Beholden (10 page)

“Immature or not, you must take care to remember who this girl belongs to,” Alexandru returned in the same tone of voice.

Zari, sensing a sudden tension in the air, instinctively huddled closer to her Master.

Alexandru automatically wrapped an arm around her waist even as his gaze went to the boy.

Erou’s teeth gnashed against each other when he saw the other man smirk.
Damn him.
He swore to himself then that he’d get back at the hunter, no matter what.

“Lord Erou, my pet had her vision when she was in your company. This is likely to mean that the murders had occurred at a place you had recently visited.”

Erou raised a brow. “I’m surprised you aren’t considering me a suspect.”

“I would have known right away if you meant my pet harm. I am her Master, after all.”

Zari couldn’t make herself look at her Master after such words. She was blushing too hard because of it. However, it didn’t make her completely happy, the words making her glumly wonder if this was the last time she would hear Alexandru call himself her Master.

Her heart lurched at the thought, but she forced all feelings of despair aside, telling herself she had to concentrate on the case. Several innocent people had already died, and she had to do what she could to prevent another murder from taking place.

Erou was recounting the places that he had been to, with Alexandru listening intently. “None of those seem to fit. All those places are too public, and the way the bodies have been mutilated, it appeared the killer had all the time in the world to torture his victims.”

Erou rubbed his jaw. “A private place…”

“But what about the library, Lord Erou? Didn’t you tell me earlier about visiting the library?” Zari ventured.

Alexandru asked, “You went to one?”

Erou nodded. “But I didn’t think it was worth mentioning because a library didn’t seem a likely place for the murders to take place.”

“But what if the killer had access to the library at night?” Zari suggested. “Like an employee, something like that?”

“The lady may be on to something, milord,” one of Alexandru’s men piped in.

The compliment was unexpected, and Zari would have blushed if not for her Master suddenly flicking her forehead. She yelped in pain instead. “What was that for?”

Not wanting to tell her he didn’t like her looking cute in front of so many men, Alexandru lied gruffly, “There was an, err, insect about to bite you.”

Behind Alexandru, his men groaned in unison through the blood bond they shared with their leader.

Alexandru grimaced.
Shut up.

****

The library was a three-story concrete building, with guards at every entrance. Located at one of the smaller streets in town, she saw how it could serve as a place of murder. Her skin chilled as she continued to study its dark shadow, and she knew it was an ominous sign of things to come.

She closed her eyes and when she opened it, everything was red again.

She gasped, and the red veil covering the world disappeared.

Beside her, Alexandru asked sharply, “Another vision?”

Zari nodded. “I feel like…something’s about to happen.” She let out a frustrated sigh. “I wish I could understand how this…I wish I could understand my visions more.”

Seeing Erou about to open his mouth and spout out more useless platitudes made Alexandru say harshly, “It’s not like you could readily do anything if you did see more of the murders.” He had wanted to assure her that she was not to blame. But the moment the words left his mouth, Alexandru knew they hadn’t come out the way he intended them to.

The words had his men looking away uncomfortably, Erou glaring at him, and Zari—

She didn’t look like she was about to cry. This time, she only looked sad
.

Alexandru cursed under his breath. “Zari—”

“I understand.” She bowed her head in apology.
 

His mood worsened, the fact that she had preferred to bow in apology like a supplicant instead of calling him Master not slipping his notice. The distance between him and his pet just kept growing. He should have been happy about it, but he wasn’t. Goddammit, he wasn’t.

Without a word, he stalked towards her, curved an arm around her waist, and made a leap to the third-floor balcony. He took another leap, landing on the roof of the building. Through his blood bond, he told his men to scatter and take Lord Erou with them.
I’ll take care of the third floor with the soul seer. Just be certain you keep Lord Erou well away from me unless the killer’s been found.

Zari’s eyes closed the moment she realized they were up in the air, and her arms automatically went around him.
 

When she opened her eyes, they were on the—

“What are we doing on the roof?” she cried out. This was her first time to find herself so high off the ground, and it was
not
a good feeling.

He slowly set her down on her feet, which would have been good if not for the fact that he had placed her at the very edge, with half of her feet floating in the air.

She clutched his arms tightly.
Do you want me dying with fright?

I’m considering it.

She gasped.
Master!

His eyes darkened.
Because of that,
he snarled.
Do I really have to place you here just so you’d call me Master again?
 

Chapter Nine

When Alexandru saw his pet hovering by the doorway of his study, he put aside his books and asked with a sigh, “Come on in, pet. You know I won’t be able to concentrate if you keep looking at me like that.”

She hurried inside even as she protested, “I didn’t say anything—”

“You don’t have to. Your eyes, your face, hell, even your nose – they all do the talking for you.”

When he patted his lap, she went to him without a murmur.

He looked at her suspiciously. “That bad?”

She looked at him innocently. “Huh?”

He sighed again. “Just spill it, pet.”

“Well, you know about the rule regarding terms of endearment and how I thought we should have Masters and pets calling each other names than, well, just ‘Master’ and ‘pet’?”

“And?” Personally, nothing made Alexandru happier than hearing his pet call him Master. He was almost certain it was the same for other Masters, but he supposed it was different for pets. Women were strange creatures, after all.

“I was thinking, maybe you could translate this for me…” She showed him her list.

Apple of my eye. Star of my sky.
 
Love of my forsaken life. The fries in my happy meal. The Taylor in my Swift.

And those were the more palatable ones.

“What the fuck is this, pet? You want all Masters to die choking? Is that it?”

Zari was unable to speak. So her Master
had
noticed her omissions. She thought he wouldn’t, but he had, and foolishly, knowing he had made her happy. It meant her calling him Master was important to Alexandru.

When did it start?
 

She looked at him incredulously.
Are we really going to do this now? Have you forgotten—

Answer the question,
he growled.

She sighed.
When did what start?

The relationship between you and Erou Damaschin.

We have no relationship—

And that’s why he just happened to be around when you fainted?

Hating the way he was making her feel defensive, she shot back,
At least he’s around! At least he really wants me to be his pet—
She choked, her throat clogging.
 

What the hell are you talking about? Are you saying he had the gall to make you believe I do not want you as my pet?
 

He didn’t have to tell me anything,
she cried out.
I know it!

You know what?

You’re really going to deny it?

How can I deny something I don’t understand—

The contract!
Zari saw his face whiten and knew he finally understood what she was talking about.
I was trying to look for something to read. That’s the only reason why I saw it.
Her fingers dug into his arms as she threw away her pride and asked,
Why haven’t we signed a contract…Master?

The pain on her face made his heart clench. Never had he wanted to see her hurt like this, and it felt a thousand times worse, knowing that
he
was the cause of her pain. Her own Master, someone who was supposed to be taking care of her.

It’s not what you think, pet.
Alexandru started to say something else but stopped, having sensed another otherworlder approaching.

A chill swept over her at the grim look in her Master’s brilliant green eyes.
H-he’s here, isn’t he?

He nodded.

There was no surprise in his eyes, and she realized in a flash,
You knew, didn’t you?

Yes. When you mentioned the library, it struck me as well as being the most likely place for the murders to take place. In every crime scene we’ve been to, it had been clear that the victim had been killed at around this time and then dumped elsewhere in the morning.

Which was why you knew it was okay for us to talk. You even chose to talk here on the roof because you wanted a bird’s eye view of him coming back. You’re using me, aren’t you?
She was hysterical, screaming at him in her mind.
You only want me as a soul seer, don’t you? You’ve never really cared—

Alexandru shut her up with a kiss.
 

Her gaze flew open. It took her more than a moment to remember to struggle, but she could only do so weakly, fearing he would accidentally let her slip away from his grasp.
 

Alexandru savored the kiss. It had been only a few days, but it felt like forever. It also felt like the last kiss, the way she tried to keep her lips pursed together, and he didn’t want that. He could not accept that. She was his, dammit. She was his pet!

I care,
he said savagely.
I care more than I want to. If I had a choice, if I could bear sending you away—

His voice rose to a furious hiss.
I would have!

She couldn’t speak when Alexandru stopped, her entire body shaking at the strength of his emotions.

I didn’t sign the damn contract for you. You deserve a better Master than me. But if you think you’re ready to take such a leap, we can sign it the moment we get back.
 

The words had her reeling, a good part of her unable to believe what she had just heard. When Alexandru suddenly hauled her close, this time she didn’t even think of struggling, clutching his shoulders as he leapt down to the third-floor balcony.

He’s coming up.
Alexandru tried the doors, found it unlocked, and walked quietly inside, making sure to keep his pet behind him. Pulling the doors back close, he had them crouching in the shadows.

Won’t he sense us here?

No. We’ve masked our presences. He’s at the second floor now, but he’s…alone.
 

Telling herself to concentrate, Zari pushed away all thoughts but the scene before her, trying to see if she could see grasp any kind of vision. Seconds passed, and the world around her remained normal.

I can’t sense anything.
Frustration made Zari shake her head.

Alexandru, moving behind her, lifted his pet’s hair off her neck.
 

She looked at him over her shoulder.
Master—

His fangs pierced her flesh.

Her lips parted in a soundless gasp. As he started to drink from her, ecstasy hit Zari, her senses spiraling, waking the part of her that could
see
—