found a vampire today who belongs to you. A female. Brown hair, blue eyes, thin.”
“Oh.” Kenasha’s tensed shoulders relaxed. “I lent her to some friends of mine. She isn’t lost. Thanks for coming to check.”
As if Venom was the lost and found. “Holly,” he said, warning in his voice, when he saw her start to uncross her legs.
“Just one eye,” she said in a pleading tone so unlike her that he almost lost control and laughed.
Kenasha, however, took her seriously. “Look here,” he said in a pompous manner, “I have every right to lend out a vampire who belongs to me. I pay for her blood, her room and board. I own her.”
Venom felt the viper within uncurl. “Why is her Contract not registered with the Tower? Who transferred ownership to you?” Because that angel was also in deep trouble.
Tongue flicking out, Kenasha wet his lips. “She is post-Contract. Signed to serve me of her own free will.”
If that was true, the Tower would have no reason to chastise him. But Venom was very, very good at sensing the ages of fellow vampires and Daisy had read as young to him. Extremely young. “Ask your butler to retrieve her papers so I can confirm.” He continued to stare at the other man, unable to imagine how this creature was part of the same race as the magnificent being whom Venom chose to serve.
Kenasha didn’t argue, calling in the wraith and sending him off to his study. They waited in silence, Holly staring unblinking at Kenasha the entire time. The four-thousand-year-old angel flushed, couldn’t stay still in the hideous armchair.
“What happened to your wings?” Venom asked, wondering if he had to alert Dmitri to some kind of new disease. Angels weren’t usually vulnerable to disease, but Charisemnon had gained the ability to infect immortals with disease in the Cascade. His last attempt had caused the Falling, when many angels fell out of the sky to lie broken on the earth. Perhaps he’d gotten more subtle in the intervening time.
“My wings?” Kenasha unfolded one and stared at it, as if he hadn’t noticed the patchiness. “Oh, that. I think perhaps I ate something that didn’t agree with me.”
Venom caught the shiftiness of the angel’s eyes, knew he was lying. But he held his silence and when he glanced at Holly, he saw that though she remained hotly angry, she was in control.
The butler walked in at that instant, the papers in his hand. Venom took them before dismissing the wraith. “This contract is dated four years ago.” To be exact, it was dated a month after Raphael executed Uram, following a battle in the sky that had half destroyed Manhattan.
“Has it been that long?” Kenasha gripped the arms of his chair.
Venom scanned the document. It appeared to be in order—a female vampire named—
Well, that was intriguing.
The woman had agreed to serve Kenasha for twenty-five years in return for the “usual care.” Foolish girl. A smart vampire would’ve asked for very specific terms and conditions.
Her signature was shaky, however, and the sole witness the wraith. “This contract is invalid.” He threw the papers on the floor. “Your butler is not an impartial witness.” The Tower did not meddle in the affairs of vampires who’d served out their Contract—they were adults who’d lived a hundred years already and were considered capable of making their own decisions.
However, despite the Tower’s hands-off policy, there were certain rules in place to protect all parties. One of which was an impartial witness to any such contract. “Explain yourself.” He walked close enough that he was looming over Kenasha.
The angel went red. “This is an outrage,” he squeaked out. “I’m an angel. Your better.”
Venom could’ve displayed very easily why this man was a bug to him, but he didn’t want to play games. “Would you rather talk to Dmitri?” The leader of the Seven terrified most people—it was useful on occasion.
Kenasha lost all color in his face before slumping in his seat. “I found her,” he confessed in a whisper, his throat moving as he swallowed. “She was half dead and in the Hudson. I saw her one day while I was flying and got curious, pulled her out.” He shrugged. “I don’t know why. I just thought it might be interesting to see a corpse.”
It was a repulsive thing to say, but Venom didn’t expect much else from Kenasha. “But she wasn’t dead?”
“No, she was alive. And she was pretty then.” He twisted his hands together. “I brought