Masquerade (Vampires Realm Romance Series Book 10)

by Heaton, F E

  Sophis straightened and went down the mahogany staircase, her hand on the railing to steady herself as she walked in the heels. The gold with the red of the roses brought such warmth into the entrance hall and she couldn’t help smiling. Whenever the Venia mansion hosted the ball, they always decorated it the same way, and it reminded her of times when her sire was here and life had felt so uncomplicated. These days it felt so difficult.

  A flash of crimson shot across her eyes and her side burned beneath her dress, hot with flames that licked her skin and sent an arrow of panic into her heart. She paused at the bottom of the stairs and breathed deeply and slowly, steadying herself. She wasn’t there again. She was safe here, surrounded by her kin and so many powerful vampires, and so was Vivek. Aleksis wouldn’t stand a chance if he dared to attack the mansion. He wouldn’t even make it through the guards and werewolves in the grounds. They were safe.

  Ice still crawled in her chest.

  She wanted to see Vivek.

  The urge shocked her but it wasn’t wholly unexpected. Whenever she had suffered panic attacks in the first year after recovering from the dagger wound they had melted away whenever she had found Vivek. He had been so cold and distant that she hadn’t spoken to him about them or approached him. She had remained out of view of him, watching him from afar, soothing her fear for him and herself with the sight of him alive and well.

  Seeing him was impossible now though. They had given her a mask, which meant he would be wearing one too, and she hadn’t been brave enough to find Commander Tynan and ask what they would be wearing so she could recognise her mission partner.

  Sophis studied the vampires entering the mansion and flowing past her towards the ballroom, trying to distract herself by seeing if she recognised any of them as lords, ladies, Chosen Sons or Chosen Daughters. She had memorised the faces of the most important members of the bloodlines so she could behave appropriately around them if she were introduced to them at any point during the masquerade.

  Most of the vampires passing her didn’t feel particularly strong and she couldn’t recognise any of them. Many of them were giving off excitement in their signatures and she could understand why, and could also understand the ones who were feeling emotions more akin to fear. She clung to the bottom banister of the staircase, wondering where they had all come from and what life was like in their part of Europe. Not all vampires of rank lived at their bloodline’s mansion but all returned for the ball, or met their family at the mansion hosting the masquerade. Would her sire return? He hadn’t last time they had held the ball. Part of her hoped he would come home this time so she could speak with him. She didn’t want to leave the mansion and her duty, but it was so hard to remain here now after everything that had happened. She wanted to run away in search of her own slice of happiness and forget about Vivek.

  The chatter in the entrance hall died as a noble dark haired man swept through the double doors. His red eyes betrayed him as a Vehemens and his stature and poise said that he could be the lord of that bloodline, but a lady ruled the violent ones now. She glanced at the fair haired woman on the man’s arm. Nerves radiated from her. The lady. That meant that the man with her was their bloodline’s Chosen Son, Lincoln, and also her mate and sire. Everyone knew of the two half-blood ladies of the pure bloodlines. Lady Lilith Vehemens, who was once a vampire hunter for Section Seven and the first enhanced one, and Lady Prophecy Caelestis, who was born of a witch mother who had been turned during pregnancy.

  Sophis cast an eye over Lady Lilith, from the top of her long fair hair to the hem of her beautiful black dress.

  Did she find being around so many vampires, especially the powerful lords and ladies, disturbing? Or were her nerves because this was her first masquerade?

  They drew closer and Lady Lilith’s brown eyes briefly met hers before darting back to the man walking beside her.

  “I’m a terrible dancer... I should have told you earlier,” she whispered and Lincoln paused, turned to face her, and smiled.

  “You need only follow my lead for once, as I taught you.” His accent was a mixture of Scandinavian and British. In time, Lady Lilith’s own British accent would become as corrupted as her mate’s was, becoming more Norwegian with every year she passed at the Vehemens mansion in Oslo.

  His smile widened, turning affectionate, and he brushed his thumb across Lady Lilith’s cheek, his gaze following his fingers.

  There was such heat in his eyes, so much love in that look, that Sophis felt as though she was prying. What was it like to be high-ranking? Could they do as they pleased? Did they feel the burden of responsibility too, or was life void of care and struggle? They both looked so happy and relaxed, completely at ease now as they stared at each other.

  A tiny part of Sophis wished that she felt that way too. Her head was always full of rosters, duties, and a list of things to do. She never had time to be herself and be carefree.

  Or was the feeling she got from them to do with the fact they were bonded and mated?

  What would it be like to share such a bond, to be able to feel everything that her love did, and to be able to speak with them telepathically? She had heard that claiming led to an intense connection. The thought of it frightened her a little, yet a deeper part of her craved it and feared that she would never love someone with such depth, that she might never experience something so beautiful.

  “I wish Eve was here.” Lady Lilith’s look turned pensive but a solemn edge softened her eyes. Who was Eve? There hadn’t been any mention of that name in the information about the Vehemens bloodline’s party.

  Lincoln squeezed Lilith’s hand and smiled in a way that spoke of reassurance and affection even with his mask obscuring most of his face.

  “She is in good hands and will be with us soon enough. Tor has promised to bring her here to us before the end of the ball and she will be safe with him. You need not fear.”

  Who was Tor? Sophis frowned behind her mask and studied the Vehemens party. The files hadn’t mentioned the Chosen Daughter of the bloodline. Was that person Eve? Was Tor her protector? Curiosity sent questions buzzing around her mind but she pushed them away. It wasn’t her place to wonder about those not present. She was here to keep an eye on the attendees and protect her lord, Chosen Son and Chosen Daughter.

  The group moved on and Sophis waited until they had given their cards to the guards at the entrance to the ballroom before moving herself. She stepped down off the bottom tread of the staircase and followed another group to the doors. The man on her left took the ornate invitation from her and then she stepped into the room.

  It was stunning.

  Vibrant and full of life.

  Dancers sped in a beautiful whirlwind of colour before her, matching the fast tempo of the trumpets and strings of the orchestra, and other attendees milled around in small groups, sipping blood from pure crystal flutes and talking. The atmosphere in the room buzzed with energy and excitement, and with the power of the stronger vampires amongst the gathered.

  Several men paused to glance at her as they passed and Sophis wished that whoever had arranged her attire had chosen a black dress instead. The material was so close to the colour of blood that it was impossible to blend in with the crowd and she felt as though her efforts to do so by applying some make-up and fixing her hair had only made her stand out even more.

  Sophis moved into the crowd before any of the men could find a chance to ask her to dance and made her way through it, heading for the long tables under the balcony opposite her. They had been setting the glasses out there earlier, ready to fill them with warm blood. Her throat turned dry at just the thought of feeding. The blood she had taken from the vampire hunter had restored some of her strength but she still craved more, her body hungry for nourishment that would help it finish the healing process.

  She claimed a flute of blood, turned her back on those serving, scanned the vampires around her to make sure no one was watching and gulped it down. She set the glass down on
a passing waiter’s tray and then moved further along the white rectangular tables to claim another. Sipping this one, she fell into a leisurely pace as she did a circuit of the ballroom, looking for trouble and trying to recognise more of the attendees. Her ankle wobbled again in the heels but she remained upright this time and a touch of pride warmed her heart. She would conquer the infernal shoes before long.

  Sophis leaned back against the column nearest the entrance to the ballroom and let her eyes flit over everything. The array of masks that the men wore fascinated her. Each of them was different in some way. Some had horns and some didn’t, some looked devilish and some looked like dragons. Most of the women were wearing slim masks that barely covered their eyes, very similar in style to each other.

  A woman dancing caught her eye and Sophis knew from the stars on her skin that she was Lady Prophecy Caelestis. She whirled around the dance floor, a streak of plum that stood out amidst the other dancers, especially when combined with the deep green of her partner’s outfit. His devilish black mask couldn’t hide who he was. His eyes were as green as Lady Prophecy’s but something told Sophis that this man wasn’t showing his vampire side as his lady was and that he wasn’t of her bloodline. It was illegal and wrong, but Sophis found it a touch romantic that two vampires from opposing bloodlines had come together and mated. She would never reveal it to anyone. If she did, they would probably report her to the Law Keepers.

  Lord Valentine Aurorea lowered his mouth to Lady Prophecy’s neck and kissed it. Scars littered her pale skin and he licked a set that were fresh, barely a day old judging by the darkness of the puncture marks.

  It was a brave move to act so brazenly about their relationship when there were several Law Keepers in attendance. She hadn’t expected the bonded couple to dance with each other, let alone dare to show affection in the most public and open place at the ball.

  Her gaze sought the Law Keepers and she frowned when she noted that neither Caelestis nor Aurorea Law Keeper was present. Four of them stood at the side of the room near the orchestra, all of them unmasked. She recognised the Law Keepers for Nocens, a young looking woman, the large fair haired male who was a Vehemens, and the dark haired Tenebrae Law Keeper, and finally Marise, the Law Keeper of her own bloodline, the Venia.

  She was beautiful and Sophis wished that she was wearing that black uniform with elegant silver detailing rather than her hideous dress. Two masked men were talking to her and Sophis instantly recognised one as Tynan, which meant the man beside him with the long black ponytail was his brother, Jascha. Tynan laughed about something and Marise followed suit, leaving Jascha looking very dour, his lilac eyes cold and menacing.

  It wasn’t long ago that Jascha had been an elite guard at the Venia mansion, and one favoured by Lord Timur for his strength and skill. He had given it all up to be with Marise and to assist the Law Keepers. Sophis couldn’t imagine giving up her position. She had thought about it many times over the past ten years, never more frequently than she had in these past weeks, but wasn’t sure she could ever go through with it. The sense of hope she felt whenever she thought about pursuing her own happiness always gave way to a hollow ache in her chest when her heart said she would have to leave the guard to achieve it. It tore her in two, her heart flitting between leaving and staying to pursue her dream of becoming an elite guard.

  She believed in her abilities and strength and knew she could achieve that dream if she only persevered. It was becoming so difficult to remain though. Little by little, Vivek was winning. She didn’t want to let him, didn’t want to leave the guard, but she couldn’t take it anymore. It hurt too much.

  If Vivek could only see how she felt in her heart, she was sure that he would realise that she was a good guard and deserved her rank. She had worked hard. He knew that. He had trained her and witnessed her relentlessness. Why couldn’t he believe in her?

  She was sure that if he did, if she could show him that she was strong and capable, could prove it to him, that he would find his faith in her again and then she would feel as strong as she once had.

  Back when they had been close, when they had been friends and had spent so much time together, she had felt invincible.

  Marise touched Jascha’s cheek and smiled at him, gaining a smile in return. He said something and she laughed, and it was Tynan’s turn to look annoyed. Sophis smiled to herself and remembered how things had been all those years ago with Vivek. He had often teased her or made fun of her, saying things that angered her one moment and made her laugh the next. She missed those days.

  Sophis looked away when Jascha leaned in and kissed Marise.

  It seemed everyone was in love tonight. She hated it.

  A small part of her in the depths of her heart wished that someone would look at her like that, with deep desire and affection. Everyone was staring at her but not in the way that she wanted. She felt as though she was under scrutiny rather than drawing attention because of her beauty or allure. Sipping her blood, she tried to ignore how men glanced at her as they passed, their eyes raking over her dress and lingering on her cleavage. When one man broke away from his group of four males and stalked towards her, she ducked back into the crowd and did her best to disappear. She wasn’t here to dance or socialise, or to draw heated looks from the men, and it was high time she remembered that and not let the romance in the air sweep her along.

  Sophis came out of the throng across the room, close to the stairs that led up to the balcony, and near to the gathering of lords and ladies.

  Lord Hyperion of the Validus bloodline stood out amongst them, shorter than most of the males but dominating them with the power that laced his signature and drawing attention because he was unmasked. She hadn’t expected him to attend. He had lost interest in the balls in recent years and remained away. The last time he had attended the masquerade was when his sister had been in trouble for escaping her exile.

  A young raven haired woman cut through the group of lords and ladies without reserve and went straight up to Hyperion, her curls springing with each leaping step she took. She twirled around Lord Hyperion and then halted in front of him. He smiled at her, his purple eyes bright with amusement and affection that had Sophis wondering if perhaps the woman was his lover. He touched the woman’s pale cheek, adjusted her slender black mask, and said something to her. She nodded and smiled, her eyes shining with tenderness.

  A fair haired man from another group presented himself to her and led her away from Lord Hyperion, whisking her on to the dance floor. Sophis’s gaze followed her. She looked troubled as she danced, twirling in circles in time with the waltz, and kept glancing back towards Lord Hyperion.

  Another man cut across the dance floor, interrupting the flow of the dancers, heading straight for the woman. He swept the woman out of her partner’s arms and bore his fangs at him, leaving him bereft in the middle of the parquet and glaring after them. Sophis raised an eyebrow. It was unusual for a new dancer to enter in the middle of a waltz and considered extremely rude and poor taste to do such a thing. The woman didn’t seem to care that another man had claimed her. She was smiling up at the brown haired male who had his arms wrapped possessively around her, his eyes stormy and aura that of anger. Perhaps Hyperion wasn’t her lover after all. Sophis glanced back at him. Lord Hyperion didn’t seem to mind that the woman now had a new partner. Was the new man the woman’s lover? If it was, then why would Lord Hyperion be so familiar with her and why had he shown her such affection?

  Unless it was his sister.

  Which was impossible.

  Ineru had returned to her place of exile to continue her sentence.

  The couple swept past Sophis and her stomach tightened as a sense of power pressed down on her. One of them was incredibly strong, which meant they were very old. Sophis’s eyes tracked the couple as they turned, smiling at each other now, and there was affection in the man’s purple eyes. He was a Validus. Was it possible that she was Ineru?

  It seemed many vampires
were taking great risks tonight.

  The waltz ended and Sophis finished the remains of her blood and moved back into the crowd, heading for the tables again. She set her glass down and walked on, doing another circuit of the room. Her senses picked out several powerful vampires who weren’t part of the group socialising with Lord Hyperion. Some of them were Watchmen, blatantly obvious with their black attire and dragon-like masks, and their purple eyes studying the other attendees. She could feel strength in a lot of the room but could sense younger vampires too. They were easy to spot as they grouped together in small clusters near the corners of the room and on the balcony, away from the older stronger vampires.

  Sophis recalled how she had felt when she had come to the ballroom as a youngling. The power in the room had overwhelmed her then, pressing down on her and proving unbearable. It still pressed down on her now. Everyone cramped into the rectangular room felt older than she was and so much more powerful, especially Lord Hyperion, Lady Prophecy and the raven haired woman she suspected was Hyperion’s blood sister, Ineru.

  Lady Prophecy was younger than Sophis by almost sixty years but her magic made her incredibly powerful. She wished that she had more power as she scouted the room. Maybe then Vivek would leave her alone and would accept her as a guard.

  Her gaze roamed the faces of the gathered vampires and she had scanned half of the attendees before she realised that she was singling out the men, searching for Vivek.

  She was better off looking on the dance floor. He was bound to be there, dancing and flirting with someone, anything but working.

  Her feet carried her back to Lord Hyperion’s group and she found him speaking to a man with deep blue eyes and with long black hair tied at the nape of his neck. A dragon-like elaborate black mask covered his nose and obscured the area around his eyes, and three horns rose from either side of it, the lowest hiding the tops of his ears and the highest and largest standing out above the top of his head, giving him a demonic appearance. He was serious as he spoke to Lord Hyperion, standing close to his elbow, apart from the rest of the group.