Chapter 28
Chapter 28
T he following night was the wedding. Helen styled my hair again, braiding it into a crown atop my head and holding it in place with diamond pins that sparkled in the light when I turned my head.
I wore a black satin gown that was fitted to the waist before flowing loosely to the ground. Even in my stilettos, the gown brushed the floor when I walked. It had a slit on one side that went all the way up to my hip bone, making undergarments impossible. It was sexy and daring, and entirely inappropriate for a wedding, but Julian insisted I wore it. He told me I’d fit right in, and if that was true, I couldn’t imagine what everyone else would be wearing.
Before we went down, Julian fastened a necklace around my neck. I stood in front of the mirror and watched as he put it on me. It was a thick diamond choker, with an enormous diamond pendant hanging in the front.
He ran his hands down my bare arms and leaned down to press a kiss to my neck, just below my ear. “You look stunning,” he murmured against my skin, causing a shiver to run through me. He turned me to face him and my eyes moved over him appreciatively.
He wore an all black tux, with black diamond cufflinks nearly as big as the pendant at my throat. The black collar of his shirt against the tan skin of his throat made my mouth water. I wanted to scrape my fangs across his neck, and mark him as mine for all to see.
My nipples hardened at the thought, and his eyes fell to my chest. The satin material made my arousal far too obvious.
“The night hasn’t even begun and I already want it to be over.” He brushed his knuckles back and forth over one nipple as he spoke. “When we get back to this room, I’m going to taste every inch of your body.”
I couldn’t wait. “Promise?”
N othing could have prepared me for the wedding. The ceremony itself was held in a separate building which looked like a gothic church with no windows. Tall candelabras illuminated the space and there was a large stone altar at the front of the room that made me wonder what they used it for. The vampire who officiated the wedding was dressed in a robe and tall pointed hat that reminded me of the pope, except the material was blood red with black trim.
The bride was stunning, in a black ball gown with a long, lace train. She had the palest skin, and blonde hair so light that it reminded me of Allie. The groom was surprisingly average looking, at least as far as vampires were concerned. Julian and I were in the front row, and as the head of the family he had to step forward to give his official consent.
Instead of exchanging rings and making vows, the bride and groom cut their wrists with a gold dagger and let their blood flow into a golden chalice. Then, while the vampire pope said a bunch of stuff in a language I didn’t recognize, the bride and groom took turns drinking from the cup.
After the ceremony, we all moved to the ballroom, where a few hundred more guests were waiting. I almost stopped in my tracks when I saw the size of the crowd, but Julian swept me into the room with a confidence I envied.
It wasn’t long before I started to relax. With Julian at my side I felt safe, and his relaxed attitude had a calming effect on me. We mingled and danced, and before long I was having a wonderful time.
When we waltzed, Julian spun me so fast that I tossed my head back and laughed, unaware of the attention we were getting. When we mingled, he stood with his hand at the small of my back, moving his fingers in small circles, often dipping lower than was proper.
A few hours passed, and I was standing with Julian while he spoke with several other guests. I kept a pleasant smile on my face, pretending to listen while I secretly watched the room. Julian didn’t seem to notice that the atmosphere was changing, but I did. The dancers were still waltzing, but it was different now. More erotic somehow. They held each other closer and spun faster. At times I could swear their feet weren’t touching the floor.
People's eyes were darkening, and couples were embracing and kissing in the corners of the room. I stared at one couple, trying to decipher if the man was kissing his companion’s neck or feeding, and reluctantly tore my eyes away from them when Julian said my name.
“Sarah, I’d like to introduce you to my brother Hector, and his lovely wife Olivia.”
I smiled at the couple. “It's nice to meet you both.”
“We’ve heard so much about you,” Olivia said, taking my hand in hers. “I do hope we can be friends.”
“I’d like that,” I said, trying not to show how surprised I was by her friendliness. The vampires I’d met so far were not nearly so open with their feelings.
“Sarah.” Hector bowed his head to me, and my eyes widened with surprise. Julian was usually the one they bowed to, not me.
Hector turned to Julian. “May I speak with you privately?”
Julian frowned slightly, but nodded. He looked down at me. “I’ll just be a moment. Olivia will keep you company until I return.” He gave Olivia a look, and when she grinned back at him he scowled playfully. “Don’t cause trouble.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” she said sweetly, and I decided right then that we would be friends.
Julian brushed his hand across my ass as he walked away and I glanced quickly at Olivia to see if she noticed. Her grin told me she had.
“So what do you think?” She asked brightly.
“About what?”
She waved a hand towards the dancers. “This. The ball. The wedding. Vampires . Julian ?” She looked at me sideways.
I laughed. “Well, that's a loaded question.”
She scrunched her nose. “Sorry. I know I’m being nosy. It's just that Julian hasn’t been like this for so long. It’s gotten our hopes up.”
I looked at her. “Like what?”
“Happy.” She turned away to watch the dancers, as if she hadn’t just dropped a bomb on me, and I stared at her until she looked at me again. “Sorry," she said again. “I shouldn’t have said anything. But you’re happy, right? With Julian?” When I didn’t answer she continued. “Because you sure seem happy.”
I suddenly wanted to confide in her. To pour my heart out and tell her everything I’d been through. Instead, I only nodded. “Yes. I’m happy.”
She looked relieved when I said it. “I’m so glad.” She linked her arm through mine. “Now,” she said, turning to face the crowd again. “Let's see what kind of trouble we can get into.”
Olivia led me through the room, pointing out people and filling my ear with juicy gossip, and before long we were laughing like old friends. After a while, the groom approached and told Olivia the bride needed her. Olivia made me promise to remain where I was before leaving. I stood where she left me, near some open French doors leading out onto a balcony, until a familiar scent drifted in on a breeze. Julian was outside.
Thinking this would be the perfect opportunity for a moonlit kiss, I ducked outside. The night air felt so wonderful after being in the crowded ballroom, that I briefly wondered why vampires didn’t hold their parties outdoors. Then I heard Julian’s voice.
I stepped to the balcony rail and looked down. Below me was a wide stone patio with stairs leading down into a garden. I could hear Julian and Hector talking, but I couldn’t see where they were. I was just about to call out to them, when Hector's words stopped me.
“So Adam escaped again.”
I froze, not even daring to breathe.
“Yes.” I heard Julian say. “Whoever is helping him seems to have endless resources.”
My heart began to pound, beating louder and louder until it was all I could hear. It drowned out Julian’s words and the sounds of the party. Adam was alive . I was still standing there when Julian found me. He took one look at me and knew that I’d heard him.
Before I even had time to speak he grabbed me in his arms and flew us both up over the house. We came down in a courtyard on the other side, far from the ballroom. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I shoved him with all my strength. He stumbled backwards several feet, but did not fall.
“Adam is alive!” I shouted, pressing my hands to the sides of my head.
Julian’s expression was unreadable. “Yes.”
“How?”
“Someone helped him escape.”
My blood was pumping so fast I felt dizzy. “Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
I shook my head. “I don’t understand! You said he was going to be executed the night we left! When did he escape? How are we just now finding out?” I looked at him with wild eyes and his expression told me everything. “You already knew.” My voice was barely a whisper.
He stepped towards me, holding out his hand. “This changes nothing between us.”
“This changes everything!” I screamed. I tore the choker off my neck and threw it at him. “When did you find out?” I shouted the question at him. “ When? ”
He let his hand fall to his side. “It doesn’t matter when.”
“How could you keep this from me?” I cried, my voice breaking.
“Telling you would have only caused you more pain,” he said, stepping closer. “Adam escaped, but when they find him again he’ll be executed. They will find him, Sarah.”
“When?” I asked again. “When did you know?”
Julian straightened. “When we returned home from the island.”
I stared at him, too stunned to speak. Then a realization hit me. “That’s why we went to London. You hid me away because Adam escaped. You didn’t want him to find me.”
“Yes.”
Oh my god! I felt like I was going to hyperventilate. “Did you go looking for him? Is that why you disappeared?” Then I remembered how messed up he’d looked when he returned. “Did you find him?”
“I don’t know where he is. I swear it.”
I blinked furiously, trying to hold back my tears. “I don’t believe you.”
“I never lie, Sarah.”
“Everything you’ve done has been a lie!” I shrieked. “You kept this from me! Last night- Last night, when we made love you knew Adam was alive! You kept it from me so I’d stay with you! You only wanted me as part of your sick revenge against him!” I shoved him, and he stumbled backwards before steadying himself. “You never wanted me ! You only wanted to hurt him !” I shoved him again. “The only time you’ve ever been honest was when you put that fucking collar on me and paraded me down to Adam’s cell!” I tried to shove him again, but he grabbed my arms and yanked me against him.
He leaned over me until our faces almost touched. “I never lied to you,” he snarled. “When we were on the island, I thought Adam was dead. There were no tricks. Everything that happened between us was real.” He shook me for emphasis. “I was told the night we returned to Madrid, and I didn’t tell you because it changes nothing between us. Adam is the one who lied to you. He took your life, and continued to keep that from you, even after he fucked you!”
I surged forward with my fangs bared, intending to tear his throat out, but he jerked away. He released me and stepped back. He stared at me, his expression unreadable, and I glared back, my chest heaving with every breath. I wanted to kill him, but I also wanted to lay my head on his chest and cry.
“Go to the room,” he finally said. “We’re leaving tomorrow. I’ll come for you when it's time to go.”
“So that’s it?” I asked, with disbelief. “We’re just supposed to go on like nothing’s changed?”
“Nothing has changed.” His hands fisted at his sides. “You still belong to me.”
I spun away from him and ran into the house. I ran all the way to the bedroom, encountering no one besides a couple of surprised servants. I flung the bedroom door open and slammed it shut behind me. I felt so consumed by my anger that I squeezed my eyes shut and screamed.
“Sarah.”
My eyes flew open, and there he was. Adam.