The Vampire’s Servant novel Chapter 146

I appeared in an office that was very nicely decorated. There was a stately desk with two leather armchairs in front of it. Behind the leather office chair were some wood paneled filing cabinets.

The room was done in rich cherry tones with lighter pink and forest green accents. It felt very inviting. Silence was standing nearby, looking at me curiously.

She was regal in her nice suit. She looked like a very serious business woman, just a step down in elegance from what she looked like at the ball. Her hair was done up in a severe bun and she was wearing just a light amount of makeup.

“Mistress Nightshade.” She said with a slight bow.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Silence. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”

“Please, have a seat. I’ll have Drew bring some refreshments. Is there anything you’d like?” Silence asked.

“Blood tea, please.” I smiled.

“I didn’t realize you were drinking blood still. I thought you had gone back to human food.” She replied.

“I have blood foods added to my menu. It helped me heal a lot and aided my recovery from malnourishment. Thank you, again for helping Victor save me.”

“No problem at all. It made me realize how complacent I had become in my position. As a lieutenant for the territory, I am finding my stride with the added work and starting to realize there was just not enough to keep me occupied before.” Silence said.

She smiled tightly. I knew this had to be uncomfortable for her. Talking to humans about vampire business wasn’t something vampires did.

“I didn’t know if you were aware, but Talia named me Master of the territory recently. That’s part of the reason I had Victor’s work split between you and Talon. I’m not as adept at knowing what is right and healthy for vampires. I want to keep the territory in good shape for Victor’s return.” I told her.

“So he really has been taken by the curse?”

“Yes. But this should stay between us and Talon. I don’t want any revolt from the other vampires if they found out a dhampyr was in charge of the territory.” I replied.

The door to the office opened and Drew came in with a tea service. He settled it carefully and poured tea for both of us. I added sugar and cream to mine and sipped it. O positive.

I could see why Victor liked negative types better. They didn’t have that thicker flavor. They were just smoother.

“Is there anything else I can get for you, Mistress?” Drew asked.

“No. Go work on cleaning up. We have guests coming this evening.” She said, shooing him away.

We sipped our tea for a little longer. This room was more peaceful than my office. There was no cat in the corner being obnoxious. No shuffling of paper and sighing. No feeling of barely contained urgency.

“How is the territory doing?” I asked.

“All vampires seem content. The daytime servant agency has a building not far from here. They’re figuring out the best way to vet humans before sending them out to vampires in need.” Silence answered.

“Good. I’m glad it’s coming together.” I smiled.

“Why are you here, Mistress Nightshade? What can I do for you? I can’t imagine you came here just to chat about the territory. You gave me and Talon the work of caring for the vampires because you knew you weren’t fit for it. You can’t be second guessing yourself.” She sighed. “I could have told you all this over the phone.”

“I’m not. I just wanted an update before I moved on to what I’m really here for. You do blood draws here, correct?” I asked.

“Yes.” Silence said hesitantly.

“I want my blood drawn. I need to take the blood back for Victor. I figured this was the safest way to get him my blood.” I told her.

“Oh. Yes, Drew can draw your blood and give you the bags. We will assist Master Nightshade in any way we can and would be more than happy to help in this manner. As much as I like you, and goodness knows Drew is half in love with you, I would rather have an elder vampire running this territory than a dhampyr who isn’t even old enough to drink.” She replied.

I understood that. Vampires respected age. There were no vampires my age and my lack of experience wouldn’t lend to any sort of confidence.

“Frankly, I was thrilled when he announced that he had been named Master of the territory. His declaration of you as his Solus Amor at the ball turned heads. No one has found a Solus Amor here in a century. Everyone was hopeful this would ring in a new era for the place.” Silence said.

“With luck, we’ll have this curse broken sooner rather than later and people will find their mates. We’ve already broken a portion of it and we have an idea how to fix other parts. We’re just waiting on everything we need for it.” I confided.

“And we’ll be able to leave this place? Not that I want to quit my position, I would just like to go visit my sire. I haven’t seen him since fifty years before I moved here. I’ve warned him away from this territory, because I didn’t know how quickly the curse would trap us. I tried to leave a decade after I moved here and I nearly drained Drew after we crossed the state lines into Nevada.” She told me.

“I promise. I will break this curse and you will all be free to come and go as you please.” I said.

“I’ll hold you to that, Mistress. Drew is waiting for you in the hallway. He will take you to our blood drawing room. It takes about twenty to thirty minutes and he’ll want you to have a snack and rest before you leave.” Silence replied, standing behind her desk.

I set the tea cup down and stood as well. She swept her arm toward the door and I went out into the hall. Drew was standing there, as she said he would be, and guided me to a room in the back with a small bed with an adjustable base.

He worked quietly and diligently. It was like an entirely different side of Drew. I liked it a lot more than I thought I should. Drew was fun, but I liked knowing he could get to business too.

Soon, I was sitting in the bed with a needle in my arm, watching my blood flow into the thick blood bag at the foot of the bed. I was relieved that it was so easy to care for Victor while he was safely tucked away. I knew he would be grateful. Once he realized I kept him safe, Victor would be so happy with me.

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[Gray]

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I turned in time to see Echo disappear. She didn’t even hesitate. All she ever talked about anymore was the curse and Victor.

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