-handed with the peppers and goat meat.” She inhaled her pipe and blew out smoke. “I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s absolutely fine.”
“And what do you want to drink?” She eyed me. “Tea, wine, or water?”
“Tea and whatever wine you have would be great.” I did my best to suppress my joy.
I hadn’t enjoyed a glass of wine in all the two years I’d been a domina. We were forbidden to drink spirits. The king believed it might interfere with our ability to breed.
“And where are you from, Camille?” the old woman asked. “You have a southerner’s accent.”
“Enough talking,” Xander warned.
An upbeat piano played somewhere in the building. Lots of chatter accompanied the music. I could barely make out what the people were saying or exactly where they were located.
We must have been pretty far back in the hotel.
“Do you have a bar or restaurant here?” I ignored Xander’s warning.
“Oh, yes.” She tapped the edge of her pipe. The ground mushrooms lit up to fiery embers. Smoke swirled up. “I have the biggest bar in Freemont. After you clean up, you should come down. I have some beautiful dresses that would fit you and just go lovely with your captivating red hair.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ve never seen red hair before.” She studied my strands with curiosity. “Not since I was a little girl.”
I quirked my brows. “Where did you see it?”
“Don’t worry about giving Camille dresses.” Xander tugged on my arm. “We won’t be visiting the bar.”
“And why not?” She asked.
Xander groaned in annoyance.
I decided not to respond.
“Xander, I know very well what you do and why you do it.” The woman pulled out a long white cord from her dress’s pocket. At least thirty or forty keys hung from it. She searched through a few of them as they jingled against each other. “I raised you, boy. There’s no need to keep secrets.”
She raised him?
“Yes, there is a reason for secrets,” Xander replied. “And I’m a man now.”
“No.” She picked a crooked black key. “You’re a vampire. It’s time you embrace that.”
“I have embraced it. I drink blood with the best of them.” Xander released my hand.
She unlocked and opened the door.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” She fanned the smoke in the air and lit a candle on the dresser near the door.
Xander and I headed into the room.
No paint existed on the wooden walls. A black shaggy carpet lay on the floor. Jade curtains adorned the only window in the room. A large bed stood in the center with an olive quilt.
The scent of polish and cleaning fluid lingered in the space.
She turned our way and placed her hands on her hips. “Will you need more than one room?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“No. We should stay together.” Xander looked at me.
I blinked. “What?”
“Don’t worry. I’m a gentle vampire. You’ll take the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor.”
The woman’s face went to mine as if waiting for my reply.
“Then we’ll only need one room,” I muttered, not really sure if it was a good idea or not. However, the focus was to save money and get home safely.
She strolled to the door and then paused. “How is Octavia?”
“Enough.” Xander’s face held a pained look as if he were about to get angry but was holding all his rage inside.
Maybe Octavia and he weren’t lovers, but they probably grew up together.
“Octavia doesn’t visit me anymore.” She stood in the doorway. “Three months ago she used to come by every weekend and give proper respect. Now I’m lucky to get a letter from her.”
I didn’t know her relationship to Octavia, but for some reason I felt sad for the woman.
Therefore, I blurted out what I knew, “She probably hasn’t come because three months ago, the Quiet King forbade all princesses from leaving Capitol City.”
“Thank you for telling me. I was so worried.” She placed the pipe’s end between her lips. A cloud of smoke escaped her nostrils. “If the king added more restrictions, then it must have been even more difficult for you to escape.”
I bit my lip.
I should have listened to Xander and kept my mouth closed.
“Don’t worry. I worked as a maid for fifty years in the castle. I can sniff out a domina from miles away, dirty shirt or not.” She waved away some of the smoke. “You’re lucky to have Xander helping you. He’s a good vampire and an excellent Path Finder.”
“We’re done talking.” Xander stomped toward the window and closed the curtains. “The more information you both share, the more you put each other in danger.”
“Oh hush. I’m eighty-five years old.” She chuckled. “I’ve enjoyed my life. If I died tonight, I’d be happy and content.”
Xander murmured, “Blasted woman.”
She focused on me. “I’ll bring you soup and clothes. There are plenty of towels in the bathroom, but try to conserve the water when you shower. This is not the castle’s bath areas. I’m only rationed a small water supply per month.”