Chapter 26
Amara
The Leyore Grand Hall was a breathtaking sight, even more so than it had been the first time I set foot inside. Tall, arching ceilings stretched above, and the chandelier’s golden light cast a soft glow on the crowd of elegant attendees. Everywhere I looked, there were faces so strikingly beautiful that I couldn’t help but stare. These weren’t ordinary people.
All of them were vampires.
I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the gnawing unease in my gut. We had a plan, but it pressed heavily on my shoulders, the roar in my head making it difficult to fully appreciate the beauty of the hall or the stunning people within it.
I glanced down at my attire. Dressed in the gown Dylan had bought for me, the sleek, lilac number that hugged my curves in all the right places, I felt like I could almost blend in with the supernatural crowd. Almost.
But I was human. And that made me different. Vulnerable.
Dylan had been by my side all evening, her presence a constant source of comfort despite her ferocious glare. But I could feel the tension radiating off her. Her eyes darted around the room, scanning the faces for any sign of Don. I knew she was on edge, and it heightened my own anxiety. Seeing my father again, knowing what he had planned for me, it was too much. But I had agreed to the plan. I had to go through with it, for Dylan. And for my own sake.
In an attempt to distract myself, I wandered over to the snack table, fingers idly hovering over the spread of canapes, and did my best to act casual. The table was laden with delicacies, but I wondered why they had bothered. Vampires didn’t eat.
I glanced over at Dylan, smothering the smile that played on my lips. Well, vampires didn’t eat food .
A new presence at my side had me spinning on the spot. The woman was tall and willowy – long, blonde hair braided over one shoulder. Her light green eyes shimmered with a warmth that put me at ease.
“I’m Sky,” she mouthed, pointing to herself. “Jordan’s wife.”
My eyes nearly popped out of my head. I hadn’t expected Jordan, the imposing leader of the Leyore vampires, to have a partner so... ethereal. Her beauty was almost otherworldly, and yet, there was something about her that felt grounded, human even.
“I – hi,” I stammered, feeling suddenly self-conscious. I pointed to myself, a hand on my chest. “Amara.”
At least I hoped that’s what I said. It had been so long since I’d spoken my own name.
Her mouth stretched into a smile as she laughed. I imagined the sound; a tinkling of bells and chimes to match her whimsical demeanor.
Then, to my immense surprise, her hands moved gracefully through a series of gestures that were familiar to me. “I know who you are. The whole coven’s been talking about you.”
Her expression was kind, like she was trying to soothe my nerves, her hands signing with a comfortable familiarity. “How are you holding up? I imagine all of this must be a bit overwhelming.”
I hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But there was something in her eyes, an understanding, that made me want to open up.
“It is,” I signed quickly, happy to hold a conversation in a language I was fluent in. “I didn’t realize how... different it would feel. I’m not sure I really belong here.”
“I know exactly how you feel.” Sky’s expression softened further, her lips moving with a faint smile as she signed. “I was human once, too.”
I blinked my surprise and Sky nodded. “And I remember how out of my depth I felt at my first gathering. Everyone was so... beautiful, so powerful. It was intimidating, to say the least.”
I hadn’t expected to find an ally in Jordan’s wife of all people, but the woman’s warmth and kindness was a balm to my frazzled nerves. I found myself relaxing, the tension in my shoulders easing up. “How did you handle it?”
“I had Jordan,” Sky said simply, lips outlining her partner’s name with love. “She made me feel safe, even when the world around us was erupting into chaos. I imagine Dylan is that for you.”
My hand instinctively went to my neck, where the telltale prick of fangs had left their mark. I glanced over at Dylan, who was still stoically scanning the hall and warding off an excited Maxine simultaneously. A small smile tugged at my lips.
Sky noticed my expression and I saw her laugh again. “I must admit, you’re braver than I was. When I first met the Leyore members, Dylan scared me the most. But she seems different now. Softer…”
We both watched Dylan glower at Maxine. The smaller vamp was dressed in a puffy pink gown, earnestly trying to straighten out Dylan’s suit. Dylan stood stiff, but compliant, right up until Maxine pulled a stick of pink lip gloss from her purse, to which my wife responded by pulling a blade from her pocket.
Sky met my gaze with a wan smile. “Well… maybe just a little less abrasive. Before you, she would have bitten Maxine’s head off her shoulders for that.”
I was pretty sure whatever Dylan planned to do with that blade was a lot worse, but I couldn’t help but smile anyway. There was a brief pause, and then, mustering a speck of courage in the presence of the beautiful woman, I signed, "How do you know sign language?"
Sky blinked in surprise, and I felt a wave of embarrassment. Maybe that had been too forward. Before I could backtrack, though, Sky’s expression softened into a curious smile.
"Sign language?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
I hurried to explain, cheeks flushed, hands flailing through the gestures. "It’s just that... I don’t often meet people who know any sign language. But you’re a natural at it – so, thank you, I think?"
Sky’s eyes brightened and she nodded. "I’m a violin teacher. I go through a lot of violin strings, as you can imagine."
I tilted my head, curiosity piqued.
"My string supplier is deaf," she continued, something like fondness softening her features. "I thought it would be helpful to learn a little sign language to better communicate with him. It just seemed like the right thing to do, you know?"
"That’s... really considerate of you," I signed shyly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "It’s nice to meet someone who makes that kind of effort."
Sky shrugged, hands forming the gestures effortlessly. "Communication is important, especially when words aren’t always enough."
She squeezed my arm gently before releasing me. “Anyway, you’ll do great here. And if you ever need to talk, I’m always around.”
Watching her go, something clicked in my head. It was like a switch being flipped, like I’d been sitting in the dark all my life and someone had just turned the lights on. All my life I’d been waiting for my father to come around, to see me as someone worthy of his love. But what I wanted… I would never get that from Don.
But there were people who understood – who cared enough to reach out across the barriers that so often separated people like me from others. People like my sister, and Sky. And Dylan.
My gaze drifted around the grand hall, taking in the opulence and the throng of beautiful people – beautiful vampires. This was the place where I had first wed Dylan. The memory was vivid in my mind, the surrealness of the brief ceremony. It had been a union born of duty, of strategy, with little emotion behind it. How far we had come since then. The thought made my chest tighten. What had once been indifference or even resentment had blossomed into something deep, something real. Sealed with a bite.
But now, here I was, about to put myself in harm’s way as part of a plan that felt half-baked at best and ludicrous at worst. The idea of being used as bait left a bitter taste in my mouth, and the more I thought about it, the more conflicted I felt. I was scared, no doubt about that.
I knew one thing for certain, though. If I couldn’t trust my own flesh and blood, I could at least trust Dylan. And that trust was enough to keep me from backing out. My resolve was firm, even as the anxiety turned the taste of sweet canapes to bile in my throat. I turned back to the snack table, trying to focus on something else, anything to keep myself from overthinking.
As I picked at another small pastry, long, cold fingers closed on my shoulder, and I turned to face my wife. Dylan’s hands were moving quickly, her mouth set in a hard line. The signs were simple, but my stomach dropped to my shoes.
“He’s here.”
He’s here. My heart pounded in my chest, a staccato rhythm that left me breathless. Dylan’s hand was ice in mine, her grip tighter than necessary. I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were in over our heads.
He’s here. As we made our way through the crowd, I caught sight of my father. His expression was a mask of irritation, his eyes narrowing across the hall as he took in my appearance – calm, on the outside at least, and unscathed. It was exactly the reaction we had expected. He had planned for Dylan to kill me, to provoke a reaction that would justify his next move. But we had ruined his plans, and now he was forced to improvise.
Jordan approached him through the crowd, and my father forced a smile as the vampire woman welcomed him. I could see the wheels turning in his mind, calculating, plotting. He would switch to another plan, of that I was certain. The question was, what would he do next? I had no doubt that he would send someone else after me, someone who could finish what Dylan had refused to start.
Dylan and I stayed close to each other as the evening wore on, our eyes scanning the room for any sign of danger. It felt an awful lot like the last time we’d danced an anxious tango together, shuffling across the dancefloor in my father’s club. I was well-dressed bait, and every glance, every whisper, felt like a potential threat. But I had to trust that the team was watching, that they wouldn’t let anything happen to me.
It wasn’t long before I noticed her – the tall, striking woman with an air of quiet menace about her. Her eyes were sharp, black stones in still pools, her movements deliberate as she made her way through the crowd, following after my father. It was her, the dragon shifter. The woman who confronted me outside the mansion. The woman Dylan and I had followed all the way out into the countryside. Was it her friend Dylan had killed? Did she hold a grudge…
I watched with bated breath when she approached Jordan. The redhead looked alarmed, but masked it quickly, playing up the chivalrous host act and shaking the woman’s hand. After a brief exchange of what looked like passing pleasantries, the woman drifted toward the champagne stand.
My breath caught in my throat, but I forced myself to stay calm. I subtly glanced up at Dylan. With a slight, almost imperceptible gesture, I caught her eye and then flicked my gaze toward the dragon shifter. Dylan followed my gaze, and her expression hardened.
While the woman lingered near the champagne, I took a closer look. There was something in her eyes, a resigned sadness and fatigue that struck a chord deep somewhere in my chest. It wasn’t the look of a predator eager to strike, it was the look of someone who had no choice.
It was a jump in logic, but I was sure of it. Don had set this woman up to kill me instead.
I turned slightly, signing to Dylan with deliberate, controlled movements. “I have a plan.”
Dylan’s eyes narrowed in response, but she gave a small nod.
“Watch my back,” I signed quickly, not trusting myself to manage a whisper. “But keep some distance.”
Feigning nonchalance, I began to wander toward the bathroom, politely excusing myself from the gathering and stepping away from Dylan. Each step felt like walking a tightrope. I could feel the dragon shifter’s gaze glued to my back, but I didn’t dare look over my shoulder to check.
When I reached the passageway leading to the bathrooms I slipped inside, heart in my throat. I tried to act natural, but the closer I got to the bathroom door the more I had to fight to keep my hands from trembling. I reached for the door handle, praying I could keep my cool just a little longer.
But then I felt it, a clawed hand closing on my shoulder. My body tensed, bracing for the attack that was sure to come. My shivering body was poised to defend itself, but before I could react the pressure on my shoulder disappeared.
I spun around, and to my relief, saw Dylan. My fierce protector had the dragon shifter in a headlock, her grip like iron as she held the woman in place. The dragon shifter’s eyes flashed with a volley of fear and defiance, and for a moment, it looked like she was about to shift.
But before thick scales could fully emerge from her rippling skin, Hunter appeared from down the hall. With what looked like a few sharp words and her hands gripping the shifter’s face, her coercion took hold, and the dragon shifter’s movements stilled. Her resistance faded, replaced by a defeated compliance and I brought a hand to my mouth.
Dylan had told me about Hunter’s uncanny ability, though it was even more unsettling to watch it in action.
The telepathic vamp ran a hand through her hair, needle-thin brows raised as she turned to me. Her lips moved sharply, but she looked almost impressed. “That was a risky move. But good job getting her away from the party guests.”
Dylan released her grip just enough for the woman to breathe, but the threat was still there, palpable in the air between them. I felt my own fear slowly ebbing away as the situation came under control. All things considered, it was a clean capture.
But now came the hard part – making her talk.