FangsTongue #2
The strings faded as the unfamiliar song ended and so too, did our dance. Rhazien’s subjects clapped modestly as he tucked me under his arm and whispered, “You are a dazzling jewel.”
“You’re dazzling yourself,” I swooned, taken by his grace and presence.
Rhazien smiled as his eyes darted across my features. “Does it embarrass you when I compliment you?”
“No,” I insisted through a genuine chuckle. “Although, if you keep spoiling me with compliments and flattery, I fear I may float away.”
A booming laughter I was becoming so fond of erupted from the vampire regent and I joined in. Guests craned to see the source of the sound and found us hand in hand with pained cheeks from the joy of the moment.
What followed reminded me of my wedding day. But instead of being the second wife to Hollis Ashford, Lord of Merchants, I stood with Rhazien Kyrell as his first and only prospect for Queen of the Southern Hive.
Vampires of all shapes, sizes, and ages—a few accompanied by their bound humans—presented themselves to us in a reception line.
By the end, I counted meeting at least fifty distinguished guests of my welcome party and had given up trying to guess if any of them were vampire or human.
Except Valta, who was so clearly born to become an immortal.
Her acknowledgement was brief and complete with venomous undertones. She mentioned that she hadn’t slept since she’d seen us last followed by an indiscreet, crass comment about needing a salve or pillow for how sore she was. With that, she dropped into a dramatic curtsey and saw herself away.
Not all vampires carried her disdain, some were delighted.
More than one had offered to organize tea or a card game with their bound humans.
I graciously accepted, not knowing any other option for a response.
The Hive had so much more in common with the human world than I’d imagined, right down to their social hierarchy and activities for lesser partners.
One particular introduction stuck. A striking vampire with sable hair and on her arm, a human woman who matched both her height and beauty. In our short introduction, I’d learned the two had been shadowbound the prior year.
The elegant immortal beamed as she spoke. “We had a natural connection before being bound, but now, it’s nearly an indescribable feeling. A deeper bond than I’ve ever known.”
It was a promising testimonial for what could be, but Rhazien promised that becoming bound would be my choice. One I clearly wasn’t ready to make from the way discussing it made my palms sweat.
“Your social calendar is going to be more full than mine,” Rhazien murmured into my braids between guests. His breath on my ear sent a wild shiver skittering down my spine.
I tipped my chin up and met his gaze. “I’ll let Gorvin know to keep a space reserved for you in my diary.”
He scoffed and winked down at me. “Oh, you’re too kind.”
Gorvin was never out of earshot. Rhazien summoned him to bring wine once already or to interrupt and relieve us from a long-winded guest. He approached us as the final attendee from the reception line bowed and excused themselves.
Rhazien shared a private order with him to which Gorvin nodded in response and hurried away.
The weight of the evening was wearing on me. The noise. The attention. The information.
“How are you faring?” Rhazien whispered like I was his lieutenant and we were discussing war plans.
I stood tall and still, trying to impersonate every royal I’ve ever gawked at and stripped down based on their physical demeanor. I admitted through a strained smile, “I feel a bit out of place.”
Observing the room from this heightened position gave me clues as to who was an immortal and who, clearly, was not.
If their fangs weren’t present, one way to tell them apart was how they stood.
Did they shift their weight often or fidget?
Vampires—who were so comfortable in their bodies, and stronger than their human counterparts—could stand perfectly still for long periods of time.
“Trust me.” He lifted my hand to his lips and pressed a kiss onto my knuckles. “You’re fitting in more than you realize.”
Heat rose in my cheeks and I tried to ignore a group of nearby vampires huddled together, whispering while they watched their regent dote on me.
“Thank you. Even if you don’t mean it, thank you.”
Rhazien turned fully toward me, taking both of my hands in his. “I do mean it. I want you to feel at home here. I want you to know us, know we’re not the monsters you’ve probably been warned about your entire life.”
My eyes landed on the fountain spouting red liquid and guests helping themselves to what was clearly blood into their ornamental, glass chalices. Not everything had been a lie, but there certainly wasn’t as much public death and human defilement as I’d originally expected.
He leaned down and whispered onto the shell of my ear, “Can I tell you a secret?”
My breath hitched. “Yes.”
He had to stop doing that. I was already working so hard to remain poised, but with each small, assuring touch, he was pulling at the loose thread of my composure.
An abrupt interruption of the music was replaced with commotion from the opposite corner of the glittering ballroom.
“Ughhh,” he groaned, “I apologize. We have to deal with a bit of messy business before the party can resume.”
“Oh?” A dense mixture of fear and intrigue swirled in my gut. What qualifies as ‘messy business’ to a vampire regent?
“Mmm. I don’t relish what’s about to happen, but I do hope it shows you how serious I am about protecting you.”
The crowd parted and Dommik Thorne, looking criminally handsome, strode through them. His black suit was sleek and dashing even without ornate beading or sewn symbols. The simplicity amplified his striking features. I stepped closer to Rhazien when I saw the thing being dragged after him.
Behind the confident commander followed two guards carrying a limp body, its head hanging to the ground and toes dragging against the marble floor. I held in a gasp at the sight, squeezing Rhazien’s arm tighter, but no one else showed obvious distress at the scene.