I turned to look at him, confused. “What do you mean?”
He sighed and looked away. “I never knew of how rampant the kidnappings and bloodlettings were in this part of society.” His voice took on a hard edge. “It shouldn’t be happening at all.” He looked at me with determination. “With your knowledge, and maybe even that of Mr. Trudeau, and my influences, we could possibly clean up the neighborhoods.”
My tone tensed. “Clean up?”
He looked at me and swallowed audibly. “What happens to those who have been taken for bloodletting…...gatherings?”
I continued to gaze at Devareaux, debating how much I should tell him. I had become highly aware of the lack of knowledge among the status levels while spending time at my husband’s home. Although his staff were considered low blood born, they were provided luxuries that other low blood borns were not, but still not an equal to the mid blood borns. The differences were astronomical, and both mid and high blood borns allotted themselves the luxury of ignorance to the hardships that low blood borns dealt with on a daily basis. Maybe I would still lose my husband, but if I could use this blood partnership for as long as I could to help the low blood borns, I had to take the chance.
“They are called ‘Bloodless Parties’.” Devareaux grimaced, but nodded. I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes, letting it out slowly. When I opened them, Devareaux’s eyes were intently on me.
“You know the ones that are referred to as bleeders? The street vampyrs?” His expression looked confused for a second, then morphed into understanding. He nodded. “When a person is taken to a Bloodless Party, they are usually there for at last a few days. The longest I had heard was four days. That may not seem very long to you, but missing work, for more than one day, can completely destroy our way of living. After a second day of missed work, we can lose our position. There are a small handful of businesses that look the other way, but places under certain aristocratic ownership have been harsh and hold firm to the rules and policies.”
Devareaux looked away for a moment. “Like businesses owned and ran by Mr. D’Avare.” He turned back to me, making me look away. But I nodded. We did not discuss the aristocrats, especially the ones we were not fond of. It could come back on us, and we struggled enough. I heard him grunt.
“He is poor Onyx’s new father-in-law.”
My head whipped up to Devareaux, my eyes wide with shock. “Another high blood born matched with a low blood born?”
He nodded.
“He proved useful,” he muttered.
He proceeded to explain how he found me in the first place.
“Oh wow. I must thank him then. Mr. Trudeau is quite impressive.”
Devareaux growled lowly, then shrugged. “He didn’t really want to help at first, admitting he knew that part of the life there. But after I begged him,” I gasped loudly, causing Devareaux to look me straight in the eyes, “yesbeggedhim, he finally conceded. He gave me as much information as he could. He came along to make sure I found you. I had gone to another warehouse first, but that was enough to anger my blood.” He looked agitated.
I glanced over him, and quietly asked, “What did happen when you found me?”
He grimaced and looked away. “Nothing pretty. But nothing I regret, either,” he added harshly.
I sucked in a loud breath, making him look to me. “No one gets to hurt my blood wife, and gets away with it. No one.” His voice was firm.
I laid back into the bed as I was getting tired again.
“Rest, my wife. We can talk more when you wake.”
Before I could think of anything to say to that, my eyes fluttered closed.
A couple of days later, I had been escorted back to Devareaux’s estate against my firm disapproval. He insisted I stay in the master room although I argued it would be better for both of us if I stayed in a guest room until it was time for me to leave again.
He had looked at me gravely at the time, and told me, “I will prove my love to you, my wife.”
We would see about that.
I would give it a week and return to my flat. During that first day, I rested most of the time. The staff came in and out to check on me, bringing me food, drinks, pillows, whatever I needed or wanted.
Devareaux, on the other hand, seemed to hover. I told him to go out and do something with himself. He left for only a few hours before he was popping in and out again, anxiously watching over me.
On the second day, I heard a commotion downstairs that sounded like Devareaux shouting, then a door slamming. No one felt the need to fill me in, and I wasn’t sure it was my place to even ask. I fell asleep shortly after. Upon waking, there wasa tall, slender woman with light brown hair pinned back at the sides sitting very close to the side of the bed, smiling widely at me. I jolted at her presence, looking around, feeling exposed.
“Oh my! Your are quite beautiful!” Her face pinched as she muttered, “I don’t understand why he would want that desperate mid blood born.”
I stuttered out, uncomfortable and embarrassed, “Ummm…..and you are?”
Her eyes grew wide, then she laughed. “Oh my goodness me. I’m terribly sorry. I’m Estella, Devareaux’s sister.”