The vampire and the assassin

Chapter 7

I went with Glenda into the bathroom as she shut the door over and stood in the doorway. "I'll give you a few moments to strip and get in." She shut the door fully as she waited outside, leaving me alone in the huge bathroom.

The bath was like nothing I'd ever seen before. It seemed to sink into the floor, and above it was a shower. Not wanting to have Glenda come in while I was still stripping, I stripped quickly and got into the bath. At first, I winced at how warm it was, but once my body got used to the warmth, I began to relax pretty quickly as all the aches in my body seemed to slowly peel away. I didn't dare think about the color of the water once I was finished in the bath; it was probably going to be black.

I sat with my legs tucked under me as the water came up to my shoulder. This bath was a lot deeper than the one I had been used to at home and when I'd been with him. I quickly shook my head, not wanting my head to go back to that thought at all, I didn't want to live a single memory of him. It was because of him that I was here. I glanced to the side as I noticed the way my hair floated on top of the water. It had become very long, and it needed a good cut. I made a mental note to myself to try to find someone who would be able to do it for me.

The door opened, and Glenda came into the bathroom and sat on the step at the side of the bath. "Feels good, doesn't it, the hot water?" A smile was fixed in place as she watched me. "I'm not going to rush you too much."

"Thank you," I told her, quietly appreciating the thought at the very least.

"So what are you planning on doing?" Glenda asked as she tipped her head to the side a little. "Here, you have free will. If you don't want to stay, Lord Xander won't make you stay."

I looked at Glenda confused, before I spoke quietly. "I... don't...."

"Understand? It must be a lot to take in that a vampire won't keep you chained to him, unlike your old master." Glenda got up and walked to grab some things from a cupboard, then walked back to the bath, set them to the side, and sat back down. I couldn't see what she'd brought across, and I certainly didn't want to get out of the water and show the scars on my back. "Lord Xander is a very caring vampire. He is unlike any vampire I have met while working here. Most that come to visit treat their humans either very poorly, like your master did, or at the very least in what I would call passable conditions."

"Why does Master Xander give us freedom?" I was generally confused. I knew very little about vampires, and I had only met those who had come for me and Lucian and his vampires, who he was with when he'd visited. I was still finding it hard to believe that there were some good vampires, much like people. Call me cynical all you want; it was my truth.

"Lord Xander believes that we're all equal and free. Vampires cannot live without humans. Vampires need humans for their blood and, during the daytime, for their protection. In return, Lord Xander believes vampires should offer humans protection and help when they need it. It is a very strange concept to most people who first work and live here. However, given time, you'll come to understand how it works and appreciate what Lord Xander has built here. I am hoping one day more vampires will look at things the way he does to build a better world for all kinds."

I looked down at the water as I frowned a little, thinking over what Glenda had told me. I didn't understand a lot, and I still couldn't understand why Lucian wanted Xander dead. Had it been this belief that Xander had that had made Lucian jealous? I bit my lip as I shook my head a little. No, that seemed petty—far too petty for Lucian. He wasn't the type to get petty over some silly idea, or was it that he was scared that Xander's view would be more accepted by his race? I had no clue, but I had to piece together what was going on here, and I had five weeks to do it.

"Life here is peaceful; we split up the human staff into day staff and night staff. The day staff is mostly men who can keep watch in case any trouble does happen. There are a few women on the day staff who are our cooks, they can also tend to any needs that anyone has in the house. The night staff are the ones who clean the main house; that is where we are currently. We tend to the house and tidy it and do washing and any other jobs that are needed."

"What about the vampires and blood?" I asked, lifting my head and looking at Glenda. As I asked as unconsciously, my hand went to my neck, where Lucian had last bitten me for blood. I really didn't feel up to donating blood to the vampires; that was scary even to me, who had faced all different types of chaos.

"There are some women and men who are exclusively just for feeding. Of course, that's their choice; there are some staff who offer their blood as well, should they be needed. Lord Xander will not make you do anything you do not want to, but you will have to find something you can do. That is how you earn your lodging. Lord Xander also pays all his human staff in the house, and there will be nights that you won't have to work as you will get to have a rest. What you do with that time is your choice. Some staff enjoy late-night shopping, while others like to go out for entertainment."

"I see." My hand fell into the water with a splash, and as it did, I realized just how dirty I was, and I hadn't even washed my hair.

"Shall we get your hair washed?" Glenda got up and turned on a shower that came out with warm water that sprayed onto my head. She lowered it down so that it was just above my head. I ran my hands through my hair, making sure it all got wet. I couldn't help but feel worried about some of the cuts on my arm that were still healing, but Glenda never said anything to me if she even noticed. I had a feeling, though, that she was the type of woman who wouldn't say anything to you if she thought it would upset you.

"Here, let me wash your hair for you to make sure everything is out." Glenda moved the shower head away from me as I came close and turned around. I lifted it up a little out of the water so that she could wash my long hair, but as Glenda began to wash my hair, my mind began to spiral into worry over the scars on my back from the fights with Lucian. I knew my shoulders were in the water, but I also knew she'd be able to see some with how high some of the scars were.

"Will you tell Master Xander about my scars?" I asked eventually, after there was silence between us.

"If he asks, then I will tell him. If he does not, then no, I will not. I will not tell anyone else either." She promised quietly. A sigh of relief escaped my lips as Glenda moved the shower head back over my head and began to rinse the shampoo out of my hair.

It was strange; in all the time I'd been locked in the house, I thought I would never get to enjoy the feel of warm water over my skin again or enjoy feeling clean, yet here I was getting cleaned and my hair washed, beginning to feel just a bit human again. It was strange, and it was almost like a sense of relief that the trouble was over, yet every part of me knew this was only the beginning of what was coming.

Glenda turned the shower off and went and grabbed two towels and put them on the edge of the bath for me. "Let's get you back in front of the fire while I go and find some clothes for you. I'll wait outside for you." She left me alone in the bathroom again. I pulled the plug out and climbed out. I wrapped one towel around my hair and the other around my body as I sat on the steps, watching the dirty water go down the drain. I wanted to think of the dirty water being a good omen, that it meant the bind on me Lucian had been gone, but it wasn't. Just because I was no longer in his grasp physically, I knew he still had a hold on me because of what he asked me to do.

I looked at the wall and took a deep breath as I reminded myself I couldn't let myself get washed up in Xander's nice guy act. If Lucian was the way he was, then surely that darkness was in Xander, and this nice guy's act was exclusively for those he picked, and I knew what Lucian was capable of, so I was pretty sure Xander would be capable of the same.

I forced myself to stand up, walked to the door, and opened it. Neither Glenda nor I spoke for the moment or two it took us to get back to the room I'd waited for her in; she just opened the door for me again, and I walked in as she shut it. This time, though, I went and sat in a chair now that I was clean as I relaxed to the crackle of the fire. Maybe we can enjoy this just a little bit while we figure out what to do. My brain whispered I liked the sound of it; I just couldn't get too comfortable. I'm here for a job, and when that job was done, I had another personal vendetta to settle.

As that thought waved through my mind, a knock on the door came. I turned my head to look behind me as panic began to rise. Was it someone knocking on the wrong door? I didn't know; I just had to hope they'd go away, as I didn't want to talk to anyone while I was sitting in a towel in front of a fire waiting for Glenda and some clothes.