Chapter 42
A sigh escaped her lips, but even so, Alessia knew she still had to get the job done–and do it well. She glanced around, only now remembering she was no longer at the Tate family’s manor. Of course there wouldn’t be any art supplies here. The last time she’d asked Cole to help, he’d brought her a small box of paints, but she’d given them all to Ivan–hadn’t kept a single tube for herself.
Resigned, Alessia stood up. She’d have to borrow some paint from Ivan. She knocked on the cabinet door, the curtain hanging nearby fluttered gently in the breeze, but the room remained silent. Alessia was used to this–she figured van was probably lost in his painting again–so she simply pulled the curtain aside.”
But the little studio was empty
She was about to let the curtain fall back into place when a painting by the window caught her eye. The canvas was a mass of black, streaked with deep, unsettling reds, the whole image twisted into something almost grotesque. Even though the summer air outside was thick and stifling, this painting seemed to leech the warmth from the room, sending a chill through her
Almost without thinking. Alessia stepped closer. The moment she reached out, Ivan burst out from who knows where and clamped his teeth onto her outstretched hand. Pain shot through her–she could feel his teeth sinking into her skin, sharp and desperate, as if he wouldn’t let go until he’d bitten out a piece of her
She sucked in a breath. As she started to pull away, Ivan suddenly trembled, his eyes wild with terror, his grip tightening instead of loosening X
Nessia was quick to pick up on emotions–sometimes more than she wanted to be. A thought flashed through her mind, one she instinctively wanted to reject. Her hand throbbed, but instead of pulling away, she reached over and gently patted Ivan’s head, soothing him with a calm that belied her pain.
The movement was so fluid, it was as if she’d been bitten and then immediately moved to comfort him
There was no screaming, no flailing–none of the panic shed braced herself for Ivan stilled, sensing her steady presence and gentle touch.”
He blinked, eyes clearing, the fear draining away as he met Alessia’s gaze. There was no anger there, just a helpless kind of resignation. “Sorry,” Alessia said, crouching down so she was eye–level with him, 1 shouldn’t have barged in. I just wanted to borrow some paint” She made sure her tone was even, not scolding, just honest–putting herself on his level
She wasn’t angry about being bitten. Besides, it was her own fault for startling him, and honestly, this wasn’t half as shocking as what the Tate twins had put her through.
Ivan had calmed down. He let go of her hand and curled up against the wall, arms wrapped tight around his knees. He was so small, drawn in on himself, that she felt an unexpected pang of sympathy, Alessia wasn’t the sentimental type, but seeing Ivan like this made her brow crease with concem.&
She wanted to say something, but the moment didn’t feel right. Besides, glancing at the blood oozing from her hand, she just let out another sigh.
Without another word, Alessia left the room, giving Ivan his space. The apartment wasn’t big, so it didn’t take her long to spot the first–aid Pit in the living room.
Her hand was already bruising, purple and blue around the crescent marks where blood still welled. Against her pale skin, the bite looked almost ghastly. At least it was her left hand–cleaning the wound wouldn’t be too tricky.
She twisted the cap off the peroxide and poured it over the bite without so much as a flinch Bubbles fizzed up, but she just dabbed them away and reached for the iodine, moving with practiced efficiency, her face unreadable.
Finally, she tore open a roll of gauze, biting one corner as she wrapped it around her hand with the other. Just then, she heard Karen and the others outside the door. A second later, the front door swung open.
