by V. Vaughn
“Hey,” Alexander says as he takes my hand. “We had to try.”
I think about how disappointed Lyndsey was. Even though the animals tasted awful, she still had no control. I should go talk to her, but I’m going to wait until she’s had time to clean up and process what happened.
“Any idea what we should try next?” I ask.
Alexander shakes his head. “Not yet. But give us time. We’re a smart bunch, and we’ll find a way to tame Lyndsey.”
I smile at him for being so positive, and I notice how drained he looks. He spent most of the time with Lyndsey helping Tadhg control her, and he has to be exhausted. I notice blood caked on his upper lip from his broken nose, which has almost healed. “You should go take a long hot bath.”
Alexander nods. “I’m beat. The princess gave me quite a workout.”
I reach up and place my hand on his cheek. I know in my core I love this man, but something in my mind is keeping me from getting too close. My brow knits as I wonder what happened. And then I remember that I agreed to be Lyndsey’s assistant. I still need to tell him and Sebastian. “There’s something I need to talk to you and Sebastian about.”
“Sure.” He frowns too. “It looks serious. I’m supposed to meet him and the king in the study if you’d like to join us.”
“I would,” I say as we begin walking.
When Alexander and I get to the study, we find Sebastian and King Daniel already there. “Maggie,” says Sebastian. “I hear you had a tough day.”
“It was disappointing, but Lyndsey is the one who had it rough.” I glance at Alexander. “And Tadhg and your brother.” I look at the king. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help.”
He waves his hand at me. “We weren’t sure if you could. We’ll find something else to try.” He seems distracted, and I wonder if his dismissal means he’s already given up on me.
Alexander says, “Sebastian, Maggie has something she wants to discuss with us.”
Sebastian smiles at me. “You decided to take Lyndsey’s offer.”
“I... how did you know?”
“I suggested it.”
“You did?” I laugh softly. Sebastian knows me well, and I’m happy that our relationship has moved in a positive direction. “Of course you did. Are you ever going to stop looking out for me?”
“No, Margaret. I never will. As your creator—” He pauses for a moment. “And as your friend.”
A rush of feelings that I recognize as coming from Elizabeth fills me with a warm glow. It’s as if a tiny piece of her is still with me, but I flash to an image of her in a hallway that ends with a doorway opening to sunlight. I think she’s finally ready to go. I walk over to hug Sebastian. “Thank you.” A vision of Elizabeth plays in my head of her waving goodbye, and I say, “I think I’m going to love—” you forever. I hear the faint sound of a door closing in my mind before I continue, “Working for the princess.”
Sebastian gazes at me with the love I used to see for Elizabeth, and tears glisten in his eyes as he says, “Me too, my dear.”
He saw her too. I swallow down the lump in my throat before I turn to Alexander. “Did you know about the assistant job too?”
He nods. “Yes. I think it’ll be good for you to be around the vampires in the castle and have a girlfriend to confide in. I know how much you’ve missed having friends.”
“Thanks. I do think I’ll be happy here.” It will also make the awkwardness that exists between Alexander and me a bit easier to deal with too, but I don’t say that.
“Lyndsey was quite pleased you said yes,” says the king. “I’m happy to have you too.”
“It’s my honor, King,” I say. I imagine how down Lyndsey must be right now and think she might need me, so I say, “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go talk to Lyndsey. I bet she might need a friend.”
“That’s a good idea,” says Alexander. He steps closer to me to give me a quick kiss. “Good night, Maggie. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I say good night to the others and make my way up to Lyndsey’s suite.
When I knock lightly on her door, she invites me in. “Hey,” I say as she leads me over to the sitting area. “How are you doing?”
She sighs as she plops down in a chair. Her hair is wet, and she’s wrapped up in a robe and wearing fuzzy socks. Her feet thud on the coffee table when she puts them up. “Today sucked.”
Lyndsey appears depressed to me, and I say, “I know. I’m really sorry.”
“Stop saying that.” Lyndsey fiddles with the belt on her robe. “We knew it was a long shot.”
“Yeah,” I say. “But I still feel bad for getting your hopes up.”
“Don’t. I’m a big girl.” She pops up from her chair as if she can force her bad mood to go away. “I need a drink. Want one?”
“Sure. Whatever you’re having.”
Lyndsey pours us each a whiskey, and after she hands me my drink, I take a swig. I let out a sigh of satisfaction as the burn I’ve begun to associate with pleasure makes its way down my throat.
Lyndsey chuckles. “We’re turning you into a whiskey drinker. I expected a grimace because it’s not sweet.”
I smile at her. “My tastes are changing.”
“Mine too.” The princess takes another sip of her cocktail as she studies me. “We’ve been invited to a Christmas party.”
A quick vision of the two of us in gowns, holding glasses of champagne, comes to me. “A fun one, I hope.”
“Nope.” Lyndsey downs the rest of her drink and gets up for more. This time, she brings the whole crystal decanter over to the table and tops off my glass before filling her own.
“Jeez,” I say as I now picture old women with whiskey sours and gray-haired men with cigars. “What is it? A party full of stuffy old vampires who’ll want to bore us with stories of how it used to be?”
“Way worse. It’s at the Kearns mansion.”
I choke on the liquid in my mouth. “You don’t have a choice, do you?”
She shakes her head. “We live in a strange world now, Maggie. Did you know Robert came to the party my father had to introduce me as princess?”
“I didn’t.”
“He presented me with Liam, the vampire who almost killed me.”
I marvel at the odd gesture. “Like a gift or something?”
“Yes. It was a test to see what I’d do. Robert knew I’d have to punish Liam and that death would be the sentence. So in front of a crowd of more than one hundred important vampires, I had to kill Liam.” She knocks her drink back and then frowns into the empty glass. “I chopped his head off.”
“Wow. Remind me never to get on your bad side.”
“Trust me. I shocked myself. My vampire side just took over. I wasn’t afraid or even horrified about what I had to do. Well—” She lets out a small noise. “Later that night, I felt awful about it. But...”
I imagine what it must have been like for her to have to do such a difficult thing in front of the vampires she’ll one day rule. She didn’t have a choice if she wanted to prove to them she was a worthy princess. And I imagine the guilt of taking a life must weigh heavily on her. Compassion fills me as I remember what I felt like when I thought I’d killed two people. “You had to.” I lean forward and put my hand on one of her propped-up feet. “The rules for vampires are very different from what we’re used to. It’s like we’ve been thrown back in time and now live by the code from centuries ago.”
“It is, Maggie. And while I have a lot of power, it comes with a lot of danger.” She moves her feet to the floor to lean closer to me. “Are you sure you’re up for that?”
My stomach tightens as I think about what being close to the princess means. I will be in danger just by being with her. I could easily live with the Harts and be a vampire version of Bertha instead. I’d be safe. And bored out of my mind. I cheated death once with a new heart and now as a vampire. I’m not going to waste it merely existing. I speak with confidence. “I am, Princess Lyndsey.”
Chapter 6
Lyndsey
Making Maggie my assistant was a good move. I gaze at the three gowns hanging before me. Each one is beaded and slim fitting, with a slit for my legs to move freely and straps over my shoulders so I don’t need a bodice tight enough to make my ribs ache.
Maggie is standing next to me in my dressing room, holding her chin as she verbalizes her judgments about the dresses. She says, “The ice-blue dress you wore for your introduction ceremony was good. That color definitely gives off the impression of ice princess. But this time, we need you to look regal, although festive just the same. It’s a party, after all.” Maggie steps forward and brings the maroon dress over to hold up to me. “Oh wow. This color is gorgeous with your complexion. The purple hue in this burgundy is so rich.” She steps back so I can see myself in the mirror. “Don’t you think?”
I chuckle. “I don’t think about things like this. But if I must, what about the green? That says O’Kelly.”
“It does, but it’s so predictable. Besides,” she says as she walks over and hangs the gown back on the rolling rack she brought in from the closet, “I think you should save that for something more serious. This party is for you to let your hair down and show your fun side.”
“This will not be a fun party, Maggie.”
Her expression turns serious. “I know. But you’ll need to appear as if you think it is.”
I nod, because she does get it, and I think Maggie could end up being as valuable to me as Victoria is to my dad. I say, “Fine. The maroon—I mean—burgundy dress, it is.”
She lifts the navy-blue gown off the rack and says, “This one would work too. It’s your decision.”
I shake my head. “I don’t care. I’m fine with you telling me what to wear. This is really not something I want to learn.”
Maggie smiles. “You’ll be like a live Barbie doll, and I get to play dress up. No.” She frowns and then chuckles. “You’re more like a superhero doll, because I have to remember to give you room to move.”
“Thank god for that,” I say. “And thanks for the straps. That light-blue dress made me worry about my boobs popping out.” I glance down at my small chest. “And that’s saying something.”
Maggie laughs. “Don’t worry. If you can’t surf in it, then it won’t be in your closet.”
“Thanks,” I say. “How are you with makeup?”
“Being Kitty Kane made me fairly decent at it. And...” She grins. “I’ve been studying YouTube videos to learn how to work with your coloring. I’ll make you look great.”
“You do love this, don’t you?”
Maggie shrugs. “When you spend half your life in a hospital, you tend to live vicariously through others. I spent a lot of time reading about the rich and famous and watching reality shows.”
“I bet you never thought it would prepare you for this.”
“Not even close. Although the likelihood of an unknown prince sweeping me off my feet still exists. How many kingdoms of vampires are there?”
“I’m not sure,” I say with a grin. “But yeah. If Alexander doesn’t work out, we can find you a prince.”
Maggie scowls for a moment, and it makes me wonder what’s wrong. I have to admit I’ve been a little puzzled about the way she and Alexander act toward each other. He’s cautious with her, while she seems shy toward him. But it’s not my place to pry, and if Maggie wants advice, I’m sure she’ll ask.
She lays my dress out on the love seat in my dressing room and says, “I’m going to go bathe and get ready. I’ll be back to do your makeup and hair when I’m done.”
Once she leaves, I let myself think about what tonight will be like. Water rushes into the tub as I draw myself a bath. While it seems odd to me that my father and Robert Kearns continue to attend each other’s parties as enemies, Victoria told me that’s the way it has always been. There is an unwritten rule that neither will kill family or trusted advisors at such events. When I asked if it had always been followed, Victoria said that, so far, it had. Something about centuries of honor was her reasoning, but the information didn’t comfort me.
The hot water is soothing as I lower myself into the tub, and I lean back to enjoy it for a few minutes. I’m also not thrilled about attending a party where I don’t know what the sources of entertainment will be. It’s not a stretch to imagine someone like Robert bringing in a group of humans for vampires to feed on if they get hungry. And if that happens... I push the thought out of my head and sit up to reach for soap.
As I finish up, Maggie calls to me through the door. “I’ve got blood for you to drink. I think you should be as well-fed as possible tonight.”
I step out of the bathroom in a towel to talk to her. “I was thinking the same thing. I’m worried about what Robert might have in store for entertainment.”
“I know. Me too.” She hands me a tall glass with a straw. “Vampires sure like their vices. I asked Sebastian if a human buffet might be a possibility.” Maggie’s brow knits. “He said Robert’s done it before but that it was unlikely since it tends to get out of control and people die. He doesn’t think Robert would push that if the O’Kellys are in attendance.”
“I get the impression you don’t feel so sure.”
“I don’t.” She shakes her head. “Robert Kearns likes to push the envelope, and the fact that he gave you Liam to kill the first time you met...” She lets out a huff. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he wanted to test your ability to control bloodlust too.”
She speaks like she’s spent significant time with him, and I ask, “How well do you know him?”
Her eyes widen. “Oh.” She quickly adds, “Not that well. Sebastian told me a lot after the first time he controlled my mind.”
“I suppose we should let my guards know this is a possibility.”
“On it,” she says. “I mentioned my concerns to Victoria, and she said she’d take care of it for us.”
I smile as I once again congratulate myself for choosing Maggie as my assistant. “You’re good at this. I really appreciate you thinking ahead and taking action.”
“Not a problem. Any news on what Tadhg plans to do to teach you control?” She grimaces. “Please tell me he’s not still considering beating you into submission.”
I take a sip of my drink. As much as I’m not looking forward to it, that’s exactly what Tadhg and I decided should happen. The one thing that stuck out to me when I researched shredders is that bloodlust is the most basic need of a vampire, and apparently, mine is as primal as they get. I think the reason the unpleasant flavor of animals didn’t work for me is that I was still getting the nutrition I need, and my vampire side was satisfied. I say, “Nothing is set in stone. But I’m going to do whatever it takes, Maggie. And if that means beating me into control, then so be it.”
She lets out a noise of disgust. “I hate this for you so much. Especially when—” Pain contorts her face.
“What?”
“It doesn’t seem fair that it was so easy for me and so hard for you.” Maggie reaches for my glass. Her mood does a one-eighty, and she’s a little too chipper when she says, “Time to get dressed.”
I grumble, “I think you like ordering me around a little too much.”
I wiggle into my dress, and the zipper hums as Maggie pulls it up for me. She then pats the seat of the vanity with her hand. “Don’t worry, Princess. I’m only pushy in private. I know how to play the game.”
I gaze at myself in the mirror as Maggie pulls apart the loose bun I put my hair in to keep it dry when I bathed. As strands fall down, I realize she’s right. This is a game, one the two of us are in to win. My lack of control will hold me back, though. So I’m prepared to do whatever I have to do to kill off my shredder side. I just wish I’d done it before going to Robert’s party.
“I’m thinking a half updo. Like this,” says Maggie as she holds up the front of my hair. “It says fun but is still out of the way in case you need it to be.”
I flash to when I sliced Liam’s head off, and the memory of it rolling across the floor as the crowd watched turns my stomach. But what’s more disturbing is that, given the same opportunity today, I’d do it again. A tiny shiver runs down my spine, and I shudder.
Maggie says, “Hey. You’ve got a strong team in place that won’t leave your side. You’ve got this. Okay?”
“Thanks,” I say, because I’m confident the vampires close to me would do everything in their power to keep anything from happening to me. I just hope it’s enough.
Chapter 7
Maggie
While Lyndsey slips on her shoes and moans about how she wishes she could wear flip-flops, I check my makeup in the mirror. I don’t like how worried she is about Robert’s party. It’s horrible to dread what might happen because of a weakness. But unfortunately, there’s nothing I can say to help, because I think her fear is justified. The more I mull this over, the more sense it makes to me that testing Lyndsey’s control is exactly what Robert has planned. Maybe it’s my overactive imagination at play, but I think he’d enjoy a public display of how poorly Lyndsey would do with a human close by. I’m not sure how he could have known I’d end up by Lyndsey’s side at his Christmas party, but I believe it was part of why he trained me. He doesn’t want any distractions from the main event of Lyndsey losing control. I doubt he knows Lyndsey is a shredder, though.
The clip on my clutch snaps shut, and I turn to give Lyndsey a once-over before I say, “We’re ready. Let’s go meet your dad in the study.”
Lyndsey nods at me, and we make our way to the hall. The lighting is dim in this part of the castle, and our shadows dance along the walls as we walk, like an ominous presence watching us.
When we get to the study, Des, Tadhg, and Victoria are there along with the king. Des smiles at us. “Ladies, you look lovely. Can I get either of you a drink?”
Lyndsey and I both say no at the same time. I add, “This is my first vampire party, and I’m nervous. I don’t think a drink will sit well.” What I don’t say is that I want to make sure all of my senses are as clear as they can be so I can watch out for Lyndsey like a hawk.