“Do get to the point,” Mihail said impatiently.
“No letter,” the steward managed to gasp out. “But…gentleman…called…”
Fuck.
It could only be Sir Isaac, come to finally speak to his ward.
“Where is he?” he demanded.
“The dormitory…” Mr. Whyte had barely finished speaking when the marquis strode off, a look of grim resolve on his face. Lady Eleanor’s orders were only for the missives, he tried to convince himself. It was not his fault that a visitor was allowed to see Lady Rhapsody, and besides he had done his best to inform the marquis as soon as possible about it. That should be enough…hopefully.
Mihail stopped dead in his tracks when he saw an unexpected but familiar figure waiting in the dormitory’s drawing room. “William Domnescu?”
The earl was about to answer when both of them picked out a strange smell permeating the air.
Fire.
A moment later, they heard a woman’s agonizing screams—-
It wasn’t Rhapsody, Mihail realized with relief.
But then another sound reached his ears-—
A soft, gasping sob…
Now that was undeniably Rhapsody, and both men moved at the same time and towards the same direction, too. The earl and marquis leapt out of the windows and scaled the walls, both noblemen having seen this as the quickest way to get to Rhapsody.
They crashed into another window as they followed the trail of Rhapsody’s scent…and her tears.
The sound of shattering glass had Rhapsody dropping the blood-tipped paper knife in her hand just as a shadow fell over her, and large, strong hands that were slightly shaking cupped her face.
Mihail didn’t give a damn about the still-burning corpse on the floor. All he had eyes for was his pet, whose tear-stained face was ripping him apart.
“Are you alright?” he asked hoarsely.
No. I am not alright. They were the words she wished to say, but she simply couldn’t do it. To do so would not only be selfish but dishonorable, too.
“I heard you cry.”
The words mortified her, and she found herself acting cowardly once again as she sought refuge behind dishonesty. “It was the shock of things.” She pulled back stiffly from the marquis, and belatedly realizing that the Earl of Impietri was also in the room, curtsied to the other gentleman.
“There is no need to be so formal,” William said gently.
Of course there fucking was, Mihail thought savagely. How the hell did his pet and the earl know each other, dammit?
“I’m not sure if it’s her real name—-” Rhapsody gestured to Emily’s corpse, now burnt completely black, “but that is Emily Masters, a schoolmate of mine and the vampire responsible for Mr. Walker’s death.” Among other things, Rhapsody thought, but that would probably more of interest to Lord Erou’s than anyone else.
Mihail whitened. “You went against a vampire on your own?”
“How did you survive?” William was equally disconcerted. A human winning against a full-blooded vampire in close quarters? It was completely unheard of.
“She rarely attended our Blood Chemistry classes. I had a feeling—-”
Mihail’s head began to pound. “You had a feeling?”
“It was a calculated feeling,” Rhapsody clarified.
“But still a fucking feeling,” he growled.
“That paid off,” Rhapsody said resolutely. “I was indeed correct in my estimation. She was unaware that vampire blood is extremely flammable when mixed with certain chemicals, and it was how I gained the upper hand.”
Mihail was torn between wanting to violently some sanity into his pet and sinking to his knees to beg for her forgiveness. She was his pet and heartkeeper, and because he had not fucking bonded her with blood, she had almost lost her life.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to save you,” he said harshly.
But Rhapsody didn’t even seem to hear this, and she couldn’t even meet his eyes as she asked politely, “If I may be excused, milord?”
“Rhapsody—-” He saw the way she stiffened at hearing him say her name, and he stopped speaking.
“I would like a private moment to compose myself.”
Fuck. His instincts told him not to let her go, but wouldn’t he be a selfish arse to deny such a reasonable request?
“If you need me—-”
“I truly just need a moment,” Rhapsody repeated.
All thoughts of talking to her and telling her the truth were forgotten at the blankness in her eyes. Perhaps it was a familiar look to other people, but it was only then he realized that from the very first moment they met, her eyes had always been vibrantly expressive…until now.
“Alright, milady.” He had to force the words out, and his fists clenched against the urge to follow her as he watched Rhapsody leave her room and listened to her steady heartbeat as she descended the steps at a sedate pace. There appeared nothing wrong, but still something persistently nagged at him.
“Mihail.”
The earl’s icy voice drew Mihail’s thoughts back to the present, along with the memory of how the other man had seemed to address his pet in a manner too familiar for his liking. He turned to face William, asking with barely leashed violence, “How do you know my heartkeeper?”