Chapter 7
7
S tern’s words chilled my blood as my heart sank. Did he think that vampires should be able to hunt and feed like the predators that they were? Henry’s eyes widened in dismay, and he opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by Isabelle, who announced that it was time for the celebratory dinner. I was not sure what the clans were celebrating besides having the human population in their tight grip for another year.
My mind racing after what Stern had said, I all but stumbled on numb legs to the long rectangular table in the other part of the room. Henry took a seat at the head of the table while a servant pulled out a chair for me to his right. I’d expected Isabelle to sit close to Henry, and my heart dropped when Stern sat down opposite me, to Henry’s left.
A young girl approached the table a moment later, dressed in a red satin dress that barely covered her thighs.
“This is Marie, my vassal,” Stern drawled, and my stomach turned over.
Anger rose up again, and my fingers flexed on my thighs, knuckles turning white with how hard I was gripping the material of my skirt. Marie took a seat next to Stern, fixing her gaze on the empty table before her. It wasn’t empty for long as servants began bringing out plates of food and pitchers of water and wine. I noticed Rory making her way down the length of the table in my direction, carrying a tray with cold cuts and cheese. She looked so small and fragile in this room full of monsters that the urge to hide her away almost had me rising from my chair. She looked nervous but gave a small smile as she neared and put the tray in the middle of the table before me.
“You grow more beautiful each time I see you,” came Stern’s smooth voice, and my eyes darted to him just in time to see the tips of his fangs drag over his bottom lip.
His gaze was fixed on Rory, and he stared at her like she was a meal.
“Leave her alone,” I said through my teeth. “She’s just a child.”
Stern’s sharp features contorted in condescension. His nostrils flared as his gaze shot to mine.
“And you are just a pet. Know your place.”
A bitter taste pooled in the back of my mouth as I clamped it shut.
“Don’t talk to my vassal like that,” Henry snapped at the Lord, and my eyes flicked to him.
A muscle ticked in his cheek as if he were barely containing his anger. I did not expect him to have such a strong reaction to Stern being rude to me, but the way Henry glared at the Lord of the South gave me the impression that there was more to it.
“Well, look who has decided to grow some claws.” Stern smirked, seemingly unbothered by Henry’s icy tone. “I was worried after Vincent’s disappearance. Thought I might have to take over the clan. Didn’t know if you were up to the task.”
“I would never let you take over my region,” Henry bit out.
“And what would you have done to stop me?” Stern countered.
He looked as if he found the entire exchange amusing, but his hand on the table had balled into a fist, making it clear he was not as unaffected as he wanted to appear.
“Whatever it takes,” Henry growled, baring his fangs.
His features became stark, and his fingernails elongated into sharp claws. I felt terrified but also a little thrilled by his outburst because I would give anything at that very moment to see him rip out Stern’s throat.
Heavy silence settled over the table as the two vampires glared at each other. The tension was palpable, making me wonder how strained the relationships between the clans actually were.
“Boys, behave,” a female vampire said from the other end of the table, her voice low and husky.
Her straight, shoulder-length hair was so blonde it was almost white, and her eyes were like two chips of ice. I recalled her name was Camilla, and she was the clan leader in the Northern region.
“Camilla,” Stern purred, glancing in her direction. “Ever the diplomat.” He looked back at Henry as a chilling smile broke across his face. “Let us relax and enjoy ourselves tonight. A drink to celebrate our truce?”
Henry’s features hardened as he stiffened in his seat. In the next moment, I understood what had caused such a reaction when Stern reached for his vassal and brought her wrist to his mouth. The girl, Marie, flinched but didn’t pull her hand away, her gaze remaining fixed on the table.
Henry cleared his throat, briefly glancing at me, but didn’t reach for my hand. I felt frozen in place, all my muscles tense.
“Are you not going to join me?” Stern asked Henry, his brows raised, looking between me and the Lord.
My heart sank as understanding dawned on me. Stern was asking Henry to join him in feeding. Containing my emotions at that very moment was one of the hardest things I’d ever had to do. Slowly, I dragged my gaze to Henry’s. There were shadows in his deep-blue eyes, and he looked almost apologetic. He couldn’t hide his true nature for long, though, as sparks of excitement invaded his gaze.
Eyes fixed on me, he reached for my hand and brought my wrist to his mouth. His lips peeled back, revealing his sharp fangs. My instinct was to wince and turn away, but I forced myself to sit still and hold his gaze to avoid making it obvious that this was the first time he’d ever fed from me. I couldn’t stifle a flinch and a sharp intake of my breath when his fangs broke the skin. The instant burning sensation and the cool touch of his lips sent a shiver through me as he pressed my wrist more fully to his mouth, drawing blood from the wounds his fangs had created. His eyes fluttered closed, and I wondered if, for a vampire, drinking fresh blood was like having a hot meal after eating nothing but cold meat for a while.
Having a vampire feed from you was…strange. The burning sensation that had started in my wrist spread throughout my entire body, warming the blood flowing through my veins. My breath hitched, and my brows knitted when the liquid warmth pooled in the pit of my stomach before moving lower. When a soft gasp left me, Henry abruptly let go of my wrist, running his tongue over his blood-smeared lips. My mind was hazy as I lowered my hand and covered my wrist with a napkin.
Stern let go of Marie’s wrist a moment later. He then proceeded to bite his own wrist, offering it to the vassal. She hesitated for only a second before bringing it to her mouth and taking a few gulps. My eyes widened as I watched her.
“That is enough, pet,” Stern said, taking back his wrist.
Marie’s pupils dilated, and her cheeks pinkened as she ducked her chin, returning her eyes to the table, her thick blonde curls spilling across her forehead.
“Her skin is so pristine,” Stern drawled, his gaze like an oily caress on my exposed neck and shoulders. “Do you not want to give her some of your blood to heal the bite marks?”
When Henry hesitated, the other Lord lifted his wrist up.
“I can offer her mine,” he taunted, leaning across the table.
“No,” Henry stopped him, his brows knitting.
He then bit his own wrist before holding it over my champagne glass that was half-full. A few drops of his blood glided down, mixing with the bubbly liquid. His eyes were still apologetic when they flicked to mine, but the sparks of excitement still danced in them as well, now burning brighter. He grabbed a napkin off the table and pressed it to his wrist. I watched in awe as he wiped away the blood, revealing the almost-healed bite marks.
He nodded at my champagne glass, and I slowly lifted it off the table and brought it to my mouth. I swallowed thickly before I took a sip, letting the drink coat my dry throat. A swirl of tingles erupted over my tongue, and a warmth similar to the one I’d experienced when Henry had fed from me invaded my body. I took a few minutes to finish the champagne, and by the time I sat the glass down, the bite marks on my wrist were nothing more than twin pink dots. I was amazed at the healing properties of vampire blood but also felt it was unfair that such monsters were blessed with such a gift.
Scowling, I stared at my empty plate as conversation at the table picked up and became a steady hum. Swallowing, I looked at the feast laid out before me. We never had a full spread like this at home. I doubted many human families did. The roasted meat and potatoes smelled delicious, but I had lost my appetite. My stomach churned as I sat at the table, unable to eat. I kept thinking about my mother and the Ravager victims. I felt like I’d betrayed them when I’d let Henry feed from me. Sitting here, doing nothing, also felt like a betrayal. I had to play the long game, though. I had to get through tonight if I wanted a chance at finding the Tear.
Henry kept stealing glances at me and, after a while, piled some food on my plate.
“Eat,” he ordered in a low voice.
I reached for a fork and used it to spear a piece of meat on my plate. Taking a small bite, I chewed slowly, not really tasting the food as I dared a look around the table. Glasses and plates clinked, and laughter sounded as the vassals ate while the vampires drank wine and…blood.
My gaze wandered to the other end of the table where Camilla was feeding from her vassal—an attractive young man who seemed like he was enjoying it. Instantly regretting taking a bite of my food, I set the fork down and reached for my wine glass. I took a generous gulp as my eyes darted back to the vampire. She was drinking from her vassal’s neck as a thin trail of blood glided down his olive skin. Uncomfortable, I shifted my gaze to Wren and Isabelle, but what I found wasn’t much better. They were kissing, and she was biting his lower lip, drawing blood. Unable to suppress a shudder, I fixed my gaze on the wine glass in my hand.
The dinner lasted for a few hours, and wine and blood flowed freely. Henry kept stealing glances at me but didn’t say anything as I sat there quietly, counting down the seconds until the night was over. Halfway through dinner, I told myself to focus and use this opportunity to learn more about the other clans. I took the time to discreetly study each and every one of the clan members, looking for my mother’s killer. When I didn’t find him in any of the near-perfect faces, I focused on the conversations the vampires were having.
Unfortunately, that did not provide much helpful information. The vampires talked about mundane things, like the weather and the latest fashion. I was surprised they didn’t discuss the Dark Witches. From Waylon, I knew that it had been quiet on the border, coincidentally after my mother’s death. Hearing less about the Witches’ attacks, people had been growing more comfortable with being out after sundown, though most were still too terrified to be out on the streets at night. I was glad for it because that meant fewer potential Ravager victims.
The word about Ravagers had been spreading but most people were still unaware of the danger. I was beginning to wonder, though, if, at this point, vampires were more of a threat to humans than the Dark Witches. I also wondered if the clans knew Dark Witches were no longer a threat but chose not to disclose that to the humans. They needed us to think we still needed their protection so they could keep us in their clutches.
When the dinner was finally over, dancing ensued. Having been up since early morning, I was exhausted. With barely any food and a good amount of wine in my system, I felt dizzy when I rose from the table.
Henry’s eyes were soft as he reached for me.
“One dance, and then you can leave,” he said quietly before taking my hand and leading me away from the table.
We stopped in the middle of the ballroom, a few feet away from Isabelle and Wren, who were already dancing—if one could call it that. She was draped over him with hardly any space between their bodies, and I thought they belonged in the privacy of her bedroom instead of on the ballroom floor.
I focused my attention on Henry, who took my hand in his and placed the other one on my lower back. I propped my hand on his arm, and we began swaying to the soft instrumental music. When I looked up at the Lord, his features were taut, making me wonder if he was counting down the seconds until tonight was over like I was.
“I know what you are thinking,” he said under his breath, lowering his head to meet my gaze.
“You have no idea what I’m thinking,” I bit out, hot anger flashing through me.
I want to kill every last one of you, I thought, glancing around and picking out the vampires in the room.
“It’s almost over,” Henry said low as if talking to himself.
When my gaze darted to him, a look of misery briefly marred his features but was gone in the blink of an eye. His scowl smoothed out, and he assumed a neutral expression. It was as if a mask had slipped, and he’d righted it back on. Once again puzzled by him, I searched his face while we danced as if it would reveal an explanation for his behavior that was so contrary to what I’d expected from a vampire.
“What is it?” Henry asked, one side of his mouth turning up when he noticed me staring at him.
“You are not what I expected,” I admitted.
His half smile faded.
“I would not be able to live with myself if I behaved as was expected of me.”
It sounded almost as if he didn’t like being a vampire. Confused, I frowned but didn’t say anything else.
“Can I steal her away for a dance?” Stern asked, approaching us when the dance was over.
I had to try really hard not to recoil in his presence.
“Actually, Sophie was just leaving,” Henry said, his tone cold and final.
A sigh of relief left me as I turned and headed for the door, feeling their eyes on my back. I forced myself to walk at a steady pace even though all I wanted to do was run.
Safely inside my room, I quickly closed the door and sagged against it, letting out a rough exhale. I was shocked by what I’d witnessed tonight, but my emotions were conflicting. On the one hand, I wished I could erase the ball from my mind, but I also wanted to remember tonight because it fueled my rage and made my desire for retribution so much stronger.
Nausea churned as a sticky residue of disgust and shame clung to my skin. I was disgusted by what I’d witnessed tonight and ashamed of what I’d let Henry do. Closing my eyes, I took a steadying breath. It was over now. I couldn’t do anything about what I’d seen tonight, but if I was successful at finding the Tear, things like that would no longer happen.
Opening my eyes, I hurried to the bathing chamber, where I quickly showered and changed into one of the new nightgowns I’d gotten earlier today. I put on a new silk robe that matched the nightgown and ran the brush through my hair, letting it fall around my shoulders. Exhausted but too wound up to sleep, I paced the room for a few minutes until a soft knock on the door stopped me in my tracks.
Slowly, I approached the door and cracked it just enough to peek through. Henry stood on the other side, holding a tray of food. He was still dressed in the clothes he’d worn to the ball.
I opened the door a bit wider, and our gazes locked and held until the Lord cleared his throat and said, “I noticed you didn’t eat much during dinner, so I brought some food. May I come in?”
With a small nod, I let him in, and in two long strides, Henry crossed the bedroom and sat the tray on the dresser. I didn’t move from where I stood by the door, lost in thought, my fingers skimming the wrist the Lord had bitten earlier.
“What happened during dinner bothers you,” Henry stated, his gaze landing on my wrist.
“More than you know,” I admitted.
There was regret in his blue eyes.
“I had to do it.”
“I know,” I told him. “Tonight was one of the worst nights of my life,” I added low.
“It’s not over yet,” Henry said, his gaze flicking to the open door. “The clans usually spend the day here and travel back to their regions at sundown. I wouldn’t leave this room if I were you.”
Shuddering, I quickly closed the door, desperate to seal myself away from the monsters roaming on the other side. Doing so brought little comfort—there was still a monster right here with me in this room.
Henry’s throat bobbed as he swallowed.
“You must know I don’t condone it.”
“You could do something about it,” I challenged, my voice rising.
Henry’s eyes widened in shock at my boldness before he spoke, his tone measured, “It’s not that simple. I am not their king. I am one of them.”
I scoffed and shook my head in disappointment. I wasn’t sure why I’d expected a different answer. Like he’d just said, he was one of them—a vampire.
“I want to be alone now,” I told him, suddenly feeling defeated.
Tonight had taken a lot out of me. I wasn’t sure if I could sleep, but I was certain I didn’t want to spend another second in the presence of a vampire.
“Very well,” Henry said and started for the door. He paused before me, and I briefly met his piercing gaze. “Try to eat if you can. You did well tonight, Sophie.”
He didn’t wait for my reply before walking out of the room, shutting the door softly behind him.
It didn’t feel like I’d done well tonight. It felt like I’d crossed some kind of a line by letting Henry feed from me and by consuming his blood. I felt strange, as if my body was not my own, and when I caught my reflection in the vanity mirror, I didn’t recognize the girl staring back at me. My eyes were bright, and my cheeks were flushed from the effects of Henry’s blood. I swore my tongue still tingled from the decadent taste. If only a few drops had such an effect, what could more of his blood do? While a small part of me was curious, I still hoped I’d never have to find out.