Bitten in Two

recovery. While she sleeps, pack as if we are simply taking a short trip. But take everything we cannot do without. I shall go and book tickets on the first steamer out of port.” (And then we will board the second. Perhaps that will throw Roldan off long enough for me to devise a better plan.) Sharp pain, beginning at my neck and shooting around to my spine, ending at the backs of my knees. Which had begun a fine tremble. I felt Vayl’s former reality melt away and reached out for it, as if I could give it enough support to find out what happened to Helena. “No, no,” I heard myself murmur. “Where’d she go?”

I felt something impeding my hand, which wanted badly to reconstruct the picture in my head, and realized it was a broad, hard chest. I rol ed my head straight, letting the wal behind me provide support for a heaviness I was pretty sure my neck couldn’t yet handle, and peered up at my sverhamin. He stared down at me, his eyes dark as a forest path. I watched him lick my blood from his lips. Felt him press his handkerchief against my wound, his fingers so warm I could feel each one of them through the linen.

“You are too generous with me, my Jasmine, you always have been.”

“What?” I slapped my hand against his so he couldn’t back away. “What did you cal me?”

His eyebrows twitched. “Are you quite al right?”

“What is my name?” I demanded.

“Madame Berggia, of course. It always has—”

“You just cal ed me Jasmine.”

He pul ed his hand away, leaving me to hold the temporary bandage. Even if I hadn’t been able to read irritation in the lines between his forehead and beside his lips, I’d have sensed his withdrawal from a mile away. No wonder Wraiths were often found encased in the ice of their own breath. Eventual y you get so cold nobody wants to touch you.

He said, “If I did, which I am certain I did not, it was no doubt a slip of the tongue engendered by the fact that I have been corresponding with a lovely woman from this city who goes by that name.”

“You’re so ful a shit,” I muttered.

“Excuse me?”

“I said I need to learn to knit.” I began trudging in the direction of Sister Hafeza’s shop. I was real y trying to feel like crap. It seemed like the appropriate moment and al .

But my postdonation high had kicked in, big-time. And I had to think Vayl whispering my name was a hopeful sign. An unbreakable curse showed no weak seams to begin with.

I’d just found one. Which meant this state Vayl had found himself didn’t have to be permanent after al .

If I skipped down the street, would he pul out the pockhole and try to fire me again? It might be fun to tel him to shove the snooty. Only then I wouldn’t get to read any more hot love letters. Oh! No, I didn’t… yup. Just shower me with confetti now, girls. Because I’ve just dreamed up the best note motivator ever!

I said, “Speaking of that Jasmine chick. She didn’t just have a courier drop her letter by. She brought it herself.

While you were, uh, sleeping.”

“What? I missed her?” I didn’t dare look at him; he’d pick up on my barely disguised glee. “Did she resemble the portrait?”

“Why wouldn’t she?”

“Oh. You know how artists take liberties.” Aw, man, don’t tell me 1777 Vayl is shallow too!

“Would it matter?” I asked.

“Not the least,” he said. “But now I know the face I envision every time I close my eyes is genuinely hers.”

“Oh, okay. Wel , uh, then you could understand why she wanted to take a look at you too.”

“She… wanted to see me? During my day-sleep?”

“Wel , we said no. But this girl, she’s very strong-wil ed.

Just insisted. Said things like she couldn’t go another day without gazing upon your manly visage or some such thing.

And we couldn’t be responsible for her jumping off a parapet, could we? So, you know, we gave her a peek.” Now I just had to look. Vayl was staring down the street we’d turned onto, past the crowds of pedestrians, into a world that looked like it kinda freaked him out. “What did she say?” he whispered.

“She was concerned that you sleep with your mouth open. Because, you know, bugs and dust can get in.”

“Oh.” Destitute. What, had he forgotten the note already? I decided to let him off the hook.

“And she liked your butt.”

He jerked his eyes to mine. “What?”

“Of course, being a lady, she couldn’t say it out loud.

But you were lying on your side, so there it was, al outlined by your, um, that thing you wear to bed. And I could just tel .” His chest swel ed with the breath he took. “I wil write her tonight. I wil demand to meet her.” His hands clenched.

I could tel he was imagining what he wanted to do to her…

me… with them. It took my breath away.