“Distanced…myself?” There was a lump growingin my throat now, one I couldn’t swallow no matter how hard Itried. But I didn’t want to let Corbin know. “Sure,” I made myselfsay. “I can, uh, switch with a coworker, I guess.”
“Good. I think that would be for the best.Goodbye.” He nodded at the door. When I didn’t go to it, he took meby the arm and marched me to it. “I said goodbye, Addison,”he said, releasing my arm and taking a step back.
Feeling like I had no choice, I opened thedoor. Then I just stood there, staring out into the hallway, unableto cross the threshold.
It occurred to me that this was the samedoor I had refused to take when I thought Corbin’s life might be indanger. The door I had avoided to stay and help him fight. And yetnow that the danger was past, I was letting him force me out of itwith banalities and irritation.
No, this isn’t right. Something aboutthis is wrong! whispered a little voice in my head.
I turned to face him, looking up into hiseyes, searching for something though I didn't know what.
“Corbin—” I started to say.
“Goodbye, Addison,” he said firmly and shutthe door in my face.
Chapter Twenty
“Addison, I think you’d better get overhere.”
Taylor’s voice on the phone soundedworried—it put me on high alert at once.
“Why, what’s going on? Is that jerk of awerewolf giving you trouble?”
“Who, Victor? No, he still hasn’t shownup.”
“He hasn’t?” I was immediately indignant.“Does he want you to starve to death? Doesn’t he know he’s the onlyone you can feed from? I’m going to call him and give him a pieceof my min—”
“I’m not worried about Victor right now,”Taylor interrupted. “I mean, I’m getting pretty thirsty but I’ll beokay…for a little while longer, anyway.”
“Well then, why should I come over there?Especially when I’ve been asked to stay away?” It had been a weeksince our last encounter and Corbin’s request that a differentAuditor be assigned to inspect his business still stung.
“It’s Corbin—you need to come see him,”Taylor said.
My heart leapt up into my throat. “What?Why? Why didn’t he call me himself?”
She sighed. “He doesn’t know I’m making thiscall. But Addison, you need to see for yourself—something isn’tright.”
This time my heart plunged into my stomach.Wow, I was really getting some great cardiac calisthenics here.
“What do you mean—what’s wrong?” Iasked.
She sighed again and I could almost see herrunning a hand through her hair. “It’s Master Corbin.”
“Master? Really?”
“Well, he did rescue me from Celeste,which makes him my master now,” she said, soundinguncharacteristically snappish. “Cut me some slack, Addison—I’mtrying to tell you I think Corbin’s in trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?” I thought of himsaying that the Empress would not be pleased to receive Roderick’sremains. “Are other vampires involved?” I asked. “Are they comingafter him?”
“No, nothing like that. It’s the way he’sacting…the way he looks.”
“Why—what is he doing?”
“All week he’s been talking to legal peopleabout the club, calling staff in and thanking them for all theirhard service. He even told me he hoped I would have a very happylife and gave me some tips on how to be a more effectivevampire.”
I was drawing a blank. “So?”
“So? Addison, it’s like…like he’s sayinggoodbye.”
“So maybe he’s selling the club,” I said,though I couldn’t imagine Corbin giving it up—Under the Fangwas his baby.
“It doesn’t feel like that,” Taylor saidquietly. “It feels like he’s setting his affairs in order.”
“What? But he’s perfectly fine.” I thoughtof Corbin the last time I had seen him—he had been the picture ofvampire health.
“No, he’s not,” Taylor said. “In fact,especially in the past day or two, well, he doesn’t look sogood.”
“You’re saying he’s sick? Vampire’s don’tget sick.”
“Corbin is. He’s different, Addison. Palerthan usual. Quieter. I haven’t seen him feed once in the pastweek.”
“So maybe he’s just hungry.”
The thought that Corbin might be starvinghimself for love of me occurred but I pushed it away. As gratifyingas it might be, there was no way it could happen. Corbin, like allvampires, was a purely practical creature. There was no way hewould go on a hunger strike just for me, especially when he hadpushed me so neatly out of his life himself.
“No, that’s the thing,” Addison protested,breaking my train of thought. “I honestly think he’s nothungry. I saw one of the glam-girls offer him her wrist last night.She was all, ‘Drink, my Master.’ But he pushed her away and said,‘Forgive me. I have no appetite.’ Now does that sound like Corbinto you?”
I had to admit it didn’t. Corbin had neverbeen one to turn down a free snack. So what was going on?
“Maybe I should come down and just have alook around,” I said.
“Yes, please do. Maybe I’m just imaginingthings but…I don’t think so.” Taylor sounded upset. “I’m reallyworried about him, Addison.”
“All right.” I looked at my watch. “My shiftstarts in a few minutes. I’ll make Under the Fang my firststop.”
“I thought he asked you to get anotherAuditor to inspect him?”
“He did.” I cleared my throat. “Ijust…haven’t gotten around it yet.”
“Okay, see you in a few,” she said and hungup.
* * * * *
The trip to Under the Fang didn’ttake long and before I knew it I was striding over the familiarred, black, and silver dance floor. The glam-booths were full, asusual, and there were lines of humans eagerly waiting to be glammedby the bored looking vampires but they didn’t hold myattention.
I ignored the pounding beat of the music andthe laughing patrons—it was like I didn’t even see them. Instead Ilooked at the raised dais where Corbin usually sat and rememberedhow he had taken me over his knee and spanked me there. I had beenfurious at him but then afterward when he had healed me sogently…and then the next night in his office… No, stop thinkingabout it, I told myself sternly. You’re just here to checkon him and then you’ll be on your way.
Lifting my chin, I left the dance floor andfollowed the long hallway down to the business end of the clubwhere Corbin kept his office and daylight hiding place. It wasunnaturally
