A test. She hadn’t passed.
“Why are you so infatuated with her?” Aleksander said, gesturing at Evie. “It’s not like you.”
“Really?” Natalya said dryly. “I recall having a similar discussion with you not too long ago. About your precious Lily.”
“She’s not like Lily. She’s not yours.”
The comment made Natalya scowl. When Aleksander had been enamored with Lily, he could at least explain it as being because he had Claimed her. Natalya had no such defense.
“I know she’s not. But I brought her into this mess. I owe her.”
“You owe her protection. You don’t owe heryou. You’ve never acted like this, so forgive me for noticing your abhorrence for babysitting has suddenly faded. It’s concerning.”
“How sweet.” Natalya sneered. “The King of Chains is worried about me.”
“When was the last time you went to the Second Circle?”
Natalya grimaced and turned away. She hadn’t been in her domain since Evie was brought to the high-rise weeks ago. She’d gone to the club floor a few times when demanded, and the heady energy occurring in its dark corners was enough to satiate her, but she was far from her best. She doubted she could actually have made Aleksander cower.
“That’s what I thought,” Aleksander said. “Is she making progress, at least?”
“It’s not easy for her. And since we don’t know what we’re looking for, we have to comb through everything she experienced.”
Natalya said it bitterly. She’d seen how vacant Evie’s eyes got after the interrogations. Like she wasn’t present. Natalya had also caught the reluctance in Evie when she mentioned the therapist to Lily. Though Natalya didn’t know what she and Georgina talked about—it wasn’t for her ears—she had a feeling it wasn’t goingfine, as Evie was saying.
“Well, then comb faster,” Aleksander said stiffly. Natalya gave him a stern look.
“Imagine if you were forced to recount everything you did under Mikhail? Would you be cooperative?”
Aleksander growled at that. Duke Mikhail had been a cruel Maker and Master who’d forced Aleksander and other newborn vampires like him to fight in gladiatorial combat, often to the death. Aleksander never talked about him, and Natalya didn’t pry. He offered her the same courtesy. Though they were close like siblings, they knew little of each other’s histories.
“We need to know what’s in her head,” he said. “If Varro’s planning something, I want to know it. We can’t take a concentrated blow from the King of the Heartlands. We’re spread thin already, and he’s shown he can get into the city. If they move on the high-rise...”
Aleksander looked at Lily sitting on the couch. His body tensed as he did, worry and anger filling his black eyes.
His concern was warranted. Stefano had managed to find Evie, enthrall her, and nearly take her. Something similar had happened to Lily shortly after she came to the Court almost two years ago. She and Aleksander were tied by a Silver Ribbon contract, meaning that if Lily was killed, Aleksander would dietoo. It made her a target. Though that was the biggest concern for everyone else, Natalya knew Aleksander didn’t worry about his own life when it came to Lily. Only hers.
Until recently, Natalya found that way of thinking impractical at best and pathetic at worst. Now, she couldn’t muster up the same passionate dislike for it.
Blake and Flea had gotten up from the couch, and Lily followed suit. Evie’s guests were leaving.
“We’ll talk about this later,” Natalya said. “I’ll figure something out.”
Aleksander stood when Lily reached the table, and the slight woman leaned against him. Aleksander kept his focus on Natalya, black eyes hard. Even as he held Lily tenderly.
“Figure it out quick.”
Chapter 13
When the others were gone, it was just Evie and Natalya in the apartment, and suddenly the air felt heavy. It wasn’t usually like this. Normally, Evie was at ease around Natalya—save for the confusing thoughts that occasionally gripped her—but there was something in her gaze that made Evie tense up.
Natalya was standing by the dining table, regarding Evie intently. It was the same look she’d worn when Evie talked to Lily on the couch just before. Stern and displeased.
“Are you angry with me?” Evie had moved from the couches to lean against the wall opposite the dining table. Natalya cocked her head.
“Why would I be angry?”
“I don’t know. We were laughing. Being loud. Maybe we were annoying you.”
