Eloise is one of the few human members of the Night clan who doesn’t seem absolutely terrified of me at all times. I don’t know if I like it or not. But it’s certainly refreshing to have a human around who isn’t constantly quivering and anxious. At least I know she’ll be honest with me.
So I’ll give her the same honesty. I respect her time, and I get right to the point.
“There have been recent…vampiric threats to the security of our clan. While I have no direct reason to be concerned, I want to ensure the safety of our living staff. Are there any additional measures we can take?”
“Inside the mansion, or outside of it?” Eloise asks.
“Both, to be thorough.”
“Well…” Eloise thinks. “Our drivers are already supernatural, mostly wolf shifters. We could have them double up just in case there’s an attack…”
“We could pair up the shifters with witches,” Murad suggests. “Put them in shifts.”
“And I’d like them monitoring outside the staff roomsas well,” I add. “Especially at night, but we can add vampires to those shifts.”
Eloise nods, and pops an appetizer from another tray into her mouth. Tiny little balls of meat on sticks. Paige has already tasted two.
It’s wonderful, watching her enjoying something. Perhaps I should…take her out to dinner. It’s been a long time since I did something like that. I like to reward my breathers, that’s all that it would be.
I imagine her seated across from me at a table, in a dimly-lit corner of a little bistro…
“Eloise?” Murad asks, sharply. “Are you all right?”
My eyes snap back to Eloise. She’s blinking rapidly, her nostrils flared. A sudden waft of adrenaline emanates from her skin, and her breathing is ragged. She drops the toothpick on the ground, and reaches for her throat.
“Eloise!” Paige gasps.
“What’s happening to her?” Murad demands. “Is it a spell?”
Eloise gasps for air, her cheeks flushing. She points desperately at the appetizers.
“The meatballs…” Paige says, her eyes widening. “She’s have an anaphalactic reaction!”
“Awhatreaction?” I snap, my nerves on high alert. Murad and I make eye contact. I’ve never seen anything like this. My hand instinctively goes to the dagger at my side, but I don’t know if it’s of any use in this situation.
“Eloise, where’s your epipen?” Paige asks her, her voice anxious but firm.
Eloise’s heart is pounding powerfully in her chest. She looks toward her purse, which is sitting on one of the kitchen counters. Paige grabs it and ruffles through it frantically, tossing pens, keys and lipsticks onto the ground.
“It’s…it’s not here!” she says, fear in her voice.
But she’s surprisingly grounded, for such a stressful situation. Unlike Murad and I, who are both standing in the middle of the kitchen, staring at Eloise helplessly.
Murad’s fangs elongate, and he brings his wrist up to his lips.
“That won’t work,” Paige argues, understanding what he’splanning. “Her throat has swelled and blocked her airway! The blood won’t go down.”
“Then what do wedo?” I ask, feeling unusually helpless. I can hear the slowing beat of Eloise’s pulse, and the way she struggles for breath is difficult to watch. During a battle or attack, I would easily be able to protect her. But I’ve never witnessed anything like this.
Paige turns to one of the servers, who’s watching Eloise with wide-eyed fear. “Call 911 - tell them that someone is having an allergic reaction to shellfish and they need to come immediately!”
The server nods and hurries toward the phone on the kitchen wall.
“They won’t be able to get here in time,” I say, shaking my head. “The nearest hospital is miles away.”
Eloise falls to her knees, unable to stand any longer. Murad crouches behind her, taking her in his arms, holding her helplessly as she struggles for breath.
Paige swallows, but she gets a strange look in her eyes, like she’s decided something. “There…thereissomething we can do.”
