A dance track boomed from the speakers as she slipped through the throng of bodies. Between the heat of the crowd and the alcohol coursing through her veins, the cool air of the empty bathroom was a welcome respite. When she looked at her reflection in one of the mirrors over the row of gleaming white sinks, all her worst fears were confirmed. Not since she was five and snuck into the mud baths in the palace’s spa had Sarah looked so disheveled.
And yet…
There was a red flush to Sarah’s cheeks that turned the princess’ natural, refined beauty into something wild and untamed. Her big blue eyes glistened almost feverishly. But the best part was the way she felt inside: alive. It was like she’d spent her entire life up to that point in a bubble. Now that it had burst, the girl—not the princess—inside had been liberated.
Sarah grinned at her reflection. Maybe she wasn’t looking her best, but she was feeling better than ever. Luckily, her appearance was an easy fix. With a muttered spell and flick of her pointer finger, Sarah pinned the top layer of her platinum hair back from her face and reveled in the air on her flushed skin. Cupping her hands beneath the cold, running water, she closed her eyes and splashed her face.
The squeak of door hinges echoed off the vaulted ceiling of the bathroom. Several thumping footsteps followed. It took a moment for Sarah to register that the person had stopped beside her. Her neck snapped as she quickly straightened and swiped water from her eyes. Mat’s moonlike face swam in the mirror.
“Hey there,” he said softly, expression blank.
Her heart thudded so hard against her ribs that she knew Mat’s vampire hearing picked up the noise. Sarah didn’t need tarot cards to tell her the bloodsucker was dangerous. In fact, in the bright bathroom lights, she wondered how she’d missed it before.
With forced calm, Sarah reached for the stack of white towels beside the sink and dabbed her face with the soft terrycloth.
“Are you lost?” she almost asked, before remembering that unisex bathrooms were a thing. Instead of showing off her sheltered existence, Sarah focused on her face in the mirror and used the towel to fix her smudged eyeliner.
“Hi, Mat,” she said instead, her tone just shy of rude. “Enjoying yourself?”
Realizing magic was the only way to salvage her look, Sarah mumbled another spell to restore her makeup.
The vampire leaned against the countertop and crossed one leg over the other. “I am. How about you, Princess?”
Goosebumps prickled on her arms. First Katya, and now Mat. Why hadn’t she thought to use a glamour spell for the evening to mask her identity? Like her bodyguards always told her, there was a difference between being paranoid and being cautious. A glamour spell would’ve been the latter.
No time for regrets. Deal with the situation in front of you.
Aiming for flippant, she turned away from the mirror and tossed her hair over one shoulder. “Flattery won’t get you far with me,” Sarah said with a sweet smile.
He threw back his head and laughed. “Don’t play coy, Princess. It doesn’t suit you.”
Any hope that Mat had used her title as a term of endearment vanished like a whisper on the wind. She glanced around the bathroom like someone might’ve appeared without her noticing. It was empty except for Mat and herself. To reach the door, she’d have to make it past him first. The odds of that were hugely stacked against her, considering his superhuman speed and vampiric reflexes.
You need a distraction, Sarah coached herself, fighting to remain calm. It doesn’t really matter what he wants. Just keep him talking until someone else comes in.
Sarah leaned against the counter beside the vampire, determined not to show her fear, and cocked her head to one side. “Have we met before tonight?”
He squinted his eyes and considered her question. “Not formally. I’ve done some work for your family.”
She swallowed thickly. “I see. You’re one of those vampires.” The smile she gave him was the same one she wore whenever she dealt with subordinates. “Then I’m sure you also know that my security detail is waiting outside. So, if you’ll excuse me…..”
Mat moved and blocked her path to the door. “You’re a very bad liar, Princess,” he said softly. He leaned close enough that his cool breath fanned her cheek. “I am one of those vampires. And I haven’t had such a valuable target in my crosshairs in years.”
The princess’ bodyguards had schooled her on a variety of different “panic” situations; in every single scenario they’d practiced, those same guards were close enough to hear her scream. That wasn’t the case currently, and her improv skills weren’t getting her far. Sarah decided silence was the best response for the time being.
“I just happen to know a certain prince who is desperate to marry into another royal family,” Mat continued conversationally. “Being the spare heir can be so difficult, but you know all about that, don’t you?”
The vampire was purposely goading her into doing something stupid, and she hated how close she came to taking the bait. Tonight might have been about revelry, but Sarah was still a princess at her core. No one threatened her, especially not some vamp bounty hunter hellbent on a payday. Nonetheless, pulling rank wasn’t going to save her in this situation. Sarah needed to use the only weapon at her disposal: magic.
“Shadium forcious,” she said, her voice strong and clear.
Mat’s eyes went wide as he flew into one of the empty bathroom stalls. Without waiting for him to recover, Sarah darted for the bathroom door. Once in the hallway, her head whipped from left to right in search of an exit. The vampire wouldn’t be subdued for long, and she needed to be far away before he came looking for her.
Sarah’s eyes retraced the steps she’d taken when arriving at the ball. Though crossing the dance floor would’ve been the quickest way to the main entrance, Mat would be able to spot her platinum blonde head bobbing and weaving through the crowd. There had to be another way out of the party. Or maybe someone who could help her, like Tad.
What if Mat isn’t the one Katya mentioned, though? What if Tad is the fanged creature in question? What if it’s not even a vampire?
The thoughts spun out of control in her head until Sarah didn’t know which way was up. Every time someone bumped into her, the princess practically jumped out of her skin. This night of freedom and frivolity suddenly felt like one of the worst ideas Sarah had ever had. Would her family even know if something happened to her at the ball? Or would they just think she ran away?
The shadows were her best friend as Sarah hurried around the periphery of the room and passed the bars on the lower level. Her gaze landed on a familiar tall figure with dark hair talking to Dec. For the second time in as many seconds, she considered going to Tad for help. It would mean telling him why Mat was after her. What if Tad decided to join the other vampire and split the bounty paid for her with his fellow fanged fiend?
The naïve girl inside of her didn’t really believe a guy as nice and respectful as Tad would take part in such a despicable practice. Still, the sheltered, princess part of her knew she couldn’t take the risk.
It was fun while it lasted, Sarah thought wistfully.
Movement in her periphery caught Sarah’s eye. Mat was standing in the bathroom corridor, surveying the crowd. Even the shadows couldn’t protect her from his vampiric vision for long. The roof. There has to be an exit up there, Sarah told herself. Starting up the staircase beside the bar, she muttered a cloaking spell just as the vampire’s gaze landed on her.
Now what? she wondered as she reached the loft.
The four privacy cubes glowed in the corners of the second level. Sarah glanced over her shoulder. Her disguise seemed to be working for the moment; Mat hadn’t spotted her yet. Even still, the vampire was moving across the dance floor toward the stairs.
“Looking for someone?” a silky voice asked in her ear.
She spun to find a short, deathly pale man drinking in her curves with a predatory gleam in his crimson-tinged eyes.
Gaia, how many vamps are here? Sarah wondered.
“Because I might just be that someone.” The guy extended one hand toward her face as if to run a finger down her cheek.
Sarah stomped her spiky heel on top of the vampire’s worn sneakers and ground down. The guy hissed in pain, his expression going from amorous to murderous in the space of a heartbeat. Several people nearby looked over. Sarah felt the magical glamour fading fast—why hadn’t she paid more attention to Madame Kalani, the royal magic tutor? Swearing audibly, Sarah headed toward the closest cube, a neon blue one, before she drew more eyes.
But when she tried to enter the privacy cube, Sarah bounced back like she’d run into a wall. There was no opening, as if the space had magically sealed itself closed. Shit. Her head whipped around as the glamour slipped away entirely, and she frantically searched for another place to hide. She knew from meeting with Katya that the corner spaces only lit up when they were occupied, and the four corners glowed in pink, blue, green, and purple.
Double shit.
“Get in line, sweetie,” drawled a woman’s voice.
Sarah looked over her shoulder, noticing a couple with their limbs intertwined like vines on a white couch that would definitely need to be thrown out after the ball. She averted her gaze, embarrassed and disturbed that she now knew the woman was wearing lacey magenta panties. The princess mumbled a hasty apology and rounded the corner of the second floor.
“No, no, no. This can’t be happening,” Sarah groaned, leaning over the balcony railing to check on Mat’s location.
He climbed the stairs to the second level lazily, like he had all the time in the world. She took the stairs up, two at a time, passing right next to the band on the third level before disappearing briefly into a cloud of rainbow lights. When she reached the top, Sarah was outside on the roof. A waitress in a short black dress floated by with a tray of shot glasses. Desperately wanting to calm her nerves, Sarah grabbed one and drained it. She cringed when the bitter alcohol washed over her taste buds.
“Is there a fire escape up here?” she asked the waitress.
The woman looked around as if unsure who’d spoken to her. “I’m sorry, what?”
“A fire escape,” Sarah repeated, panic making her voice sound shrill.
“Why do you need a fire escape? Is there a fire?” asked the waitress. “I’m not sure it works that way.”
Sarah wanted to shake the woman. What did she mean by “I’m not sure it works that way”? That didn’t even make sense.
“Never mind.” Sarah hurried over to the rooftop bar where a woman with a long, flowing mane of pastel hair lined up a row of shots on a tray. Under different circumstances, Sarah might’ve taken a moment to bask in the woman’s unusually bright aura. There wasn’t time for that, though.
“How can I help you?” the bartender asked Sarah.
“Is there an exit up here? Like a fire escape or something?” the princess asked, her winded voice coming out in gasps.
If she lived through the night, Sarah needed to work on both her magic and her physical fitness.
The bartender wrinkled her delicate brow. “I mean, there is….”
Sarah realized that it was probably rare for guests to flee from the ball, let alone look for a covert escape path. The bartender opened her mouth to say something else, probably to protest an early departure, but Sarah waved a hand to cut her off. “I just need to know where it is.”
The bartender raised an eyebrow and pointed to the opposite side of the roof. A ladder was barely visible where it disappeared over the side of the building. Calling a quick “thank you” over her shoulder, Sarah dashed for fire escape. She’d barely gotten two feet when cold fingers wrapped around her wrist and spun her around. Even before she saw his face, she knew the offensive hand belong to Mat.
“Get off of me!” Sarah screeched.
Though she’d hoped the protest would draw the attention of someone nearby, the music drowned out her shouts. Yanking her roughly by the arm, Mat dragged her to the edge of the roof. Knowing that her chances out on the empty street with him were far lower than they would be with crowds of people around, Sarah dug in her heels and tried to twist free of his grip.
“Stop. You’re just going to hurt yourself,” Mat said in a bored voice.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Sarah hissed through clenched teeth.
The vampire nodded. “Fair enough. But you have a choice, Princess. Hold on to me and live or shove me away and die.”
“Shitty options,” she growled back, refusing to latch on to him.
While the four-story drop wouldn’t harm the vampire, Sarah was far more susceptible to injury. I’d rather die, she thought, finally managing to wrench her body free of his. The momentum was too much, though. They both went tumbling over the edge. The wind whipped Sarah’s hair free as she plummeted toward the sidewalk below.
Chapter Five
Not The Plan
Sarah squeezed her eyes shut on the fall, so she didn’t actually see the ground rushing up to meet her face. She expected to hear the air roaring in her ears as gravity did its job. She had no idea how long it would be before she ate pavement, but she didn’t need to see the impact coming in her last few seconds on earth. The fall was much faster than she expected, and the impact not nearly as hard as she anticipated.
“Oww!” Sarah hollered as she smacked the ground and then bounced several feet into the air.
Instinctively, she curled into a ball with her arms covering her face protectively. Her body rolled back across the roof, strappy heels flying from her feet as people scurried out of her way. With another yelp, she tumbled over the back of a couch and into one of the sunken seating areas. Landing with a thud beneath the table at the center, she tried to figure out what the hell had just happened.
Adrenaline coursing through her veins, Sarah patted herself down to check for broken bones and gushing wounds. She breathed a sigh when she found no serious injuries. Seriously, how the hell did I end up over here? she wondered. Another question that was decidedly more pressing surfaced in her mind.
Where is Mat?
If she’d been thrown back, he must have, too. She needed to hide, since the running thing hadn’t panned out so well. Concentrate. Summon more magic, she lectured herself. It was her only hope. She inhaled until her lungs felt like they were going to burst, and then muttered the incantation on the exhale. A warm tingly sensation washed over her, and Sarah knew the magic had worked.
Now you just need to hold the spell. Don’t lose focus on it. Give it everything. Become someone completely different.
A pair of shiny oxblood loafers appeared beneath the table as someone sat heavily on the couch. Sarah’s heart leapt into her throat. It was like whack-a-mole; she beat down one crisis just to have another pop up. Staring at the bottom of the table she was curled beneath, Sarah’s heart sank.
Awesome hiding spot, she chastised herself, wondering how the hell she hadn’t noticed it before. The tabletop was made of glass. One pale finger tapped on it, then an equally pale face leaned forward to peer down at her.
“Care to join me?” a familiar voice asked.
Shit, Sarah thought. Way to make a lasting impression.
With every shred of dignity lost to the evening, Sarah accepted the hand and climbed onto the white couch beside Tad. Fighting a smirk, he took in her torn dress, scraped cheek, and knotted hair.
“Looks like you could really use that drink about now,” he mused.
She narrowed her eyes. “How’d you know?”
Instead of a cloaking spell, Sarah had elected for one that required less energy to sustain—a simple alteration spell. She’d darkened her hair to a rich chocolate and played down her curves in favor of a more athletic build. Her eyes were still large and expressive, but now they were the same shade of brown as her hair. She was certain she’d changed her appearance enough that Tad shouldn’t have recognized her.
The va
mpire flagged down a passing waitress to order two drinks and a blanket. It seemed odd until Sarah realized how Tad had recognized her. Even with the change of her features, she hadn’t bothered to change her outfit or accessories.
“Right,” she said, embarrassed by her oversight. Twirling a finger in the air, her torn black gown instantly transformed into a blue velvet jumpsuit that would’ve matched her real eyes beautifully.
“So, what’s new?” Tad asked, acting like the fact he’d found her beneath a table was totally normal.
She gave him a sarcastic smile. “Funny.”
“How’s your evening been?” Tad tried.
“Eventful,” Sarah admitted.
“Really?” Tad leaned closer to her. “Do tell, Princess.”
Sarah’s blood froze as understanding dawned. “You’re with him, aren’t you?”
Tad looked confused. “With who?”
“The bounty hunter. Mat.” Sarah jumped to her feet only to realize her ankle couldn’t fully support her weight. She must’ve twisted it at some point during her daring escape attempt.
Tad caught her around the waist before she fell. Sarah swatted at his hands angrily.
“Don’t touch me,” she snapped.
The vampire helped her to the couch and then held up his hands, palms facing her. “I’m not going to hurt you,” Tad said slowly.
She didn’t entirely trust him, but she didn’t try to leave again either.
“Do you want to tell me who this Mat guy is?” Tad asked, eyeing Sarah with more concern and less amusement than before.
“Do you want to tell me how you know who I am?” she fired back.
The waitress returned and placed their drinks on the table. With quick glances between the two guests, she clearly sensed the tension in the atmosphere. The server scurried away. Sarah picked up her drink and took a sip, staring at Tad over the rim with a challenging glare.
The Monster Ball Year 2 Page 42