CHAPTER SEVEN
A soft knock pulled me from my frozen state.
My gaze had been locked on the same tree for several minutes as I stared blankly out the window.
I did not know how to proceed through all these new developments.
I was used to pretending. I’d become proficient in the art of hiding, but this was a new act.
And worse, others were in on my story now. I no longer controlled the script.
I had thought about confiding in Elsie. She already knew the hauntings never stopped, and she had never believed it was due to the demons of the underworld.
She didn’t really believe in a lot of things.
That was what made her a safe place for me.
I thought better of telling her, now that I knew what haunted me was a deranged vampire.
It was all too complicated now. I was caught within the web of politics, and I didn’t want to drag her in too.
I didn’t know what Alaric was capable of.
But one thing was clear: he was anything but reasonable.
And Sebastian may have claimed to want to help, but it felt foolish to trust him.
I opened my bedroom door to see Mother standing in all her golden, angelic glory.
She was a breathtaking beauty, like my sister.
But unlike my sister, Olivia’s warmth and light radiated from within, Lillian only possessed the guise of such a light.
Though today, her soft smile seemed genuine. I looked back at her warily.
“You have a caller.” There was an air of pride to her words.
“Thomas?”
“No,” she said simply and sauntered off down the hall.
I checked myself over in the mirror, skipping past my silver belt. I wore a cornflower blue fitted gown with short sleeves, a square neckline, and a slight flowing train. I took a deep breath and followed after her.
I entered the parlor behind her, and I nearly choked on the gasp I stifled.
With my father stood a blank-faced Sebastian.
Olivia sat with Edward. She held back her grin, barely containing her excitement, clutching his elbow as if it would keep her from floating away.
Mother stood beside Father. Their expressions were foreign to me, it took me a moment to process what it was. They were pleased.
“Charlotte.” Father’s voice was warmer than usual. Getting what I had always wanted had proven to be uncomfortable. “Sebastian has expressed interest in courting you.”
My eyes widened. My flesh turned to stone.
A subtle tilt of his head, as if to dare me to challenge this.
He knew he had the final say. And he did.
He was a predator, far superior to a human, and I was his prey.
My stomach turned as I remembered his dietary requirements.
I felt my cheeks drain of all color. He lowered his head subtly, and his eyes darkened over a heavy brow, a warning to pull myself together.
I grasped at the torn seams of my new reality. “Wonderful.” It came out with a lost breath.
“I have approved of this arrangement, of course. I could think of no one better than my secondhand.” He glanced between me and Sebastian. “Well, I’ll let you two get acquainted.” He gave a sharp smile and disappeared out the doors.
Mother sat opposite Olivia and Edward, and Sebastian led me over to the other side of the room.
Tea was already served on the table between the two settees, accompanied with tiny sandwiches and daintily decorated cakes.
He sat down on one settee, and I sat across from him on the other.
His massive, looming form swallowed up the delicate frame, an odd contrast to the design of sailors and women with flouncy hats printed in cerulean.
He leaned back, draping his arm over the back, the ornately carved wood giving a slight groan as he did so. His posture seemed far too casual for the setting, though I eyed Mother and she didn’t seem to mind. Her eyes set on a world far from here.
I kept my voice low. “What are you doing?”
“I’m sitting down, waiting for you to say what you really mean.” His expression remained unreadable, his tone impassive.
I sighed. Were all vampires this gruff? “Why did you ask my father to court me? We’re supposed to stay hidden, and this will draw, has already drawn, far too much attention.
And you can’t possibly think this is actually going to happen.
” Courting led to betrothal, and the thought of wedding a vampire made the room spin.
That was far beyond the normal, simple life I ached for.
Not to mention, courting him meant I couldn’t exactly court anyone else.
And the longer I fake-courted him, any hope of prospects grew further away.
“It’s what you wanted, is it not? You wanted to court a Society member. Your father approached me. I approved.” The corners of his mouth tilted slightly. My cheeks heated as he appraised me.
“I wanted to court a member whom I could actually marry.”
“And you don’t believe we could actually marry?” I pretended not to hear his words or understand what he insinuated.
I broke away to attend to my tea, leaning forward to stir in some honey.
I glanced up as I felt pinpricks across my skin, catching his gaze settle on my low neckline.
But what unsettled me more was the heat that pooled within my center as his eyes darkened.
I sat up stiffly. “Sebastian,” I hissed.
“You cannot be so forthright. It is not appropriate.”
His eyes met mine again with the amusement of a wayward schoolchild having gotten away with filching an extra cake. “We come from different worlds,” he said simply.
My eyes narrowed on him. “Well, you’re in this world now.”
He met my intensity. “That I am,” he paused. “You don’t seem to mind.”
“Excuse me?”
He didn’t respond.
I kept my eyes locked with his as I bent forward once more to pour cream in my tea, stirred it three times, sat back upright, took a small sip, slightly choking as he smirked.
“It works in our favor,” he continued. “This way, we can remain close as we work together.”
The walls suddenly felt closer. I glanced over to the other side of the room. No one appeared to be listening. “We shouldn’t speak of this here,” I murmured into my tea.
“You’re right. We can speak of it on our first date.”
I couldn’t stop the grimace before it contorted my face. His full lips softened into a whisper of a smile. Great, he finds my discomfort amusing. “Wonderful.”
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow afternoon.” He stood abruptly and walked out from the table.
I came to meet him and took a slight step back as it felt too close.
He held out his giant hand, and I reluctantly placed mine in his.
I went rigid as he brought my hand to his lips, surprised at how soft they were against my skin.
He held my frightened gaze as he kissed the back of my hand far too slowly and far too intimately.
My cheeks burned. Embarrassment flooded me as he awakened what had slumbered for far too long.
His black eyes ignited, and I wanted to tear my hand away and stomp out his joy at my expense. He nodded towards my mother before he departed, and the way she softened left a pile of stones in my stomach.
* * *
“His secondhand?” Pari’s face scrunched up in disbelief.
I yanked the daggers from the wooden target, getting back into formation. Improvement had been painfully slow, but I figured it would be best to practice as much as I could now that I had not one but two of the most dangerous vampires in my orbit.
My response was the blade that thudded into the wood as I threw it harder than necessary. It did not meet its mark.
“I just don’t understand why you agreed to court with a member in the first place.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand wanting to court with a member.
They’re all so burly and full of themselves, but in the way that has them go out of their way to impress you.
It’s endearing ... sometimes. But it just seems out of character for you. ” She eyed me warily.
I sighed. “It’s just ... easier this way. And I know it’s what my parents have always wanted. Wedding a Society member should finally divert their attention elsewhere.” I yanked the dagger free.
“Wedding?” Her mouth hung open. “Now you’re thinking of marriage? What has gotten into you, Charlotte?”
She knew I had always despised courting, though perhaps it was more of who was courting me.
I didn’t despise love. I just hadn’t found anyone to fall in love with.
Not when most of my world was consumed with vampires and what sought me through the dark, and now those things had begun to address me personally.
It seemed the more I ran, the quicker it all caught up with me.
So, maybe it was finally time to turn towards what was always looming behind me.
And once the portal was closed and the vampires were gone, Father would find a new project to pour all of his attention into, and he’ll forget all about me ever courting a member since the Society would be no more.
The thought filled me with promise. With the vampires gone, that meant Alaric would be gone, along with the hauntings he had plagued me with.
I’d have nothing to hide from. Nothing to conceal.
I imagined what a weightless world felt like, and the urge to float away teetered on the edge of rapture and devastation.
“During the initiation Father had essentially told Sebastian to maintain a watchful eye over me. As in, he believes there’s something that should be seen. He’s growing suspicious.”
Pari seemed to carefully pick out her words. “Is there something to be suspicious of?”