Chapter 3
Chapter
Three
“I’m sorry, what?” I asked, pausing the very involved process of dipping my strawberry in chocolate to stare at Herald, who had just said the most ridiculous thing.
We were sitting in the fancy room at the bottom of the Lydian, with the windows that looked out on the eternal night garden and it’s magically blooming jasmine with the glowing waterfall in the distance.
I didn’t look at the person to Herald’s left, the Vampire King, my father, blonde and sallow but still incredibly, shockingly handsome.
Or maybe that’s just the aura he gave off.
Or maybe that’s the intent he pushed into people’s minds, although why he’d bother telling his birth daughter that he was hot was a question I didn’t want to ask.
Of course, he was as insane as soulless, bloodsucking, amoral vampires got, but one hoped he had some taboos he didn’t break.
“A wedding show. The producer of the Bride Wars has agreed to take on the project, and they’ve gotten Pearly White to be the host.”
I gaped at Herald then at my birth father on accident.
“Pearly White the siren? Didn’t he accidentally eat someone on the last show he hosted?
” I’d watched that reality show about people switching jobs, when Anna recommended it to me, and it had certainly been a train-wreck you couldn’t look away from.
Werewolf taxidermists shouldn’t ever switch places with fairy dentists. Just no.
My sallow yet terrifyingly attractive father gave me a smile that sent a shock of absolute terror down my spine. “Very good for ratings.”
The Scholar shook his head. “You can’t take Katriana for some PR stunt because of her blooming popularity, selling her off to the highest bidder. She’s not for sale.”
The Vampire King turned his smile on Michael the Scholar, who only stared back with his usual calm glower in return. “Not sale, marriage. It’ll be a marriage competition, to see which gentleman she and the audience chooses.”
My guardian and the Vampire King stared at each other for a long time while my heart palpitated and my mind raced.
The Vampire King was in my life. I didn’t want him in my life. He absolutely oozed evil and irony in the most depressing way. And he’d given me an out if I managed to manipulate this situation in my favor.
I clapped my hands and bounced, beaming all around.
“A marriage competition like the Bride Wars only choosing a husband instead of cake, dress and venue? That’s much better than career swapping.
Then I’d get the chance to date all the most handsome, interesting, charming men that I never meet here in the laboratory!
Do you think Monterose Fellicci would be interested?
I don’t know if he’s the type to marry, but it would be so romantic, meeting for a duet and then not being able to help ourselves after the power of music brought us together.
Or our love could be broken by a newcomer I’d never met before.
Someone dashing, strong, dangerous…” And absolutely capable of handling himself against the Vampire King.
“Like that angel, what’s-his-name. Richard the Lion?
” I knew his name perfectly well, as most people did.
Both vampires flinched. That’s exactly what the angel was good for, making people flinch out of fear and loathing. Sometimes I watched his social media just so I could loathe him more personally.
My evil birth father turned to me with a soft smile covering his sharp teeth. “Katriana, but of course you would need vampire suitors.”
The Scholar shook his head. “Certainly not. As an opportunity to curry favor with your associates, or those who you wish to be aligned to your cause? This isn’t fifteenth century France.
If my ward wishes to take part in such folly, it will be with her choice in suitors.
” He turned his frown on me. “However, I do not recommend tying yourself to a gentleman you’ve met for such a brief amount of time.
Character takes time to clearly discern. ”
I smiled and put a hand on his arm. “But we can have character tests to determine nobleness of heart and goodness of soul as well as soundness of mind. And cake baking competitions!”
The Vampire King cleared his throat, a clearly unnecessary thing for a vampire to do as blood was notoriously bad at getting stuck in one’s throat.
“I believe that the essential trait is the man’s ability to protect you.
As long as you are alive, you’re vulnerable.
If you turned, you’d be strong enough to stand on your own. ”
The Scholar stood, hands clenched as he stared down at the Vampire King.
To his credit he didn’t bother rising, managing to look bored even though he was doubtless considering fifty ways to try to kill the Scholar.
The last time they’d had an argument, there hadn’t been anything left standing for miles.
If they went at it now, in the Laboratory beneath the Library of Antiquities, Singsong City could entirely collapse.
I spoke quickly. “Strong doesn’t mean dead.
There are many perfectly strong live people.
” I raised my chin. “Like my guardian. And all the other people who aren’t dead.
I don’t want to live in the shadows of the underworld.
I want to live in the sun with my kittens!
” Maybe I shouldn’t have added the last part, particularly the kittens, particularly not with the way the Scholar was looking at me, a deep frown between his brows.
“You should get more sun,” he said. “You are too pale.”
“Peculiar to have a sun-born daughter,” the Vampire King said, tilting his head to study me like I was a great curiosity.
I smiled at him brightly. “Peculiar to have a father show up after fifty years of negligence, but here we are.”
He hesitated for a moment and then laughed and settled back, relaxing the tension he’d been holding as he considered whether or not to start a war with the Scholar.
“Touché. At any rate, it will be good to have you settled with an appropriate mate.” He stood and gave the Scholar an incline of his head.
“I give you my leave. Herald will see to the particulars. Daughter.” He gave me an even less visible chin dip and then disappeared in a swirl of black fog smelling of blood, misery, and butterscotch.
I sniffed with a wrinkled nose until the Scholar waved a hand and the smoke cleared.
“This is a ridiculous notion,” he said to me.
Herald laughed, so charming, so smooth, so used to seeing people decapitated and not letting it get to him.
“Perhaps it’s not entirely conventional, but young Katriana has proven her interest in leaving your care and embracing the big, beautiful world on her own.
This way she’ll have some oversight as she encounters the most dangerous adventures. ”
“Dangerous? It’s a wedding competition. How dangerous can it be?” I asked.
“Love is the most dangerous thing of all,” the Scholar said shortly.
“I admit, with the social media issue, Katriana can’t go back into obscurity.
Controlling the rhetoric is the most essential thing now.
And if the Vampire King wishes to be involved in your life, it’s best if you have several safeguards in place. ”
“Indeed,” Herald agreed with a sharp smile.
“As many safeguards as possible. She looks like his sister. He’d very nearly forgotten that he had a sister, but seeing your duet brought it all back.
Feelings for a vampire like him are the most dangerous things of all.
” Herald stood. “I’m to take care of the details, such as scouting a location, and arranging caterers, and bodyguards and—”
“Absolutely not,” the Scholar cut in. “I will see to the location and her safety. Katriana is my ward. Her protection is my duty.”
I said, “Can it be a castle? There are several mansion-type castles around Singsong, right? Particularly in the west, past the suburbs and Forest Park. Maybe with a little cottage for me to stay in with a good set of protection runes all around. I’m very good at protection runes,” I reminded my guardian.
He blinked at me and then gave me a slight smile. “Of course. You are not remotely defenseless, however, between the Vampire King and his enemies, we can’t be too cautious as far as your safety is concerned.”
I nodded because, honestly, this was starting to sound like a dream come true and if he wanted to keep me safe, that was fine with me. Handsome suitors of my choosing? A cottage? “I’ll need an entire wardrobe of princess dresses! And there must be a cake baking competition.”
The Scholar’s lips twitched. “I believe you already mentioned the cake competition. You may have more applicants from the infernal side than the heavenly. You are a vampire, even if you were sun-born. Perhaps in the name of fairness, you should choose an equal number from both sides, unless you feel that vampires and werewolves are somehow less worthy.”
I laughed and patted his shoulder, determined not to hurt his feelings. “No, no, I’m just always surrounded by them. Of course I can choose suitors who are more varied. I don’t actually want any angels. Can you imagine? They ruin everything.”
He raised a brow. Right. Libby was very angelic. “Everything?”
“Weddings. I’m specifically referring to that annoying Lion who interrupted your wedding.”
He gave me a thoughtful look. “Richard the Lion will be invited as one of the suitors.”
I gurgled a laugh. “No, no, no. I was only joking about inviting him. He’s far too arrogant and self-absorbed and vain, and terrifying to be an actual suitor.”
“You mentioned him and your father backed down. Also, the Lion had an excuse to kill you when you attacked him, and didn’t take it, so he’s likely to be a safe choice.”
I felt like someone had sat on my chest and was squishing my heart out my ears. “He has millions of followers. He’d never agree to be a suitor on some TV show. He’d laugh at the very idea of marrying a vampire.”