Chapter 13 #2
His eyes drop to my fist, and then his attention is drawn elsewhere.
He lets his hand fall from my chin, moving it to curl around my waist before pulling me almost flush against him.
I tense as he lowers his other hand between us, my back stiffening when I feel the rough pads of his fingers slide beneath the folds of my dress.
His eyes hold mine in a challenge as he trails his hand down the length of my thigh, sending goosebumps scattering over my flesh.
He only stops when his fingers graze the edge of the strap holding my dagger in place.
In a flash, he draws the blade from its sheath and presses it to my throat.
My eyes narrow in a silent dare that has his lips curving into a wicked grin.
There’s no escaping now. Not only have I insulted him, but he’s found an illegal weapon on me.
I have witnessed vampires kill for far less.
I straighten my back in a challenge that has the stupid smile on his face widening.
“So full of surprises.”
My tongue darts out to wet my lips, and the action catches his attention.
He sighs before disappearing in front of me at an unnatural speed.
By the time I blink he is standing halfway across the room, his eyes firmly on me as he slips my dagger into the belt at his waist. I exhale at the loss of his proximity as if I had been holding it in the entire time.
I grit my teeth. I want to storm up to him and take the weapon from his possession, but I find myself remaining perfectly still.
“I shall keep hold of this. It is illegal for a human to carry a weapon after all, but I’m sure your extensive knowledge of me and my court means you already know that.”
He raises his brows, but I do not back down.
“I’m very well-versed on the laws of this court, and it explicitly states that a human is forbidden from carrying a shadow weapon. I think you’ll find the dagger is steel.”
Both the prince and Athriel laugh at my retort.
“Indeed, it is.” For the first time since entering the room, his attention falls to the other donors. “And which one of you is Adina Barron?”
I smile innocently as I clear my throat. “That would be me, your highness.”
“Of course it is.” He smiles. “I’m glad to see you are at least able to follow some instructions.”
He gestures toward the black dress I was told he had requested for his donor to wear in honor of the crown’s colors.
“I shall leave you ladies alone to prepare for the evening, after all, it’s going to be a long night.”
With that, he turns on his heel and leaves the room.
Killing him is going to be the highlight of my night.
What a shame, I quite like him.
Of course you do.
A low chuckle fills my mind as I push it away and continue to get ready for this long night with every pair of eyes in the dressing room watching me like I have completely lost my mind.
Perhaps I have, but the prince seems to like this game, and if I have to use it to my advantage to get close enough to kill him, then that is exactly what I will do.
“Where is the black dress?” Cora hisses as we all gather outside the arched doorway to the private dining room. The vampire council is already inside, and we are to make a grand entrance in a few moments. Another ridiculous spectacle to partake in.
“It was damaged,” I lie.
Her face twists in confusion.
“But I checked it several times. I don’t understand.”
She shakes her head, and a wave of guilt fills my chest as I smooth my hand down the silver material of my gown.
“Perhaps I did it when I put it on.”
“Perhaps.” She says with a lilt of suspicion. She turns her attention to the others, her eyes scanning over them as if afraid to find something else amiss. When she doesn’t, the tightness in her body eases. Right on cue, Amabel waltzes into the small space, and I find myself clenching my fists.
The long train of her black dress flows behind her as she swoops past us.
Flashes of last night fill my mind as I fight to stay in the present.
But all I see is her killing Tori, and rage bubbles inside my chest. I hate her.
I no longer care what happens to me after I kill the prince I just want to make sure she gets what’s coming to her.
She doesn’t even look at me as though I’m so insignificant.
She doesn’t even have a drop of remorse, I say.
Do not worry, her time will come.
Yes, it will.
“Why is this one not wearing black?” Amabel narrows her eyes at Cora, and anger tingles beneath my skin.
“I’m sorry, Mistress, but the dress chosen for her was damaged.”
I hate that Cora is forced to lie because I was too selfish to think about how my actions might affect her.
After the prince left the dressing room, his demands still fresh in the air, I was mad and wanted to take something back, even if it was as small and insignificant as the color of my dress.
Something about him brought my defiance to a whole new level.
The fact that he didn’t kill me is a mystery, or a sign that he has something far worse in store for me.
Amabel’s glare could slice a person whole, and right now it’s aimed at Cora. I step forward, but noticing the action, Cora quickly speaks.
“It was entirely my fault. I should have checked more thoroughly.”
“Yes, you should have.” Amabel is at least a foot taller than Cora, and she looks down on her like she is nothing more than the dirt on the bottom of her shoe. Cora may have gained her freedom years ago, but her decision to work for Amabel only made her a slave once again.
“It will not happen again.”
“Good,” Amabel says.
Finally, Amabel turns her attention to me, her eyes sending a silent warning. I do not break eye contact. She knows I cannot say anything, but it doesn’t mean I will just roll over and take her shit.
“You have all been given your council member for the night. When you enter the room, ensure you are standing in the allocated spots you were shown this morning. This is not a practice run anymore. The council has never hosted a royal meeting in a bloodhouse before, and if this goes as well as I anticipate, then there will be many favorable opportunities in store for several of you.”
The other purebloods audibly show their excitement while I stand tight-lipped. I have no intention of being purchased by a noble. My only goal is to kill the prince and free Willow.
My eyes fall on Cora; a knowing look passes between us, and her mouth drops into a straight line — a look I have come to recognize as worry. The truth is, neither of us knows how tonight will end or whether I will walk away from it alive. But none of that matters now.
“Remember, these are the most powerful vampires in this court. In their presence, you are to be seen and not heard. Do not speak unless spoken to, and do not question a thing they ask of you.”
I scoff.
All eyes turn to me, but I keep mine on Amabel’s, my anger radiating through me at just the sight of her.
The fact that she can hide what she truly is makes me even angrier.
I can’t help but wonder how she’s doing it.
Perhaps that will be how I destroy her by revealing her secret.
An unsanctioned vampire is a dead one, and if she was made without the council’s approval, then her days are numbered.
“Sorry, something in my throat,” I say. Her dark eyes pierce into mine, but I don’t look away. Tension fills the room as we are caught in a silent battle.
The sound of the dining-room door opening steals our attention, and standing at its threshold is a male whose long black hair is tied half up and half down. His tall frame is dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit that fits his slim body to precision. Lissian Blackwood, head of House Blackwood.
According to Amabel, only ten council members will accompany the prince tonight.
The eleventh member will not be in attendance.
From what Cora tells me, there were once over a hundred noble houses, but after the war, the smaller ones allied with the most powerful survivors and merged.
This alliance created what is now known as the twelve high noble houses.
Other than the royal line, Blackwood House is, of course, the most powerful, boasting over one hundred and fifty members in total.
Something Lissian often brags about on his quarterly visits to the bloodhouse.
“We are ready for them.” His sultry voice is aimed in Amabel’s direction.
He fawns over her like a little pet, and it sickens me to the stomach.
She dips her head in his direction before turning to Cora, but an emotion sweeps across her stoic features for just a moment, and I’m left wondering what that was all about.
“Let’s begin.”
Cora fusses down the line of us, setting us in order from the lowest of the houses to the most powerful.
Being the prince’s donor, I will be the last to walk in.
Once we are all filed in a line, she ushers us in, and despite myself, my stomach churns.
A boy in front of me loses his footing, but I catch his elbow and straighten him quickly.
Vampires don’t like weakness. He whispers his thanks, and I nod even though he can’t see me.
Inside the room is a long mahogany table with the prince right at the head of it.
Glasses and table settings are arranged neatly on its shiny surface.
Five vampires sit on the prince’s left and the other four to his right, with an empty chair right next to him that I imagine is reserved specifically for Lissian.
Of course, the snake is right beside the prince.
The only thing Lissian has ever been known to want is more power.
The other donors move quickly, taking their places by the stone pillars running in two vertical lines on either side of the table.
I remain at the opposite side of the room, facing the arrogant prince.