Bitten in Two

Monique went back to mutilating my cake and sending Bergman around the room with the pieces.

Vayl turned to me. “You must pay a cal on Madame Ghoumari first thing tomorrow and make an appointment. I want to see her as soon after I wake as possible.” I put my hand on the phone in my jacket pocket. “But I could just—” Then I stopped. When people said “cal ” Vayl’s mind went to putting your feet on the welcome mat, because to him phones didn’t exist yet. “Okay. I’l make the arrangements.”

What a colossal pain in the ass this whole deal is turning out to be. If this isn’t some sort of vampiric disease, but an actual attack on him, and I someday come face-to-face with the person responsible? We’re talking some meticulous, well-orchestrated torture before we ever get down to the killing.

Now that he was finished with me, Vayl ignored me like I was an embarrassing relative. I stood on the other side of the doorframe and jammed a whole day’s worth of calories into my mouth, wishing it didn’t taste so good because now I wanted to eat the whole cake. With my hands. I could just see myself at the end, sitting on a crumb-covered pil ow, my face smeared with fuchsia icing, bawling because I’d just consumed a week’s worth of meals in one sitting and I still wanted to punch my lover in the face!

Okay, this is pathetic. Go to your room. Get a grip.

Call Cassandra. Call Sterling if you have to. Get some sleep. In the morning you’ll have a better idea what to do.

I was on the landing, heading up the second set of steps when Kyphas caught me.

“Are you insane?” she asked. My adrenaline surged as her eyes flashed yel ow in the light of the glittering glass chandelier that hung from the ceiling.

I spun, facing her completely, as if she’d pul ed on me and we were about to do battle. But she stood stil at the bottom of the stairs, her hands at her sides, one of them clutching a tahruyt, which anyone else would’ve thought she’d bought on her latest shopping trip. Of Berber weave, the scarf’s gold and ochre stripes brought out the repetitive black designs tooled on top of them, one of which resembled intertwined sickles, while the other reminded me of dagger-impaled hearts. But I knew the tahruyt was more than it seemed. Just like I knew Kyphas couldn’t be shrugged off as an exceptional y beautiful American girl whose braid shone like ripe wheat on her shoulder.

I kept a wary eye on the tahruyt as I said, “The last time I checked, Vayl was the one having trouble with reality.”

“That’s exactly my point.” She came to stand on the same tread as me. I moved toward the wal , glad that we’d rented a place where even the stairs were wide enough to grab personal space.

I said, “What, that I’m crazy because Vayl can’t figure out what year it is?”

She shook her head. “I’m standing here looking at you, thinking you’re nuts for stil hanging around. I mean, you and Vayl have been together as a couple for what, two weeks?”

“More like eleven days,” I mumbled.

Her mouth drooped, like I’d just rescinded al her vacation time. “You don’t have that much invested in this relationship. And you’re looking at eternity with a man who can’t remember one single moment of the time you spent together as a couple. Why aren’t you and Cole on a plane to Cleveland right now? I mean, there’s a guy who knows your real name.” She raised her fingers to tick off the advantages as she listed them. “He loves you; I’ve heard him say so. He’s not a vampire, so you could have children.

He’s funny. He’s sweet. Where’s the downside?” She forgot to say he’s yummy. It was my Inner Bimbo, staying home for once. It must’ve been Monday in my mind.

Which made a lot of sense, considering. She lounged in a black negligee and transparent robe on a round bed covered with a faux tiger-skin spread. I’m imagining Cole in a pair of skimpy black shorts, all oiled up like one of those calendar models. Yup. He’d be way more fun than

—

Shut up, I told her. Anyone who’d do it in the back of a

’79 Pinto doesn’t get a vote.

But Kyphas sure thought she had a say. “Vayl is only going to become a bigger burden to you. Cut him loose before his enemies realize he’s become vulnerable and you spend what’s left of your life fighting for a brief interlude that wil never happen again.”

I leaned in to the wal , feeling the knife in my pocket slide back as my balance changed. “I could have Cole anytime I wanted. I don’t need your help, if it comes to that.

So why are you real y here?”

She nodded, giving me a good-on-you look that reminded me of al the times I’d passed Vayl’s little tests.

The bitch. “I knew you were a quick study. Of course, if you real y wanted Cole, I could smooth the road for the rest of your lives. But you and I both know he’s not your true desire.”

“No?”

She shook her head. “You want Vayl back? I could give him to you. Along with your job. Just like it was before your boss went and got his throat slashed.”

“Who did it?” I demanded.

She wagged a finger in front of my face, which I had a juvenile desire to bite. “Information is expensive, Jasmine.

Are you wil ing to pay for the name of Pete’s kil er?” I realized I’d pushed forward, letting her know how eager I was for any facts I could gather related to his case. I let my shoulder blades fal against the wal .