Chapter 8 Chapter 8
Bailey’s POV
“What the fuck is wrong with you, you stupid bitch?!”
I snapped my eyes open. She was right in front of me — furious, dripping wet, and glaring at me like I’d just set her favorite designer purse on fire.
“Are you dumb or just a complete idiot?! First you try to kill yourself, then you try to kill me for saving your stupid ass!”
Wait. What?
“Kill myself? You tried to drown me, you psychopath! I only reacted by instinct!”
Her eyes widened, mouth opening and closing like a fish before she finally huffed, marched into the bedroom, and snatched a towel. She threw it at me with enough force to knock sense into a horse.
“For a second there were no bubbles coming from the water! You fell asleep inside. Your deat would bring me trouble with the king, and I can’t have that. He tends to be… unpleasant when things don’t go his way. Now dry up and get dressed. We’re already half an hour late. Lucian hates when people are late.”
Wow. Drama queen, much? Still, she did say “the king,” and that sent a chill through me. Getting Nathaniel’s assistant angry clearly wasn’t the brightest idea.
I dried up and came out of the bathroom, towel wrapped tightly around me. Nathaniel’s insanely hot, terrifying assistant sat at the edge of the bed, smoking like she was in an old noir movie. Her hair and clothes were completely dry again. Magic, obviously. Because why fold laundry when you can warp reality?
“Um… Nathaniel said there were clothes somewhere for me. Do you know where they are?”
She gave me a dead-eyed look, pointed lazily at a drawer, and it snapped open on its own.
Right. Magic for everything. People here were probably allergic to effort.
I rummaged through the neatly folded clothes until I found something simple: black leggings, a rose-colored long-sleeve, and white sneakers. Thank God, something normal. At least I wouldn’t have to dress like some warrior Barbie covered in leather straps and daggers.
When I came out, towel off and hair braided into a messy French plait, the woman sighed loudly. “Are you done yet? We’re almost an hour late. I don’t want to get in trouble with Lucian too. I can’t stand his nagging.”
God, could she be more annoying?
“Okay, I’m done. Let’s go.”
She stood up like she was walking a catwalk and said, “Follow me.”
We stepped into a long, sunlit corridor. The walls were lined with intricate patterns, and the floor—oh God—the floor looked like glass. When I glanced down, my stomach dropped. I could see people below us, scurrying around like ants.
Chefs, soldiers, nobles—all running in a hundred directions, shouting, tripping, carrying trays or papers or both. A royal circus on fire.
Then I spotted him.
Nathaniel.
Everyone froze as he walked through the crowd. He didn’t even try to look intimidating—he just was. Calm, sharp, dangerous. Black clothes, long trench coat, hands in pockets. He wasn’t even wearing a crown, but somehow he made everyone else look like background extras in his movie.
“His Highness is inspecting the preparations for the annual ball,” my guide explained, with an oddly dreamy tone. “Last year someone tried to steal from the royal treasury. He killed him publicly to make an example. Then he killed the previous inspector for incompetence. So now, he does the inspections himself.”
She said it with pride. And a hint of lust.
Yup. Definitely has the hots for him.
“Now come, Lucian’s lab is down the hall.”
I followed reluctantly, side-eyeing her. “Hey, what’s your name?”
“Why the hell should I tell you?”
“Well, so I can call you if I need help?”
She blew out smoke and smirked. “The only reason I’m here is because the king asked me to be. That’s the only reason I’d ever help you.”
Okay, so Miss Sunshine doesn’t do friendship. Duly noted.
“So you’re his… puppy in command?”
Oops. That slipped out loud.
Her head whipped toward me, purple eyes blazing. The door knob she held started glowing red-hot, steam curling off it.
Oh crap.
“Kara? Is there a problem?”
The new voice came from behind me. Smooth. Male. Calm.
I turned and froze.
Tall, elegant, and ridiculously composed, with silver hair brushing his shoulders, rectangular glasses framing unnervingly sharp blue eyes. His lab coat rested perfectly over a black suit. He looked like a vampire scientist straight out of a gothic fever dream.
“Nothing, Lucian. I brought the girl. Can I go now?” Kara’s voice dropped an octave, tight and strained.
Lucian adjusted his glasses, eyeing the still-smoking doorknob. “By the desecrated handle of my door, I’d say otherwise. And you’re late. You know how I feel about tardiness.”
He smiled—pleasantly, almost warmly—and that somehow made him more terrifying.
“We had… a little difficulty,” Kara said through clenched teeth. Then she threw me a look that screamed shut your mouth or die.
Lucian turned to me, that polite smile still plastered on. “Well, well. Barely two hours here and you’ve already caused trouble. Impressive. You might actually outpace His Highness.”
He chuckled softly. It was disarming, charming even. If Nathaniel was darkness wrapped in arrogance, Lucian was danger disguised as politeness.
Kara rolled her eyes. “His Highness expects a full report on her condition. He doesn’t care what methods you use. Just fix the problem.”
Her voice cracked slightly. Interesting. So the ice queen does feel something.
Lucian tilted his head. “It bugs you, doesn’t it, Kara? That he tells me everything and tells you… nothing.”
Her fists clenched. “He will open up to me someday.”
Oh, she’s definitely his bimbo.
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smirking.
Lucian’s smile turned razor-sharp. “Someday? Spare yourself the heartbreak. He loves one thing—power. That’s it. Now leave. You’re cluttering my lab.”
She stormed off, stomping hard enough to make the glass floor tremble.
Lucian ushered me inside. The lab was bright, clinical, and humming with tech that made NASA look prehistoric. Monitors, scanners, glowing cables, strange blue energy pulsing through the walls. My jaw practically hit the floor.
“That’s a new full-body scanner,” he said behind me, making me jump. “Scans in five minutes. Detects any anomalies. Perfect for… unique cases.”
He gestured to the tall glass chamber in the center of the room.
Then he looked at me and smiled. “Please remove your clothes and step inside, Miss Bailey.”
I blinked. “You want me to what?!”
“The scan requires direct skin contact,” he said matter-of-factly. “You may keep your undergarments. I only need readings from your heart and brain.”
“Oh, sure,” I muttered. “Just another casual Tuesday, stripping in front of a vampire scientist.”
He ignored that, typing rapidly on his console. I sighed, peeled off my shirt and leggings, and stepped into the chamber, trying very hard not to die of embarrassment. The glass door slid shut with a hiss, and a white mist filled the chamber.
“Antibacterial vapor,” Lucian said casually. “Makes the scan more accurate.”
Bluish light beams started sliding up and down the glass, faster and faster. I froze, every muscle tense.
“Please stay still,” he said. “Or we’ll have to start over.”
Yeah, not creepy at all.
The light passed through me, humming softly. My heartbeat quickened. Then my vision began to blur. My limbs trembled.
“Stay still,” Lucian’s voice echoed, suddenly distant. “Almost done.”
But I couldn’t. My knees buckled as the dizziness washed over me. I saw flashes—Nathaniel’s face, his black eyes, the heart glowing in my chest—
And then darkness.
The last thing I felt was strong arms catching me before I hit the floor.