Ward of the Vampire by Kallysten Page B

gowns. I remembered her tone of voice, the depth of her words. It had been the same strength in Mr. Ward’s words every time he had told me to do something. And every time, I’d obeyed without so much as a hesitation.
    Feeling a little weak in the knees, I stumbled to the armchair opposite Mr. Ward and sat down, clutching the purse in my lap simply to cling to something.
    “Is this… is this like… Did you… hypnotize me or something?”
    Still a ridiculous idea, but I was trying to put things in a frame of reference I could at least recognize if not understand.
    He took another sip from his glass, watching the fire over the rim for a while.
    “Some people call it that,” he said at last. “It’s a bit more complicated—”
    Heels clicking on the room’s wooden floor interrupted him. He didn’t look back toward the door, but I did. Miss Delilah had just come in.
    She threw a glance toward me, but said nothing as she walked over to the liquor cabinet. She set down the empty champagne flute she was carrying, and picked up instead the last glass Mr. Ward had filled. She came over, then, perching herself on the arm of the chair next to Mr. Ward.
    “Morgan.”
    “Lilah.”
    He still didn’t look at her.
    “Do you like your gift?” she asked with a faint smile.
    His jaw tightened. “Stephen didn’t mention—”
    “That I supposedly insulted you? Yes, he did. I thought it was your sense of humor peeking through.”
    That finally drew his eyes to her. Out on the balcony, I’d thought it was the night that made them seem so dark, but here, with plenty of light from the chandelier over us or the fireplace, they seemed as dark, as deep as ever.
    “My sense of humor, yes. I’ve been told I’m uproariously funny.”
    Delivered in such a deadpan voice, the remark was funny. Miss Delilah didn’t smile.
    “Honestly, would it kill you to say thank you? She’s absolutely perfect, you can’t deny that.”
    She gestured toward me at that, but barely threw a glance in my direction. It was like I wasn’t there. Or actually, more like I was an object, a thing that couldn’t hear, couldn’t understand what was being said about her. Annoyance flashed through me and I cleared my throat.
    She raised an eyebrow in my direction. Every angry word that had filled my mind disappeared in a blink.
    Mr. Ward’s eyes remained on her. “I told you repeatedly I don’t need you meddling in my affairs.”
    “Well, if you had affairs I wouldn’t need to meddle.” She emptied her glass and set it on the chair, then stood, hands on her hips as she stared him down. “Mother agrees with me, so don’t bother running to her. It’s more than time you moved on. Put her in your bed, feed from her, kill her. I don’t care. She’s your charge, now. You’ll have to take care of her, one way or the other.”
    A sound erupted through the room, a low, deep growl, and it startled me to realize it was coming out of Mr. Ward. I’d have been less surprised to discover a lion or a tiger crouching behind him.
    He stood and faced Miss Delilah. In his hand, his glass was empty. It shattered in his fist, sending shards flying as far as the fireplace. A few landed at my feet. Mr. Ward and Miss Delilah didn’t even seem to notice. They continued to glare at each other. Anxiety surrounded me like a cold, unpleasant fog until I wanted nothing more than to hide, but I didn’t dare move.
    “Do you think I have any desire to play this childish game?” He all but growled the words. “Do you think I’ll take that child as a replacement?”
    “Like I said, I don’t care what you take her as. But she’s yours.” She glanced at me, and the cold smile on her lips sent a shiver to me. “Your ward, Morgan. See? I have a sense of humor, too.”
    “A sense of humor? Is that what you think this is? A joke?”
    But she wasn’t listening. She came to me, and glass crunched under her feet. I flinched when she reached for me and cupped my face in her