by Leigh Walker
“Nonsense. I take very good care of all our sacrifices.” She ran her fingertips down Mia’s neck, and I could see a vein pulsating beneath the pale skin. The poor girl had to be petrified. “And now, I honor them as they honor me. Together we are one with the blood. As they take care of me, I take care of them.” Danica’s fangs sprang out, and she hissed. Her blue eyes turned fiery, blazing with an intensity and power that was almost nuclear.
She looked straight at me as she plunged her fangs into Mia’s neck.
The girl only flinched once, then she stilled her body as the queen drank. Thin rivulets of blood spilled over, staining the collar of Mia’s pretty gray dress. Fortunately Her Highness was too occupied to look at me again. Her crown glistened as she wrapped her arms around Mia, holding her firmly in place as she continued to drain her. Mia’s breathing slowed, her skin becoming even paler.
I wanted to stand up and yell, “Stop!” I wanted to snatch the poor girl out of the queen’s greedy grip, but Dominic held my hand firmly. It might look like they’re going to die, but they won’t. I clung to what the prince had said, holding my breath as the queen slowly loosened her grip on Mia. After what seemed like hours, she eventually pulled her fangs from the girl’s neck and released her.
A servant appeared immediately and put a compress over the fang marks.
“You are free to go, young lady.” Blood was smeared across the queen’s face, and her blue eyes were still unnaturally bright. Far from the stately and serene woman I’d first seen at the Trade, she looked wild, completely out of place with the fine china laid before her, not to mention her elegant gown.
The servant helped Mia up gently. She leaned on him as he led her away. Another servant handed her a third glass of wine as she left the room. She accepted it slowly, as if she were injured or in a trance—or both.
I turned to the king, who seemed to approach the situation a bit differently. He held Constance’s hand and gently drank from her wrist. They stood close to each other. Constance was breathing slowly and deeply, her eyes closed as if she were meditating. Where the queen’s drinking had been intense, almost feral, the king seemed restrained, as if he were politely having a cup of tea with company.
After a minute, he withdrew his mouth and bowed. “Thank you, my lady. I appreciate the gift of good health that you’ve given me.”
Unlike Mia, Constance seemed steady on her feet. She smiled at him and curtsied. “It’s my pleasure, Your Highness.” She bowed to the rest of us before accepting a compress and taking her leave.
That left just the third young woman, the one with the brown curls.
The queen wiped her mouth with her cloth napkin, staining it red, then had another sip of wine. Her eyes were no longer blazing, but she still looked different. Her hair was mussed, and she looked relaxed as she lazily reclined in her chair.
“Now,” she said, looking at her son. “Aren’t you hungry?”
He tipped his goblet at her. “I’m fine with wine, Mother. But you already knew that.”
“Elise, please come here.” The queen’s gaze didn’t leave Dominic as the last sacrifice approached.
Elise bowed, her cocoa-colored satin dress perfectly complimenting her skin and clinging to her enviable curves. “Yes, Your Highness? How may I be of service?” Her brown eyes were clear and bright. I caught no sense of fear or hesitation from her, just genuine curiosity.
“Please go to my son. Let him smell you.”
Elise perked up at her orders. She headed toward Dominic, making sure to stick her chest out as she went. She stood behind his chair, but he stared straight ahead.
“Dominic, take her wrist. That’s a command.” The queen leaned forward, while the king had a very large sip of wine.
“Mother.” The prince’s voice was even, but had an undercurrent of tension. “You know I would rather not.”
“I insist.” She sat back in her chair, looking satisfied with herself. “And when I insist, that means it’s an order.”
He was still holding my hand under the table, and he squeezed it once gently. “I don’t want to make Lady Victoria uncomfortable.”
“Then you can smell her afterward.” The queen’s smile was pure challenge. “Consider it sampling the merchandise.”
At that, Elise looked me up and down, frowning. She didn’t seem too impressed by the merchandise.
“Very well, Mother.” Dominic looked over his shoulder. “My lady, may I please see your wrist?”
Elise leaned over the prince until her chest was very nearly against his back. She smiled as he took her hand in his and brought it to his face. He inhaled deeply then nodded as he released her.
“What say you, my son?” The queen studied his face. “Does the smell stir something in you? Don’t you want more?”
“She smells lovely, but it’s not really to my taste.” To my surprise, he put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close against him. “My betrothed smells better to me than any human I’ve ever met. Nothing compares to her, I’m afraid.” He nodded in Elise’s direction, dismissing her. “Thank you for your service.”
Elise narrowed her eyes, but the queen clucked at her. “Do not worry, my pet. You’ll still be of use tonight. Go to my chambers and wait for me—I’m going to want dessert.” Elise curtsied and, with one final sour look in my direction, sashayed off to wait for her mistress.
The queen watched her go then turned back to us, her gaze traveling down her son’s arm wrapped tightly around me. “If your betrothed’s blood calls to you, you will drink from her.” She nodded as if that were final. “Smell her, now, in front of me. I want to see your reaction.”
“Mother, I’m afraid that’s private.” Dominic lifted his chin. “I won’t sniff her at the dinner table as though I were a dog, and her a bone. You might order me to do that with one of the slaves but not my future bride. Lady Victoria shouldn’t be treated like that, and quite frankly, neither should I.”
“But you will drink from her.” The queen motioned to me. “That’s the whole point of giving you a human wife. She’s got to be good for something.”
Dominic leveled a glare at his mother. “If I choose to do so, that will be between me and my wife. And only with her consent.”
“She cannot consent, you idiot! Did the turkey she ate for dinner consent to having its head chopped off?” Queen Danica threw up her hands in frustration. “You know the law—the natural law. We are their predators because the gods made us that way. With everything that’s happened, do you still want to anger the gods?”
“I don’t believe the gods are angry, Mother. Although they might have a thing or two to say to you.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Do not dare speak to me like that.”
“But you’re not listening to me.” He shook his head in frustration. “I am of age now. Your orders are yours to make, but as a member of this family and soon to be of the royal cabinet, I am at my liberty to choose a life for myself. If I don’t want to drink from her, I won’t. And if Victoria isn’t comfortable with it, I will not force her.”
“The girl has no choice—I don’t care what you say. And as for you, you’re not going to have a choice for much longer,” the queen said. “I am passing a law so that we will no longer have to hide. We won’t have to keep slaves, although I do enjoy having them on hand. Our kind is going to get back to our roots—enough of this donated-blood nonsense. Who wants to drink a transfusion?”
“What do you mean, Mother?” But Dominic sounded as if he already knew, and the answer sickened him.
“I mean that I am the queen of the kingdom. I no longer support those of our kind who refuse to acknowledge what they truly are.”
“You can’t force people to live a certain way.” The muscle in Dominic’s jaw jumped. “That’s unnatural.”
“There is nothing unnatural about what we are. Our kind needs to drink blood the natural way, the way the gods intended. And if I want to show my citizens my truth, I will. If I want to
ask them to offer their necks to me and my army, I will do so. They should be so lucky.” She scoffed as she rose to her feet. “And now if you’ll excuse me, I have a lovely young virgin just waiting to service me. Because that is what the humans are here for.” She gave me a sharp look. “Lady Victoria, mark my words, my son will have your neck before the month’s end.”
I just nodded at her. Because what the heck can I say to that?
She turned to her husband. “Declan, are you coming?”
The king looked into his wine glass. “Not just yet.”
“Take your time.” She straightened her spine as she left the room. “I’ll have plenty to occupy me.”
As soon as she was gone, the king motioned for a refill. Then he took the queen’s bell and rang it while he stared at the servants. “Get out. But for the love of god, leave all the wine. I need it.”
They scurried off, and the king sighed as he turned to us. “I’m so sorry about Danica. She doesn’t always know how she comes across.”
Dominic blinked at his father. “You’re kidding, right?”
“She should’ve at least behaved better in front of your fiancée.” King Declan’s shoulders slumped. “You have my standing apology for my wife’s behavior, Victoria.”
I nodded, shakily taking another sip of wine, grateful that Dominic still had his arm around me. When I moved closer against his powerful chest, I was surprised again by his warmth. I felt safe next to him, but that was probably a pretty big mistake. He was a vampire, after all. But he had to be better than his mother.
“What did she mean about making a law?” Dominic asked the king.
He regarded his goblet. “She’s been working with the others. They are ready to make their move. Dominance isn’t good enough anymore. In the new world, they want to reign openly.”
“And what do you think?” Dominic asked.
The king refilled his glass. “I think I’ll drink all the wine.”
“I expected a bit more from you.”
King Declan eyed his son. “Your mother has become impossible. The others are listening to her, and it’s just making everything worse.”
Dominic leaned forward. “So we have to make it better. We have to rise up, Father. That’s the only way to stop them.”
The king sank back into his chair. “You, me, and what army?”
“I’m not giving up.”
“That’s because you’re still a child, and you don’t understand what you’re up against,” King Declan said.
“Enjoy your wine.” Dom’s lips curled as he took his father’s measure. “I’ve got to take Lady Victoria to bed. It’s been a long day for her.”
“Yes, of course.” King Declan rose and nodded at me. “It was a pleasure. Welcome to the family.”
Dominic and I just stared at him.
After a moment, I recovered myself. “T-Thank you, Your Highness. Good night.”
“See you in the morning.” Dominic put his arm around me, then we swept past his father and out into the dark hallway.
“Well, that was…something.” I looked up at him.
The prince’s brow was furrowed, his gaze angry. “I should never have asked you to come back here.”
“Why…why not?”
He turned to me. “Because my father is a coward, and my mother is crazy. She is crazy, and she will end us all.”
15
Moi
“What do you mean, your mother ‘will end us all’?” I glanced at him, my pulse quickening, as he hustled me down the hallway.
“Shh, we’ll speak of it later.”
We made it to my chambers without encountering anyone. At my door, Dominic released me then bowed. “Please go and get some rest. I promise to come to you in the morning. We can talk more then.”
I nodded, my head spinning. “Today was a lot.”
“It was too much. I’ve asked too much.”
I shook my head. “I don’t understand so many things—”
“Nor should you.” He brushed the hair back from my face. His touch made me shiver, and not because I was cold.
“My lady, I owe you an apology.” He clasped my hands in his. “I get so excited to see you, I can’t help myself from being familiar and speaking more candidly than I should.”
“I wish you would just tell me everything.” But the events of the day weighed on me, and I swayed on my feet.
“You must get to bed.” Dominic leaned closer, his big shoulders eclipsing the light behind him. All I could see and smell was him, the mysterious stranger who seemed familiar, this predator who I somehow found a comfort. My handsome vampire fiancé with the crazy mother!
Head pounding, I took a step back and broke our gaze. “Good night, then.”
“Good night.” Dominic nodded as I went into my chambers.
I could still feel him standing out there in the dark hallway, keeping watch. I’d no sooner closed the door than I wanted to throw it back open and invite him in. It felt wrong to leave him out there. Why is that? What spell does the prince have over me? How can I miss someone I barely know? How can I fall for someone whose parents are literally beasts?
If I hadn’t been so tired, I would’ve laughed. This was just so me. I’d never had a boyfriend before. My longest crush was on Justin Bieber in the third grade. Inexperience aside, I recognized what was happening to me. Just looking at the prince, with his big shoulders and his dark eyes, made me feel things—things that were inconvenient if not downright dangerous.
Dominic and I had known each other for nine years, if what he had told me was true, but I had no idea what had happened between us in that time. My body clearly reacted to him, my pulse racing each time he was close to me. But without any memories to back those feelings up, trusting them seemed ill-advised.
I knew he was still out in the hall, and I also knew I should leave him there. My body felt heavy, and I needed to stop my mind from racing and get to bed. The cold stone floor of the castle was freezing; I was grateful for the fire still burning. I hovered near it as I unzipped my gown, shivering, then quickly put on the blue silk pajamas Mistress Olivia had laid out and brushed my teeth, the tap water so cold it hurt my gums. The palace was grand, but it was austere and icy. I couldn’t imagine living here. Even the Dixon’s messy house, filled with squabbling, seemed a better alternative.
Without washing my makeup off, I crawled into bed, mascara be damned. The bed was also cold, but the fire cast a little heat my way. I snuggled into the blankets and was at once on the edge of sleep. Every bone in my body ached. I’d barely positioned my head on the pillow as the darkness and bliss of unconsciousness encompassed me.
But then my eyes snapped open, and I remembered.
For the first time since the accident, I hadn’t thought of my mother or sister in hours.
I woke up in exactly the same position I’d fallen asleep in. The light in my room was gray, the kind of luminescence that came right before dawn broke. The embers of the fire still glowed, throwing some warmth into the chilly room.
Suddenly, I sensed I wasn’t alone. With a start, I sat up straight. “What are you doing in here?”
Dominic leaned forward from the shadows next to the fire. “Watching you sleep, my lady. I’m sorry for the intrusion.”
I pulled the covers up to my chin, hoping I hadn’t been snoring. “That’s kind of stalking, you know.”
He chuckled softly. The fire burned just bright enough that I could see his face, his square jaw and prominent cheekbones outlined by the light. He looked as rested and handsome as the night before.
“You didn’t sleep?” I asked.
“No.”
I leaned closer, inspecting him. “Do you ever?”
“Sleep? No, never.” The prince shook his head. “It’s one of the supposed ‘curses’ of our kind. For those of us who suffer their condition, it’s a burden, but not for me. I appreciate being able to stay awake.”
“Were you in here all night?”
> He shrugged. “Most of it. You didn’t move once.”
I drew the covers more tightly around me. “Why?”
“I suppose it was because you were exhausted,” he said.
“No—what I meant was, why did you stay?”
Dominic cocked his head. “I’m afraid I can’t stand to be away from you.”
We stared at each other for a moment.
“I’ve missed you, Victoria.” He smiled at me ruefully. “No matter how long you stay in the kingdom, it’s never enough. I consider being able to watch you sleep a great gift—I won’t waste a moment of your time here.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know what else to say.
He chuckled. “I know it seems too soon for me to say that, but trust me, it’s not.”
“Speaking of…that.” I wasn’t really sure what I meant except all of it. I cleared my throat. “You said you would answer more of my questions.”
He nodded once, watching me carefully.
“You asked me to come here. Did you write me the letters? Are you Moi?”
Dominic folded his hands together and inspected them. Just when I thought he wasn’t going to answer, he said, “I’m pretty ashamed to admit it, but yes.”
“Why are you ashamed?”
He blinked at me. “Some of the tactics I used to get you here were not my best work. Very manipulative.”
I knew just what he meant. Have a little faith. Because really, that’s all you have left, isn’t it? “You did push some of my buttons.”
He sighed. “I’ve tried different approaches, and unfortunately, that tone works best. You do love a challenge.”
My heart raced as I remembered the most important part of the letter. “I want to know—what did you mean? About the things I’ve lost? Does it have something to do with my family?”
He scratched behind his ear. “It’s not safe for me to tell you that. Not yet.”
I shook my head. “That’s hardly fair.”
The prince got up and put another log on the fire, his back to me. “When the time is right, I will explain myself.”