"I'm fine."
"No, thank you, Gilbert."
The butler inclined his head to them, then headed toward the back of the house.
Valerius led her toward the left. "If you would, please wait in the library and I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Where are you going?" she asked, wondering at his suddenly somber mood.
"I need to change into something dry."
She nodded. "Okay."
He headed up the stairs.
Tabitha wandered through the arched doorway into a dark room that was covered from floor to ceiling with books. She was in a corner skimming titles when she felt someone come into the room behind her.
She turned to find a handsome man around her own age staring at her.
"Amanda? What the hell brought you here?"
"I'm not Amanda," she said, crossing the room so that he could see her scarred face. "I'm her sister Tabitha. And you are?"
"Otto Carvalletti."
"Ah," she said in understanding. "Val's Squire."
"Yeah, don't remind me."
She didn't need her empathy to feel his rancor. "Why do you serve someone you hate?"
"Like I have a choice. The council sent me here, so here I am, locked in hell."
"Bud, I don't know where you hail from, but I take exception to people who hate my town."
He scoffed at that. "I got no problem with New Orleans. I love this town. It's Count Penicula that I take issue with. Have you met him?"
"Count who?"
"The dick who lives here. Valerius. You know, old 'Don't breathe in my presence, you prole.'"
This had to be the strangest man Tabitha had ever met-and given the odd crew of friends she had, that said a lot. "Prole as in proletariat?"
He looked relieved that she got it. "Oh, thank God you have a brain."
She wasn't sure if she should feel complimented or not. "I'm still confused. Why did the Squire's Council send you here? Don't they know how you feel about him?"
"Since my father happens to be one of the board members, yes, they know. Unfortunately, no one else will take this post. And since Lord Valerius demanded someone who could speak Italian and Latin there weren't that many of us to choose from. Pompous windbag."
"What's so pompous about wanting someone who speaks your native tongue? I noticed Talon has taught Sunshine Gaelic; and every time Julian and Kyrian get around Selena, they immediately break into ancient Greek."
"Yeah, but they don't demand that their Squires know it. Notice Nick ain't real swift in Greek."
Tabitha snorted. "Nick's not real swift in English most of the time."
"Hey now, don't insult my friend."
"Nick happens to be one of my friends too and I love him like a brother, but that doesn't make it open season on Valerius."