Mina trotted closely behind him. Her grasping hands catching his am often before reluctantly letting him go when she was sure he wasn't going to run away.
Then her brain started feeding her fear of abandonment again and she'd pluck at his sleeve tentatively until he jerked his arm away.
She didn't know why he was so shy with her.
It was like he didn't want to show any kind of affection.
Which was strange because now she was his Bride, he should be feeling very romantic. Instead, he was acting stoic.
After she'd handed three more silver spatial rings to him, he grumbled that he hadn't yet been able to search the others he already had.
Maybe that's why he was in a testy mood, she thought.
As they pushed through the crowded streets, she wondered where they were going. Was he taking her straight to meet the Brides?
Her heart trembled at the thought.
Her previous experience hadn't been pleasant. She'd found a Bride in the Crimson Drop thanks to Harriet's help. But the Bride had dismissed her with a contemptuous sniff.
Told her she wasn't good enough.
Even throwing herself at the vampire's feet and begging hadn't gained any sympathy.
She'd felt mocked and belittled for the first time in her life that night.
And it wasn't something she could easily forget. It had shocked her greatly.
In her other life, she'd have run to her father and he'd fix everything.
But that life was over.
She'd told Vlad her name, but her father would no longer consider her a Murray. Not anymore. No, in his mind she was…
She didn't want to think about it.
Shaking her head, she felt another lump of fear in her throat and reached out to wrap her fingers around Vlad's wrist.
He had such a strong wrist.
He glanced down at her, a dark frown on his face. Why was he frowning? Her fingers weren't bad, were they?
Desperate to change his feelings, she threw him her brightest smile. The one which her nanny had told her would melt a man's heart.
Vlad's gaze whipped back to the street.
She sighed.
Nothing seemed to melt his heart. Pursing her lips, she wondered what had caused him to close himself off so tightly.
Vlad's own mind was filled with scattered thoughts. Mostly he was thinking about what was in the silver rings. He needed to extract them soon and figure out how much everything was worth so he could trade it.
His fight with the vampire hunter had seemed easy, but he was concerned about the sword breaking. He wanted a new one.
A good one.
Preferably one made of blood steel.
Which meant he needed to speak to a weaponsmith. He'd found a street full of them, but the weapons on display looked cheap. Much too cheap.
He needed to know who was the best smith.
He'd tried asking around, but the city was crazy. People were suspicious and startled by questions. Any answers they gave were cagey or useless.
Which left him heading towards the Merchant's Guild where he hoped to meet Roland or Elder Miklos. Hopefully they could point him to where he needed to go.
Actually, Elder Miklos would be helpful to let him know where the Brides were.
Or take Mina off his hands.
Yes, the more he thought about it, the more he liked that idea.
Once the girl realised Elder Miklos was someone special in the Court, she'd naturally want to align herself with him. Women liked powerful men, he thought.
Glancing back, he saw her smiling up at him again.
A vapid-looking smile which belonged on someone with nothing in her head.
It was a smile which didn't belong on her.
She was too cunning.
It made him nervous.
Silly girl, he thought, turning away from her again. He wasn't sure why he kept looking back at her. She wasn't very special.
She was pretty, yes. And he liked the colour of her eyes. And she smelled quite nice, too. Like a sweet fruit he could remember but couldn't name.
The word was on the tip of his tongue.
Her skin was smooth, too. And soft.
He could imagine plunging his fangs into her neck and…
Best not to think about it if he was going to pass her over to Elder Miklos.
But the closer he got to the Merchant's Guild, the more ridiculous the idea became. Elder Miklos had been old when he'd been Turned. And it seemed he had an old man's mind like the rest of the elders.
Would Elder Miklos be capable of looking after a Bride?
Vlad doubted it.
He doubted any of the elders would be.
Frowning, he found himself thinking about Count Bela. Why didn't he have a Bride? Even if he was weak, he was still a Count. A smart Bride could use his status and gain a lot of power from it.
That was what those witches were good at.
Gaining power.
So, why weren't they with the Court?
His mind kept skipping back and forth between Mina, the need for a weapon, and the current status of the Brides.
None of which he had answers for.
It was almost with relief that he stopped in front of the heavy iron gates barring entry to the Merchant Guild.
Two guards, positioned either side, stood firm and aloof. But they were just for show. He could sense more guards along the wall.
And others hidden behind the gates.
One of the guards studied him without animosity. If anything, the guard's expression was disinterested.
"I've come to see Roland," Vlad announced when it was clear the guards weren't going to speak first.
"Do you have an appointment?"
Vlad scratched his head. "No."
"Can't see Mister Westenra without an appointment. Can't be done. Can it, Charles?"
"Nope." The other guard shook his head with a laconic frown. "I never saw it happen in my life."
"There you have it," the first guard said. "You need an appointment."
"I have a sword," Vlad said, holding it up. "Does that count?"
"Lots of people have swords."
"Lots of people can't use them," Vlad said calmly. "But I can."
"Can you dodge bolts to the head?"
"Yes."
The guard tilted his head at Vlad's confident reply. "Huh," he said. "If I ask someone to shoot you with one, you think you can survive?"
"Try it."
The guard nodded. Then his head twitched.
It was a small gesture.
Nothing obvious.
But Vlad heard an answering twang as a crossbow, aimed at him through a thin slit in the wall, shot its steel bolt right at his head.
Without moving his body, Vlad cut the bolt in half.
"Eep!" Mina ducked down behind him. "This again?"
The guard's eyes followed the bolt's shattered remains to the ground between Vlad's boots. "Not bad."
"It's all in the wrist," Vlad said drily.
"If you say so," the guard sniffed. Then sighed. "My name's Gregor. This is Charles. You were shot at by Masterson, who's our best crossbowman. Never misses."
"Until today," Charles said softly.
"Now now," Gregor said. "I'm sure if he tried, Masterson wouldn't miss. Would he?"
"He would," Vlad confirmed.
"Huh." Gregor nibbled on his lip. "Alright. If you say so, I won't doubt it. Hey, Masterson?"
"Yeah, Gregor?"
"Can you nip up and let Mister Westenra know he has a guest." Gregor frowned. "Sorry, I didn't get your name."
"Vlad."
"Tell him Vlad is here," Gregor called. "No appointment."
Masterson's voice was muffled as he moved away from the slit. "Will do."
Gregor rubbed at his jaw. "Told you it was going to be a funny day."
"Yeah," Charles said. "I didn't doubt it."
"My ma was Romani," Gregor said to Vlad. "Was touched a bit with foresight. It's why she left me here. She said I'd have a better life here than on the road. Don't know if she was right."
"You married Beth," Charles pointed out.
"Like I said. Don't know if she was right."
"Shouldn't say that about my sister."
"Why? You gonna tell her?"
"I might."
"And I might not buy the beer tonight."
Charles looked offended. "No need to make it personal."
"Romani" Vlad breathed. That was something else which had been missing. He hadn't seen any Romani in the hills. There had always been caravans before. They performed important work for the Court.
Trading.
Repairing.
Manual labour.
Spying.
"Yeah," Gregor squinted. "You got something against my people?"
"No," Vlad said. "I used to be good friends with them."
"Oh?"
"A long time ago, maybe," Vlad sighed. "Are they still in the region?"
"Some."
"Any chance you could help me meet them."
"You can't find their wagons on your own?"
Vlad held up his sword. "Do you think they'd want me to?"
"I guess not." The guard pursed his lips. "You don't mean them any harm, do you?"
"The Romani were friends of the Court," Vlad told him. "A long time ago."
Gregor shrugged. "I don't know about that."
"I do."
"Then I'll see what I can do. I can't promise anything, though."
"Good enough," Vlad said.
If he could reunite the Romani with the Court, it would be a good thing. The castle was in a horrible state of decay. The Romani had never been shy of hard work. And were more skilled than the fledglings he'd been bullying.
At thought of the fledglings, his fingers itched.
It felt like he hadn't beaten one in days.
They'd better not be getting lazy!
A loud clang behind the gate suddenly drew his attention.
"Huh," Gregor said as the gates slowly opened. "Looks like Mister Westenra will see you. Without an appointment, even. What a strange day."
"Crazy day," Charles agreed.
"I think we'll need a few more beers than usual tonight, Charles. You know. To get over the shock."
"You might be right, Gregor."