Chapter 25
“These will be your positions for the evening. Do not leave them unless you are instructed to by one of the nobles.” A woman with dark brown skin says as she stands in the middle of the drawing room, her eyes scanning each of us in the positions we stand around the crescent-shaped table.
I’m momentarily thankful for the warmth that the starlight provides from the domed window high above.
It almost allows me to forget that this entire room will be filled with some of the most powerful vampires in the court in just moments.
Being at the palace—training and researching—has almost made me forget who I’m surrounded by.
But it’s moments like these, when I’m forced to dress up and serve as nothing more than a food source, that remind me who I’m really dealing with.
Vampires are not our friends; they are our owners, and the fact that I have allowed myself to forget that recently makes me sick to the stomach.
I shift in my position as eyes from my left burn into me.
Maribelle’s sister stands watching me with venom in her eyes.
Her arm has clearly been healed by vampire venom, as there is no evidence of the broken state I left it in the last time we were in a room together.
I dare not look in her direction, too ashamed of what I may feel if I do.
I may not have meant to kill her sister, but the fact is, I did.
And I did it because of Karius’s powers.
Vampires have always made it a point to state that they accidentally kill humans all the time, and I’ve never accepted the excuse, so how can I allow it when it comes from me?
“The only one exempt from this rule is Adina.” My head snaps up at the woman’s mention of my name, her brown eyes now trained on me. “You are the prince’s personal donor and will feed only him.”
My cheeks heat as I feel the stares of everyone in the room on me. I can sense the judgment.
“That will only change if the prince himself offers to share you, but you must seek his permission before this is to occur.”
Her words twist my stomach, and I feel an anger prickle in my veins. I am not his property despite the fucking brand on my wrist. The sooner this bond is broken, the better.
The doors open, and an influx of kitchen workers flood into the room with trays of food and drink in their hands.
They’re all human, which is unsurprising.
They sweep into the middle of the curved table, laying out food and serving cutlery for the vampires who have yet to arrive.
The smell of fresh bread, meats, and stew fills the air, making me keenly aware of the difference in the standard of food here and at the bloodhouse yet again.
Even the smell is better than the actual food back at the bloodhouse.
Most of the servers leave, but a few remain, taking their places behind a table laden with extra food and drink, ready to refill plates throughout the evening. A man in a guard's uniform stands at the door, awaiting the vampire guests, no doubt.
My stomach tightens, and I force myself to straighten my back, yet nerves still swim in the pit of my stomach, and I’m unsure why, but the sensation disappears at the sight of the prince as he enters the room.
I suck in a breath at the sight of him and curse my traitorous body for having such an intense reaction to seeing him.
He has changed since he fed on me in his room, and his tunic and loose-fitting pants have been replaced with a tight black shirt that traces every contour and ripple of his muscles beneath.
His long legs are sporting black trousers made specifically for him, if the fit is anything to go by.
His hair is messy in a way that looks natural, as though he just rolled out of bed looking this good.
How can I want someone I loathe this badly?
Someone who branded me like an animal less than an hour ago. I make myself sick.
I pray that the press of my swollen nipples is hidden beneath the red material of my dress, but I dare not look down to check for fear of making it obvious.
As the prince sweeps past me, his fingers brush against my arm, and though the stern look on his face makes me dismiss it as nothing more than an accident, it doesn’t stop a sea of goosebumps from rushing across my skin at the brief contact. I need to pull myself together.
Indeed, you do. I feel like I am in a brothel every time the two of you are in a room together.
That’s not true.
You try residing inside a lust-filled human who tries to deny her feelings every day and tell me otherwise.
I’ve denied nothing. I just know that it is the bond. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t feel a damned thing.
He simply laughs, and I wish for a second that he were corporeal just so I could stab him.
You can’t even beat the vampires in the training room. You wouldn’t stand a chance.
I’m ignoring you.
Trailing behind the prince is the dutiful Eamon, his expression dark and stoic as always.
He carries an air that says he will literally die to protect the prince, and I honestly believe he would.
I’m not sure why he would die for that monster, but I would surely love to know.
Surprisingly, in place of Kaia, who is usually following the prince around like a lost shadow puppy, is Ajax.
I’ve never seen him look as serious as he does right now, but he has not cracked a single smile.
I’m surprised to find Iza trailing at the very back, a stack of parchment in her hands. Her eyes fall to me, and a tiny smile of relief seems to curve her face, and I can’t resist returning the gesture. She looks so human among them all.
Karius and Iza sit at the head of the table in the space directly across from the door, and Eamon and Ajax take up standing positions behind them, their gazes fixed firmly on the door.
I wonder why Ajax decided to take on the position instead of Kaia tonight.
It feels weird seeing him like this. I’ve spent so much time training with him that I almost forgot that he is one of the most lethal vampires walking this realm.
The prince whispers something to Iza, and she nods, rifling through the papers spread across the table until she finds the one she wants and sets it on top of the pile.
There are over twenty seats at the table, a place for every head of house and their heir.
Seeing the familiar faces of the bloodhouse was not what I had in mind tonight.
“The House of Kayn welcomes Lord Idris, head of House Astrella, wielder of shadow poison, and his heir, Lady Nova.”
My eyes flick to the door, to the guard who is announcing the arrival of the first two vampires.
A tall male with warm brown skin stands at the threshold, and next to him stands a stunning female with beautiful light brown curls and pale skin.
I recognize the male from the meeting at the bloodhouse.
He is one of the council members who were in attendance, though I barely heard him speak other than to advise that he would be considering another court.
The female shifts beside him, her eyes piercing into Karius like he is a meal that she wishes to devour.
A strange tug pulls at my stomach at the sight of her staring at him, and for some odd reason, I can instantly tell that I will not like her despite the obvious fact that she is a vampire.
Looking at the two vampires standing at the threshold, there is no denying that the two are related; her face is just a more feminine copy of his.
She is beautiful. I wonder what Karius thinks of her.
“Your majesty,” Idris drawls as the two bow before him. “It is a pleasure to be in your company once again.”
Karius’s face holds no emotion, yet it does not seem to bother the male in the slightest as he takes up a position to the left of the prince and Iza.
“It would have been far better had I been aware that you were arriving earlier than scheduled.”
“Of course, please forgive the intrusion, your majesty, but Prince Orian of the Court of Nightmares has moved the viewings of his court forward, meaning that we would have missed vital talks with you had we not attended now.”
Karius’s jaw ticks as his eyes pin Idris in a glare.
I’ve heard rumors about the cruelty of the Court of Nightmares and its dangerous prince.
It is the only court that has ever been rumored to be just as powerful, if not more so, than this one.
Thankfully, it is in the kingdom of Rumyr, and there have never been any problems between our two courts in my lifespan.
“The House of Kayn welcomes Lady Hira, head of House Creed, wielder of shadow steel, and her heir, Lady Kaia.”
My head snaps to the door, and I almost gasp when I see Kaia standing beside a cruel-faced woman in a long gold dress that makes her look like a princess. That is why she’s not at Karius’s side.
My mind takes me back to what Ember said.
If the head of a house decides to switch courts, then every member of that bloodline must do the same.
My stomach drops as my eyes find Ajax’s.
His lips press into a thin line, but emotions swirl in his eyes, and I realize for the first time that if his mother chooses to move courts, he will have no choice but to follow.
I don’t know why the thought bothers me.
Hira waves her hand dismissively at the guard as though he were no more than a pest.
“Are the formalities truly necessary? He knows who I am. Both of my children are members of his royal guard after all.”
Her words are as cruel as the expression she wears, and though she and Kaia are equally beautiful, there is something sharper and crueler about her features. For the first time, I understand why Kaia always seems so angry. If this were the person making decisions about my life, I would be too.