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I EXPECTED MURPHY TO take me to Dante’s office where the duke conducted most of his meetings. The room was situated off the foyer at the heart of the house where the hallways of both wings on the main level met. It was where he spent most of his time, as far as I could tell, and it was where I’d first met him.
Instead, Murphy led me down the hall that curled around the backside of the office where Dante’s bedroom and studio were located. If we were meeting in the duke’s private quarters, I had to assume it was over a serious matter.
“Did someone die?” I asked Murphy in a hushed voice as we stopped in front of the duke’s double doors.
He shrugged and gave me an uncertain frown. “Wish I knew,” he said, then knocked.
“Enter,” Dante’s muffled voice called from the other side.
Murphy pushed open one of the doors and ushered me inside. Then he closed the door behind me, remaining out in the hall.
“Ms. Skye, please, join me.” Dante stood near the fireplace at the far end of the room, pouring blood from a shiny teapot into an espresso cup. He wore a navy vest over a pale dress shirt and black slacks, and his hair lay flat against his head, shiny with product. It made him look older and more intimidating. I suspected he’d left the beard stubble for the same reason.
I glanced down at my yoga pants. Murphy’s suit should have tipped me off that this would be a formal affair, but honestly, I’d been too excited to ditch Ursula to think beyond making my escape.
“Are you sure I’m not overdressed?” I pursed my lips, frowning at Dante. “I mean, look at you. It’s like you’re not even trying.”
His mouth fell open a moment before he caught the sarcasm, and then he chuckled softly. “Yes, well, I will polish my crown next time.”
“You have a crown? Why didn’t I get one?” I teased as I walked past the antique armoire and king-sized bed.
“I am sure Yoshiko will gladly make the voyage to Burger King in the morning.”
I stopped in front of him and folded my arms, resisting the urge to smile. Mandy’s return had lightened my mood, but I wasn’t about to get over the house arrest anytime soon. Still, it was difficult to stay mad at Dante. He was a master of charm and distraction.
“Would you care for some blood?” he asked, offering me the cup he’d just poured. I took it but narrowed my eyes at him as I did.
“What is this about?”
Dante sighed and opened his hand, gesturing toward the pair of armchairs in front of the fireplace. He waited for me to sit down first, then joined me and poured himself a cup of blood before placing the pot on the tray.
“Dante?” I said, prompting him again. The subtle smile he often gave me when I used his first name was absent. “Did your appointment not go well tonight?”
“It was canceled,” he confessed.
“Then what’s this about?”
“You want to leave.” The way he said it almost made me feel guilty.
“On occasion, yes.” I blinked at him. “I’m not a house cat.”
“Thank goodness.” A shadow of a grin touched his lips, and he lifted his cup of blood for a sip.
“And taking up knitting or playing an oversized crotch fiddle won’t change that,” I added.
Dante’s eyes bulged, and blood shot out of his nose, splattering his cheek. He coughed into his closed fist before turning his bewildered expression on me. “An oversized what?” he rasped.
“The cello.” I bit my bottom lip to keep from laughing and snatched a napkin from the blood pot tray. Dante didn’t move as I leaned forward and wiped the blood from his face. When I finished, he set down his cup and cleared his throat.
“That was a first,” he said, pressing a hand to his chest. I offered him the bloody napkin, and he accepted it, running the cloth under his nose. “How undignified.”
I let my gaze slide away and took a small drink from my cup. “We’ll just pretend that didn’t happen.”
“You want to leave,” he repeated, taking my suggestion to heart. “And I am in need of assistance with a personal matter. Perhaps we can help each other to these ends.”
“Personal matter?” I echoed, setting down my cup.
The line of Dante’s jaw tightened, and I could tell he wasn’t looking forward to sharing whatever it was he needed my help with. He licked the corner of his mouth where he’d missed a bit of blood and then cleared his throat again.
“I realize that your vampiric education is still quite rudimentary,” he said, offering me a dry smile. “But surely you are aware of the Sânge Institute?”
I nodded. “Ursula mentioned it. Said they manage a bunch of harem charm schools.”
“Blood finishing schools,” Dante corrected me. “Please, do not refer to them as anything else during your visit tomorrow night.”
“Wait—what? Where am I going?” My pulse quickened.
“I’m sending you with Murphy to Bathory House in Belleville, Illinois, to conduct a follow-up investigation.” Dante reached into the pocket of his vest and produced a satiny business card. He passed it to me. “You will be meeting with the headmistress, Lady Jusztina of House Vlad.”
“House Vlad? Same house as the owner of Bleeders?” I asked, recalling my tense meeting with Radu in his suite above the club.
“I would not mention him during your visit either—” Dante sighed and turned away from me. “Perhaps this is a bad idea.”
“No! It’s fine.” I reined in my eagerness and turned the business card over in my hand, running my thumb over the embossed outline of a swan that decorated one side. “These are all good things to know. But, um, what exactly am I supposed to be following up on with this Lady Jusztina?”
Dante swallowed, and his jaw flexed again. He fingered back a stray curl that had come loose from his slick hairdo. “As you know, the queen has ordered me to present her with my first scion next Imbolc.”
“Ah, so that’s what you’ve been up to,” I said, finally putting the pieces together. “Scion window shopping.”
“Something like that.” He made an unamused noise in his throat.
“And you want me to...what? Investigate this school to make sure their scions are...kosher?” I took a stab in the dark.
Dante closed his eyes and covered his face with one hand. “Now I know this is a terrible idea.”
“I was a detective, not a psychic.” I hitched an eyebrow at him. “If you don’t like my guesses, then spit it out. What’s the problem at this school?”
“The potential scion I chose from Bathory House went missing last week, along with one of her dowry donors,” he said, irritation lacing his words.
Her.
He’d selected a woman to be his scion. Something in my stomach clenched.
“Could she have gotten cold feet and run off?” I suggested.
Dante scoffed. “It is not unheard of, though it is quite rare, especially for a royal prospect.” He paused to rub his chin, and the inner corners of his brows curled upward. “Truthfully, I assumed the same. At least, at first. Ingrid was quite reserved when I interviewed her.”
“At first?” I tapped Lady Jusztina’s card on the small table between us. “What changed?”
“I selected a replacement from Renfield Academy in Chicago. He went missing before he even had a chance to name his donors-in-waiting. Then, I chose a third candidate, Audrey, from yet another school—Darkly Hall in Austin. Now, she and both of her subordinates are missing, too.”
“Oh.” I sucked in a tense breath. “Are we assuming that Kassandra is behind this?”
“I am assuming that you can find some scrap of proof that was overlooked by the first round of agents I sent to investigate the matter,” Dante said. “The Chicago field office is conducting the investigation at Renfield, and the Austin office is looking into Darkly, but Bathory House falls under St. Louis jurisdiction. I trust you still have your badge?”
“No one ever asked me to turn it in,” I answered sheepishly.
“Well then, I suggest you dust it off, Agent Skye.”
“Even better than a crown.” A smile threatened to split my face. I was finally getting out of here for a night, and, as a bonus, it was for something worthwhile. I tried to contain my excitement. Missing virgin blood dolls were not worth celebrating until after they had been found. Remembering that, the line of my mouth finally cooperated and flattened respectfully.
“I won’t return without your girl,” I said to Dante. He shook his head, refusing the promise.
“You may have to. Otherwise, Ursula will have my fangs for earrings.”
“Oh, right.” I bit my bottom lip and grimaced. “Is this something she knows about?”
“No.” Dante’s eyes widened in horror. “And we need to keep it that way.”
“Of course.” I would have agreed to just about anything if it meant getting to leave the manor and helping on a case. Although, postponing Ursula’s hysterics didn’t require any additional convincing.
“The tailor is coming tomorrow evening,” Dante said, answering my next question before I could ask. “Ursula will be tied up for several hours, picking materials and colors and designs for the All Hallows’ Eve ball.” His chestnut eyes bore into mine. “This is a simple, investigative assignment.”
“I’ll take it,” I answered a little too quickly.
Dante’s chin tilted up, and I fell silent. “No daring heroics. A quick peek around the premises, question the faculty and pupils, and then straight home. Simple,” he repeated as if I were unfamiliar with the definition.
“Simple. Check.” I gave him my most innocent smile. He didn’t look convinced.
“Murphy will come for you at 8:00 P.M. tomorrow night.”
“Perfect.” I picked up my cup of blood and finished it in an excited gulp before asking one final question. “I can still bring my guns, right?”
Dante’s hand covered his face again. “I’m going to regret this. I can already tell.”