Shadow's Bane (Dorina Basarab 4)

“You haven’t heard from him?”

I didn’t get an answer that time, probably because Marlowe was busy.

“Stop slamming the damned door on my damned foot!”

“Then leave.” He glared at me furiously. “We’re having a soiree, and you aren’t attending like that!”

“A soiree?”

“A gathering! A party! A do!”

“I know what the word means! And I’m not attending. I just need—”

Marlowe kicked my Croc like it was a football and he was trying for a field goal from the fifty-yard line. It sent my leg shooting out backward, and would have resulted in me face-planting painfully if I hadn’t twisted at the last second. I landed on my shoulder instead, and it wasn’t happy about it.

Son of a bitch!

I got up and glared at the now-closed door. I could have kicked it down, but my toe hurt. So I jabbed the bell a few more times, and then leaned on it when the door stayed stubbornly shut.

Until it was flung open in my face. “Damn it, go away!”

“Damn it, answer the question!”

I guess Marlowe decided it was the quickest way to get rid of me, because for once, he actually did. “Louis-Cesare isn’t here, I haven’t heard from him and I’m not going to! He’s in a meeting—”

“What?” That stopped me. “What kind of meeting?”

“A Senate meeting. What else?” The eyes now looked impatient as well as angry. “An emergency one was called for tonight. Now will you—”

“Why wasn’t I informed? I’m on the Senate.”

As usual, that reminder had Marlowe looking apoplectic.

“But not that committee! The whole Senate doesn’t meet for every issue, or we’d never do anything else. But that’s where he is, so go plague the consul and leave me alone!”

The door slammed again, probably because I wasn’t opposing it anymore.

I was just standing there in my smelly sweats, wondering why I’d just driven over here like a bat out of hell. Had I really thought Louis-Cesare was going to beat up another senator over me? Risk his new position by taking on the consul’s favorite shortly after being appointed? Throw away an opportunity that most would kill for, and over what? A damned dhampir?

Yeah.

Judging by the pang in my gut, I guess I had.

And that was stupid. We were broken up, and Claire was right. He hadn’t even bothered to argue about it, had he? Just turned around and walked away. He hadn’t made any declarations while on the phone with her, either. He just told her to mind her own business and essentially hung up.

And he’d never even called me back.

I rang the doorbell again.

But not because of Louis-Cesare. I needed to get my head back on straight, and that meant some kind of communication with my other half. And that meant talking to Horatiu. With Big Blue to find, God knew when I’d get another chance.

And fuck Marlowe if he didn’t like it!

And I guess he didn’t. Because he didn’t answer. And the doorknob shocked the shit out of me when I dared to grab it.

I jerked my hand back, and looked at the faint red mark the newly engaged ward had left.

Okay, now I was pissed.