Chapter 5
5
T he atmosphere in the carriage was tense for several long minutes after the four of us had left the estate. A part of me had expected Eleanor to still be on the other side of the door when we’d walked out of the mansion, but she was gone. I hoped she would find happiness and put the last twelve months on the Duval Estate behind her.
Rory sat opposite me in the black and gold carriage as it bounced along the uneven cobblestones. What had transpired earlier had clearly made her uncomfortable because her gaze was cast down and fixed on her lap, where she nervously worried the material of her skirt.
“I told you Eleanor was crazy.” Ezra gave a small shake of his head. “That’s why Lord Duval now sleeps with his door locked.”
My ears perked up at that tidbit of information. I planned to search Henry’s bedroom for the Tear, which would be difficult if he locked it at all times.
“He sleeps with his door locked?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
“Yes. Wears the key around his neck,” Ezra said, and my mind flashed back to the key I’d seen on the Lord earlier. “He only started doing that after Eleanor snuck into his bedroom and tried to stake him in his sleep.”
“She tried to stake him?” I asked, my brow furrowing. “But she seems so devoted to him.”
“Too devoted.” Ezra gave me a pointed look. “That’s why she tried to kill him a few weeks before the Selection. Said that if she couldn’t have him, then no one else would.”
My eyebrows lifted in surprise. I would have never expected a human to become so attached to a vampire. From all the stories I’d heard, vassals usually couldn’t wait for their year to be up so they could return to their old lives and try to put that period of their lives behind them.
“How were you able to disarm Eleanor?” Ezra asked, looking at me with curiosity on his pale face.
“I learned some self-defense after the Dark Witches took my mother,” I lied.
Ezra’s brown eyes softened at my words. “I see. Rory told me about what happened to her. I’m sorry.”
He sounded genuine, and I wondered if there was an unspoken thing between all children who’d lost their parents. A shared pain that let them relate to each other because only the ones who’d experienced it could truly understand it.
“Your mother was taken by the Dark Witches?” Wren asked low, his eyes wide. “I’m sorry, Sophie.”
He looked ashen, and there was a flicker of terror in his eyes, making me wonder if there was someone Wren had lost to the Witches.
Before I got a chance to ask, Rory said, “Let’s just try to have a good day, okay? Despite how it has started.” She looked at each one of us before peering through the window. “It’s been a while since I was last out during the day,” she mused, looking at the scenery rushing by.
I wondered if she found it difficult to keep the same schedule as the vampires.
“Do you like working for the Duvals?” I asked her.
“I do.” She met my gaze. “I told you last night, it’s really not that bad. The other clans are so much worse.”
“You’ll see tonight,” Ezra chimed in. “When you meet them at the Vassal Ball.”
It didn’t go unnoticed by me that Wren looked as uneasy as I felt at Ezra’s words, his throat working on a swallow.
“It will be okay. We’ll get through it,” Rory said, taking a steadying breath.
She seemed apprehensive about the ball as well, which didn’t help my own anxiety. I wondered if her words of reassurance were as much for herself as for us.
As the carriage rolled through the city center, I glanced out the window, looking for the familiar sign of Baylor’s Corner. The tavern was the usual gathering spot for the Order of Light’s members, where they quietly planned out patrol schedules and routes. I wondered if Waylon was inside. A childhood friend, he’d always been by my side, and I trusted him with my life. It hadn’t been the only thing I’d trusted him with when we’d found ourselves at the inn next to the tavern after a patrol one night a few months ago. I’d never let it go beyond the physical with him, though. I suspected he wanted more, but I couldn’t afford to have feelings for him. Feelings were a distraction from my mission.
“We’re here!” Rory clapped her hands excitedly, snapping me from my thoughts.
When we exited the carriage, I realized we were at Madam Claremont’s—one of the oldest and most expensive clothing shops in New Haven. It was widely known that the Madam outfitted the Duvals, the Governess, and the few human noblemen and women. Needless to say, I’d never set foot here before. Rory was brimming with enthusiasm as the four of us walked through an ornate black door into a brightly lit anteroom.
When we entered, my gaze flicked up to the elaborate gold chandelier before sweeping down to a decorative white desk with curved legs. A full bouquet of flowers sat atop it, infusing the air with a pleasant, sweet scent. Though I felt out of place and wished I was here under different circumstances, a spark of excitement invaded my senses as I looked around, noticing that the anteroom opened into a larger room to my left and another one to my right.
“You’re coming with me,” Ezra said to Wren before leading him into what looked like the men’s section of the shop, judging by a variety of displayed shirts and breeches I could see from where I was standing.
“And you can follow me.” Rory grinned at me before pulling me to the room on the left.
The women’s section was bursting with gowns of different styles and colors, and I was fascinated and a little overwhelmed by the selection.
“What do you want to wear tonight for the ball?” Rory asked, looking around with bright eyes.
A smile tugged at my lips, brought on by her girly excitement.
“I’ve never been to a ball before,” I told her, running my fingers over the fine satin fabric of one of the gowns. “But I can’t bring myself to feel anything but dread about a ball thrown by vampires to show off their newly acquired pets,” I confessed.
The spark of excitement I’d felt earlier fizzled out as I scrunched up my face at the thought.
“Don’t make that face,” Rory said, watching me. “I told you?—”
“I know, I know. It could be worse,” I interjected, waving my hand dismissively.
“So, what do you think?” Rory proceeded to point out a few gowns in different sections of the room.
When I thought about being in a house full of vampires tonight, all I wanted to do was cover myself up from head to toe, but I wasn’t naive enough to think I could get away with it. So, I settled on a long, black, off-shoulder dress that hugged my hourglass shape but wasn’t too revealing.
“What about this one?”
“Excellent choice. I think Master Henry would approve.” Rory smiled at me.
I grimaced at her words because I wasn’t looking for his approval. In fact, what she’d said almost made me want to reconsider and pick another gown.
“Oh, there she is,” Rory said, and I followed her gaze to an old woman hurrying toward us. “Madam Claremont, the shop owner,” Rory explained before greeting the woman with a warm smile.
The shop owner was short, plump, and the complete opposite of what I’d expected her to look like.
“This is Sophie, Lord Henry’s new vassal,” Rory introduced me.
“Nice to meet you, Sophie.” The old woman clasped my hands in greeting. “Let’s find you some gowns to make all the other clans envious of Lord Henry’s new vassal.” She winked at me.
I had to suppress a shudder as an ugly emotion reared its head at her words. I’d tried all my life not to attract attention because of my looks. Still, the Governess had noticed me around my fourteenth birthday. She’d told me I would be a tithe to the clan one day. The next four years had been spent in nervous anticipation as I’d tried really hard not to feel like a commodity.
Tonight, I would be just that—I would be diminished to nothing more than a trophy on Henry Duval’s arm. A trophy for winning the Red War a century ago and protecting humans from the Dark Witches ever since. It didn’t matter, I tried to remind myself. What I would have to endure tonight was a small price to pay if I was able to find the amulet.
“Are you alright, dear?” Madam Claremont asked, pausing in her search of dresses.
“Yes.” I smoothed the scowl from my face and forced a smile.
For the next few hours, I obediently followed Madam Claremont and Rory around the shop as they helped me pick out dresses. Whenever I couldn’t decide between two gowns, Rory just added them both to the pile. By the time we were done, I had gowns to last me for months, though I hoped I wouldn’t have to stay on the estate for that long. Rory also made sure I’d picked out casual dresses and clothes, toiletries, and some jewelry, even though I didn’t plan on ever taking off the locket holding the picture of my mother.
“Lord Duval will cover the cost,” Rory said to Madam Claremont when the three of us returned to the anteroom.
“Of course.” The shop owner smiled at her.
A moment later, Ezra and Wren emerged from the men’s section, and the four of us walked outside and loaded into the carriage.
“Everything will be sent in a separate carriage to the estate,” Rory explained as she got settled in her seat opposite me.
My brows shot up in surprise. A separate carriage just for clothes? Wren must have gotten as much as I had. I gritted my teeth, thinking about how all that money could be spent on helping the poor. The Duvals should be using all the wealth they had accumulated to improve the living conditions in the region instead of spending it to maintain their lavish lifestyle. I couldn’t wait to destroy vampires, erasing the clans from existence. All their wealth would then be redistributed among those in need.
“Well, that was fun. I love shopping,” Rory said, and I focused on her.
“What do you want to do now?” I asked, meeting her gaze.
“What do you mean?” Her brows pinched in confusion.
“You said it had been a while since you were last out during the day. Would you like to do anything else before we head back?”
I was in no hurry to return to the mansion and spend the next few hours dreading the Vassal Ball.
Rory glanced at Ezra, who lifted his shoulders in a shrug.
“I suppose we could get some food and have a picnic?” she said hesitantly with a small smile.
“Great idea.” I grinned at her. “We can go to the Mayfair Park. It’s not far from here.”
We stopped at the local market and bought a basket of food before heading to the park tucked away on the outskirts of the Garden District.
The Mayfair Park was my favorite place in New Haven. I liked that it was usually not as crowded as the Rosewood Park in the heart of the city. Today was no exception. When we arrived, only a handful of people were in the park despite it being a clear and sunny afternoon.
“This is lovely,” Rory said, looking around as we strolled toward one of the weathered cast iron benches.
We picked the one close to the fishpond under the shade of a large viloria tree. Its twisted branches sprawled out over the bench and half the pond. Small delicate petals from its flowers blanketed the ground in a sea of white and floated in the calm water of the pond, providing cover for the colorful speckled fish leisurely swimming there.
Our little group perched on the long bench and shared a meal of meat, bread, and cheese. Everyone was relaxed, and the conversation flowed easily, almost making me forget that soon we would have to return to the house inhabited by vampires. After a while, when the conversation slowed, and everyone was just enjoying the weather, Wren took a hunk of leftover bread and went to feed the fish. Ezra rose from the bench as well and began strolling around the pond, lost in thought. Rory and I remained where we were, sitting in comfortable silence as a light breeze stirred the tree branches, shaking more white petals free and making them drift to the ground.
When the clouds shifted, drenching the bench in sunlight, Rory closed her eyes and lifted her face up, basking in the warm rays. Her smile was serene as the wind teased her topknot, loosening a few wispy strands of dark hair to rest against her pale cheeks. She looked so young then, and my heart squeezed. I didn’t have any siblings, but it was easy to imagine Rory as my little sister and feel protective of her.
Facing forward, I looked around the park, my gaze sweeping over the lush greenery. Phantom images of me and my mother filled the place, appearing here and there as my mind conjured them up. I could see us sitting on a thin blanket on the grass and strolling around the pond. A faint smile appeared on my lips at the happy memories before it faded as my eyes pricked with tears.
“Sophie, are you okay?” Rory asked, and I realized she was watching me.
“Yes.” I cleared my throat and wiped away a tear that had escaped. “My mother and I used to come here often.”
“You two were close?”
I nodded. “She was my best friend. I told her everything.”
Rory was silent for a moment, her big brown eyes searching my face.
“Does this place still bring you joy?” she finally asked.
My forehead creased as I thought about it. I wasn’t sure what brought me joy anymore. I’d used to read a lot, curled up on the old settee in my mother’s study, and that had brought me joy. Rainy days had been my favorite, especially when my mother had been there, working and, at times, absentmindedly humming to herself. I hadn’t read a book since her death. Ever since that night, I’d been so preoccupied with finding the Tear I’d forgotten how to enjoy life. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure I could enjoy it again until I’d completed my mission and destroyed Dark Witches and vampires.
I couldn’t tell Rory all that, so I settled for, “I think so. What brings you joy?”
The corners of her mouth tilted upward in a soft smile.
“The sun, the breeze.” She giggled. “Good company.” She bumped my shoulder with her own. “Hope,” she added quietly, her expression turning serious.
“What do you hope for?” I met her gaze.
“A bright future where I feel safe,” she replied in a hushed voice, looking around the nearly empty park.
Her admission brought a frown to my face.
“You don’t feel safe with the Duvals?”
The question sounded silly the moment it left my mouth. She was a fifteen-year-old girl living with vampires. Of course, she didn’t feel safe. She was innocent and sweet, and I hoped the Duvals did not take advantage of that.
“I feel safer than most,” Rory said, and I relaxed a bit. The Duvals seemed to be treating her well. Still, I wished that her circumstances were different. “But can anyone truly feel safe in this world where Dark Witches steal us for sacrifices, and vampires drink our blood in exchange for their protection?”
My brows lifted in surprise. I hadn’t realized Rory had such a strong grasp of our reality. It made sense that she would. Since she lived with the Duvals, she’d glimpsed more of the vampire world than most. She knew how vampires truly were, even though she seemed to have a twisted perception that Henry Duval had shown her kindness. Even if he had, it wasn’t guaranteed to last. When you lived with predators like she did, it was only a matter of time before nature prevailed and they turned on you. I hoped I was able to find the amulet before that happened.
“I want the same future,” I told her vehemently. “For all of us.”
My words sounded like a vow. I could give her that future if I was successful at finding the Tear.
We stayed at the park for a while. The way everyone behaved gave me the impression I wasn’t the only one who dreaded returning to the mansion to prepare for the ball. When the sun began its descent toward the horizon, we couldn’t fight it any longer. With one last longing-filled look around the green haven, Rory announced that it was time we headed back to the estate.
The ride back to the mansion was spent in idle chatter that eventually died out the closer we got to the Duval Estate. Everyone’s unease was palpable by the time we arrived in front of the mansion.
After exchanging nervous glances, we climbed out of the carriage and set off toward the house. It was difficult to will my legs to move to walk inside. A small part of me wanted to turn around and run as far away from this place as I could. Reminding myself of my mission, I gritted my teeth with resolve and entered the foyer, which was humming with activity in preparation for the ball.
“I’ll see you in a little bit to help you get ready,” Rory said in a hollow voice as she forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
I couldn’t bring myself to smile back, so I simply nodded before trudging to my room. Once there, I hunched over the vanity, planting my palms on the smooth wooden surface. My eyes were big as I stared at myself in the mirror.
There was no way to delay the inevitable. The Vassal Ball would soon be upon us.