Chapter 24 #2
“God,” Yasmine laughed. “I’m so happy you three could make it in Charlie’s stead. You are so much more fun than that idiot drunkard.”
Under the table, Yasmine found Bella’s hand. Bella startled when she intertwined their fingers and gripped her tightly.
Confused, she looked at Yasmine’s eyes. Was she drunk? She didn’t look drunk.
“We are so pleased we could come,” Ileana said.
“We’ve heard a lot about you overseas. About your great collection.
” She made a complimentary gesture towards the paintings on the wall.
“Here I thought it was all rumor. Well, some of it must be, at least. I would assume we would have spotted him tonight, otherwise.”
Yasmine’s smile tightened, as did her grip on Bella’s hand.
“Him?” Yasmine said breathily. “I’m not sure I know who you mean.”
Bella felt the air grow thinner. She had no idea who they could possibly be talking about. It wasn’t like Yasmine was hiding a secret husband.
“Your son, of course.”
Bella’s chest clenched. What?
A son?
Ileana lifted her glass to her lips. Yasmine’s stare went blank.
Bella had spent enough time around Yasmine to be able to read her pretty well by now. She had a very expressive face. If she had a thought, she wore it.
She couldn’t read Yasmine’s face at all then.
“Hypothetical son,” Ileana corrected. “Seems I was lied to.”
Yasmine let go of Bella’s hand. She used it to dig into her pocket and seamlessly take out her phone. She dialed 1, then slid it back in her pants.
Bella’s heart felt like a racehorse in her chest. What was she doing?
“Seems you were,” Yasmine said. She smiled then, at Sabina and Teodora. It looked strangely genuine. “But look at your daughters. They’re beautiful.”
“Er, yes. They are.”
Ileana’s guise briefly faltered. Bella could not for the life of her grasp what was happening; that was a clear attempt from her mother to unsettle Yasmine. She knew that much. And for a moment, it seemed to work—until it didn’t.
“Are you two married?” Yasmine asked her sisters, sipping the last of her drink. She flagged over a waiter for another.
When she and Bella were children, Sabina would practice smiling in the mirror. She flashed that exact one now as she brought up her hand. “No ring yet.”
Teodora did the same, but with a frown. “I thought I found the one last year, but he left me for another vampire he met on Instagram. Some whore from Miami.”
Yasmine let out another shock of laughter, and it sounded completely earnest. She looked at Bella then, eyes crinkled, as if she wanted to share the moment with her. As if this was something special between them. Bella didn’t understand. She wanted to.
“His loss,” Yasmine said, turning away as the waiters served them more drinks. “But that’s alright. There’s way more to life than romance. Any hobbies?”
Ileana looked like she was about to interrupt, but Teodora beat her to it, nodding eagerly.
She got out her phone—the newest iPhone, with a Hello Kitty case—and faced it to Yasmine as she scrolled through her photo album.
It was full of pictures of… credit cards. Some of them were cut up with scissors.
“Credit card churning,” Teodora said. “You collect all the sign-up bonuses, spend the money, then cancel the card. It’s so fun. Sab–Vivianna taught me how.”
Bella was impressed she remembered to use the fake name at all.
“A terrible decision,” Sabina interjected. When Yasmine looked at her expectantly, Sabina huffed, as if she was above the question. “I don’t do hobbies.”
Yasmine smiled sadly at her. “You don’t do anything for fun?”
Sabina’s eyes darted to Bella then, ever briefly, before turning back to Yasmine. Bella hated that she could read her mind, even so many years later. They were both thinking of what they used to do for fun, back when fun was an option.
They’d climb to the highest point in their village—a crumbling, abandoned watchtower—and perch like birds at the top.
Then they’d grip each other's hands, let their wings burst out of their backs, and they’d sail down until they tumbled into the weeds, giggling as they spit dirt out of their mouths.
“I do my nails sometimes,” Sabina murmured. She took off her glove briefly to flash them to Yasmine. They were a beautiful blue, painted over with acrylic ocean waves.
Yasmine held her hand, inspecting the art for a long moment.
“They’re really nice. You have talent.”
Sabina blushed—a rare sight—and jerked her hand back. Ileana glared at her for her impoliteness, and she reddened some more.
“Thank you,” Sabina replied, like a reprimanded child.
“You’re very welcome.” Yasmine took a final sip of her drink, emptying it. Then she sighed, and fixed her gaze back at Ileana. “You raised three great daughters.”
The buzz of voices and clinking glasses all fell suddenly and devastatingly quiet on Bella’s ears. Did she..? No…
“Two, you mean,” Ileana said slowly, eyes moving between Yasmine and Bella.
“I meant three.” Yasmine set down her glass, then glanced toward Bella. Bella gaped. Panicked.
This entire time, she thought Yasmine had been clueless.
“Yasmine…” Bella began. It felt as if her throat was swelling. Would Yasmine assume she was in on the lie with them? No, no, no. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. “I didn’t…”
Yasmine squeezed her hand, and gave her a small, reassuring smile.
“I know.”
At the same time, there was a heavy knock on the front door. Bruce cleared his throat, straightened his suit—anticipating another gaggle of guests.
“So, there are a few options here,” Yasmine said calmly, absentmindedly playing with the tips of her dragon-red hair.
“You all can stay for dinner, and we can have a great evening. I’ll break out my favorite red from 17th century Italia, and over a few glasses you can tell me why you decided to burn down my house.
After that, maybe we play cards. A boardgame.
Charades. We can have a merry, merry time.
Then you can leave, and we can stay in touch, send letters, that sort of thing. ”
Yasmine lifted her right hand, and dark, wispy smoke curled around her fingers.
Bella was taken aback; she didn’t know Yasmine had any sort of tangible power.
Her mother seemed to share her surprise—although only in a way that Bella could spot, having learned to master Ileana’s micro-expressions—her teeth tightened slightly.
“Alternatively,” Yasmine said, eyes melting to a violent crimson.
“You can continue to silently torment your daughter all evening. And while I’m usually the last person to intervene in another family’s questionable dynamics, unfortunately, I really, really like Bella.
” Yasmine’s eyes flitted almost shyly over to her for a split-second, and a warmth poured through Bella’s clenched chest. “So, if it will help her to stop vibrating with terror next to me, I will have no problem handing you off to my friends, who—look at that—just arrived. There they are.”
Two figures strode into the ballroom, neither dressed for the occasion. Sylvia was wearing a hoodie and sweatpants, and Aster’s hair was still wet from the shower.
They waved, and Ileana laughed.
“Oh my,” she said, absolutely tickled. “Is that…”
“The Maroven daughter,” Sabina hissed, face pale. “And Lady Death.”
“Aren’t they known for, like, killing everyone?” Teodora whispered innocently.
“Don’t be rude, Teodora,” Ileana said, and the use of her real name itself was a small concession towards Yasmine. “But yes. What a great party this is. Such exciting guests. We so rarely meet real celebrities back in Romania. Right girls?”
Teodora nodded easily. Sabina seemed too stunned to do anything.
Clipping her purse shut, Ileana shot Yasmine an apologetic smile. “Which makes it too bad that we have to leave early. We told the driver we’d only stay for drinks. Sabina, Teodora, tell him to get the car started, will you?”
The sisters nodded obediently. Sabina gave Bella one more look—a frenzied, almost scared glance—before dragging Teodora towards the foyer. They bumped shoulders with Aster on their way out, and Sabina turned even whiter.
Ileana and Yasmine studied each other in silence, both smiling tightly.
Bella’s entire body was frozen in fear. All these superficial niceties would only last as far as Ileana wanted them to.
But she had sent her sisters away, so that had to mean something—perhaps a genuine retreat, at least for now.
“My dear Bella.” Ileana’s gaze turned to her, and Bella could see the act drop in real time.
She understood at once why she’d sent Sabina and Teodora to the car.
“You have no idea what I’ve put up with in your absence.
Your absolutely useless sisters.” Ileana let out a huff.
“It doesn’t surprise me in the least that you’ve acquired such a prestigious friend. You’ve always had that magic touch.”
Bella’s stomach sank as far down as a shipwreck. Praise, praise, praise. That was always her mother’s strategy. Throw her sisters under the bus, then drown Bella in reasons why she was better than them. It had created a chasm as big as the Atlantic between her and Sabina over the years.
“They aren’t useless, Mother,” she said quietly.
Ileana laughed, waved her hand.
“You don’t need to defend them. They can’t hear you. Now, come on, go join them by the vehicle. Ms. Sokolov and I have to discuss a few more things, then…”
“Join them?” Yasmine interjected with a laugh. “She’s not leaving with you.”
Bella shot Yasmine a terrified look. What was she doing? Of course Bella didn’t want to get in the car with them; no, it was the last thing she wanted, but she knew she could endure whatever Ileana had planned for her if it meant this was over.
That Yasmine was safe.
“Yes, she is,” Ileana said, eyebrows furrowing—she looked absolutely confused at the idea of Bella not following an order. “Bella, go.”
“No,” Yasmine said, gripping Bella’s wrist. “She’s staying right here. Next to me.”
Ileana’s eyes slid between them.