Chapter 4
4
“ S ophie?” came Wren’s velvet voice from the entrance to the study, catching me off guard.
Startled, I let the painting drop against the wall with a loud thud and quickly turned to the young man.
“Good morning!” He beamed at me, walking deeper into the room and looking around.
“Good morning.” I shakily smiled back, placing a hand over my racing heart, trying not to look too flustered. Had he seen me look behind the painting? And if he had, would he tell on me?
I focused on Wren’s face as he came closer, looking for any indication that he’d seen me. His features were relaxed and carefree, so I willed the tension out of my body, deciding that he hadn’t seen anything. Then, I noticed twin puncture wounds on Wren’s neck. Isabelle hadn’t wasted any time before feeding from him. He looked a bit pale, and I wondered how much blood she’d taken.
“Did you have a good night?” Wren asked, stopping in front of me. Before I could answer, he said, “Having a vampire feed from you is…well, I don’t know what I expected, but I’d never experienced anything like it.” His gaze landed on the right side of my neck, and I involuntarily lifted my hand up, running my fingers over the smooth skin there.
You are my vassal, and when we are in public, you are going to act as such, I remembered the deal I’d made with Henry. As I was scrambling for an explanation as to why I didn’t have any puncture wounds, Wren said, “I see the Lord gave you his blood to heal the bite marks.”
That’s right. I’d read that vampires’ blood had healing properties.
“Isabelle offered to do the same, but I declined. I want to wear them as a badge of honor,” Wren added, pride in his voice.
I arched an eyebrow, staring at the young man.
“Where are you from?” I asked, curious.
He must be from one of the poorer towns. That would explain his eagerness to be here.
“Weldon Heights,” Wren said, confirming my suspicion. “You?”
“New Haven,” I replied, glancing at the large oil painting on the wall.
Wren followed my gaze.
“Ah, the battle of New Haven. That was the pivotal moment in the Red War when the vampires drove the Dark Witches away,” he said, facing the painting.
I watched him closely as he took in all the tiny details. His features became more taut the longer he stared at the painting, and I could tell when he found Isabelle in it because his eyes widened with fear. Just like Henry, Isabelle looked nothing like she had yesterday during the Selection. All fangs and claws, she was truly terrifying, and I wondered if Wren had gotten a glimpse of that side of her when she’d fed from him last night.
“This painting is…I have no words,” Wren said, his voice strained.
“I think it’s an excellent depiction of the monsters that dwell underneath the beautiful facade,” I said, unable to hide disdain from my voice.
Wren looked at me, his brows pinched.
Suddenly, Rory burst into the study with a fluffy duster in her hand, stopping short when she noticed Wren and me.
“What are you two doing up?” she asked, raising her delicate brows. She didn’t ask what we were doing here, which led me to believe Wren and I were not in trouble for being in Henry’s study. “You both should have stayed up last night to start getting on the same schedule as the Lord and the Lady.”
I offered an apologetic shrug while Wren gave her a sheepish smile. Rory had a certain way about her that made you feel terrible for disappointing her.
“Alright, well. Since you are up, let me get Ezra, and the four of us can go shopping. Both of you need more clothes and outfits for tonight.”
“What’s tonight?” I asked, confused.
“The Vassal Ball,” Rory replied, turning to leave.
“The Duvals host a ball every year after the Selection,” Wren explained as we walked out of the study and strolled to the foyer, stopping before the front doors to wait for Rory and Ezra. “Isabelle told me about it last night. All the clans attend with their new vassals.”
Unease settled heavily in the pit of my stomach, and I quickly pressed my hand to my right thigh, feeling the outline of the dagger. Tonight, the house would be teeming with vampires.
This is a good thing, I told myself, taking a steadying breath.
I’d wanted an opportunity to gain access to the vampire society, I just hadn’t expected to be presented with one so soon. I wasn’t sure what I would do if I came across my mother’s killer tonight. Even if I did, there wasn’t much I could do. I wouldn’t be able to take my revenge on him because that would jeopardize my mission. Still, tonight was a unique opportunity to learn more about the clans. Perhaps I could glean some information that could help me find the amulet or another clue.
A fist pounding on the front door echoed through the foyer, pulling me from my thoughts. Wren and I exchanged a glance and waited for someone to answer the door. Several silent seconds passed when no one came, and the knock sounded again, louder than before. With a shrug and another quick glance in my direction, Wren opened one of the double doors, revealing Eleanor on the other side. She looked like she hadn’t gotten any sleep since she’d left the estate. Dark shadows smudged the skin under her eyes, and her pale cheeks looked hollow. The maniacal gleam in her gaze stirred the tiny hairs along the nape of my neck, and all my muscles tensed.
“Get Master Henry,” I heard Rory’s hushed voice from somewhere behind me.
She and Ezra must have just walked into the foyer. I didn’t dare to look at them, though. My attention zeroed in on Eleanor. Her feverish green eyes met mine, and a heartbeat later, she snapped into action, lurching through the front door, coming toward me. A knife glinted in her hand as she swiped it, trying to cut me, but I danced out of her reach. I saw Wren start to step forward, but he stopped himself when I gave a curt shake of my head—I didn’t need his help.
Eleanor lunged at me again, slicing the blade through the air in an upward motion. I jumped back and then rushed her, gripping the arm holding the knife. Jamming my elbow into her chest, I pushed Eleanor backward and slammed her into the wall on the left side of the open front door. Her eyes were wild and frantic as the knife clattered to the floor, and I stepped into her, my arm pressing on her throat.
“Eleanor? What are you doing here?” Henry demanded in a raised voice as he strode into the foyer.
When I glanced at him, he drew up short, and I followed his gaze to the open front door. Ezra hurried over and shut it, sealing off the sunlight so the Lord could approach where I was holding Eleanor against the wall.
It was obvious he’d just gotten out of bed. His dark hair was tousled, tumbling over his forehead, and he was wearing a loose white shirt that exposed a part of his chest. My gaze snagged on a thin metal chain with a key hanging around his neck before I lifted my eyes to his.
Wry amusement settled into his chiseled features as he said, “Ezra woke me up by banging on my door. He said there was an emergency, but I can see that you have it under control.”
I gave a small nod and turned back to Eleanor, finding her staring at Henry with a look of utter devotion on her drawn face.
“Please,” she rasped when I lifted my arm to alleviate the pressure on her windpipe. “You have to take me back. I can’t return to my old life.”
Henry’s expression turned severe. “You can, and you will. You have your freedom back.”
“I don’t want it!” Eleanor shouted, tears rolling down her sunken cheeks.
My brows climbed my forehead. I didn’t know if she’d been this way before she’d become Henry’s vassal or if staying with the Duvals for a year had warped her mind, but I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Henry’s expression was almost pained when I glanced at him.
“Let me talk to her,” he said quietly, and I released Eleanor and slowly backed away.
Eleanor’s face turned reverent when Henry stepped in front of her and leaned in.
“Go back to your old life, Eleanor, and be happy. Do not come back here,” the Lord said low. His voice sounded even deeper somehow, like smoke and shadows, causing a wave of goosebumps to break out over my skin.
Eleanor’s green eyes glazed over, and she seemed to have stopped breathing as Henry abruptly moved away. He bent down and picked up the knife I’d knocked out of her hand.
“Ezra, please show her out,” the Lord said to the servant.
He briefly glanced at me, his eyes and his jaw hard, before striding out of the foyer. The moment he was gone, Eleanor slumped against the wall as if all the fight had left her frail body. She didn’t object when Ezra approached and grabbed her by the arm before leading her to the door like a rag doll. He left her right on the other side of the threshold before shutting the door behind her back.
Stunned silence hung in the foyer for a few moments before Ezra broke it by saying, “Well, it’s been an eventful morning. Who’s ready to go shopping?”