Chapter 73
CHAPTER 73
JULIET
T he music from the ballroom grows faint as I slip outside, seeking refuge on the moonlit balcony. I glance over my shoulder as I close the doors, thankful that Jonathan is nowhere in sight.
He’s handsome, and he comes from a good family. He’s everything he ought to be, but I find myself dreading each time he comes near me. He keeps putting his arm around my waist or the flat of his palm against my lower back, as if signaling to everyone that I’m still his even though I am not.
I’ve already ended our engagement, but he’s been relentlessly pleading for me to reconsider. Just last night, he stood beneath my balcony window, begging me to give him a chance to at least court me for a few months to see if it might change my mind.
Leaning back on the door, I take a deep breath. The cool night air is a welcome reprieve from the overcrowded ballroom. I glance down at the dance card hanging from my wrist, every line with a signature.
I’m supposed to be dancing with Lord Henry Mitchell right now, but I cannot force myself to go back inside. I’ve already danced with him twice and that was more than enough.
A rustling noise catches my attention, and I freeze. Perhaps I’m not alone out here. “Hello?” I call softly, scanning the darkness. “Is someone else here?”
I gasp as a man steps out of the shadows, startling me.
“Forgive me,” he says, voice deep and smooth. “I did not mean to frighten you.”
“It’s all right. I—” My breath catches as his crimson eyes meet mine.
This is no man. He’s a Vampire.
I’ve always heard that his kind were handsome, but as I study him, I do not believe that word does him justice.
He is striking to behold, with black hair at the crown that fades into silvery ends, piercing red eyes, moonlight pale skin and large, leathery wings folded tight to his back. He’s taller than any human man I’ve ever seen, with broad shoulders and a lean, muscular form. His face consists of chiseled features too perfect to be real, like a statue brought to life.
“You’re a Vampire.” My cheeks heat, and I clamp a hand over my mouth, embarrassed that I’ve said this aloud.
“I am.” A hint of a smile crests his gorgeous lips.
“I—I’m sorry,” I stumble over my words. “I didn’t mean to be rude, I—”
“It is all right.” His gaze holds mine, full of curiosity and something else—some other emotion I cannot quite place. “You seemed in a hurry to escape.” His eyes flick toward the doors. “Are you trying to avoid someone?”
Despite my nerves, a soft huff of laughter escapes me. “Is it that obvious?”
He arches an amused brow as he nods, and I laugh even more.
He’s a Vampire. His kind rarely mingle with mine, unless they are Bloodsworn. And I know I should probably be afraid of him, but for some reason, I’m not. I extend my hand. “I’m Lady Juliet Casterly.”
“Lord Valaric Greyvale,” he introduces himself with a subtle bow. “But you may call me Valaric.”
My heart stutters. Something in the way he says his name—a familiarity that tugs at the edges of my memory—gives me pause.
“Have we met before?” I ask, unable to shake the feeling that I know him.
“We have.” His gaze pierces mine. “A few months ago.”
Fragmented images of my past flit to the surface of my mind, disappearing like wisps of smoke as I try to hold onto them. “I’m sorry.” I frown. “I had an accident a couple of months back that sent me into an unconscious state for a few days. My memories around the time of my injury are a bit foggy.”
His gaze holds mine, full of concern. “What happened to you?”
“My parents said it was a carriage accident.”
A flicker of disturbance crosses his face, his eyes darkening with something akin to pain, but he remains silent.
“The healer did not believe I would survive. He told my parents to prepare for the worst. But somehow, I managed to pull through and recover.”
His crimson gaze holds mine. Something about him feels so familiar, but I cannot quite place it. Perhaps that’s why I feel comfortable enough to continue. “It’s so strange to think I might not have been here. Almost like fate gave me a second chance.”
“What do you want to do with it?” he asks softly.
I gaze up at the stars, marveling at their beauty. Ever since I awakened, I’ve found myself appreciating the world around me even more, realizing how precious life is.
“Before the accident, I believed it was my duty to follow the wishes of my parents. I was the perfect daughter in that regard,” I confess. “They wanted me to marry well, to secure our family’s status. But now... I’ve decided I want to choose my own future. To choose my life, not have it chosen for me. And I’ve decided that when I marry, it will be for love.”
Embarrassment flushes my cheeks as the declaration leaves my lips. I’ve only just met Lord Greyvale and I’m already confiding my deepest secret and desires to him. “Forgive me,” I apologize, dropping my gaze. “I’m sure you must have better things to do than to listen to me all evening.” I gesture to the doors that lead back inside. “You came here for the ball, and I’ve already taken up much of your time.”
“There is no need to apologize,” he assures me as he moves even closer. “I enjoy talking with you.”
Heat radiates from his body to mine, and my pulse quickens. He’s a Vampire. They are known for their powers of seduction, luring unsuspecting maidens into their grasps to slake their dark appetites.
And yet… I cannot force myself to step away as I stare up at him, completely enthralled. “There’s something about you.” The admission leaves my lips unfiltered. “You feel so familiar to me.”
Something sparks behind his gorgeous eyes. “I feel the same.”
A glint of silver at his neck catches my attention. It’s a pendant. A white cross with a delicate rose-covered vine wound around it, set against a green shield.
“That pendant… I’ve seen it before.” I frown, grasping at a wisp of memory that is just out of reach. “Perhaps I recall it from when we met a few months ago. Before my accident.”
Valaric’s hand instinctively goes to the necklace. “It is a remnant of my human life.” Sadness tinges his tone.
I’m surprised to learn he was once human. His sorrowful expression makes me wonder how he became what he is now. But my curiosity is overridden by politeness, and I decide not to ask the question that sits on my tongue.
Silence stretches between us a moment before he adds, “It holds many memories.”
“It’s beautiful.”
He unclasps the necklace and holds the pendant out to me. Hesitantly, I extend my own hand to accept it. His elegant fingers brush mine as he places it in my palm. My heart flutters as his hand lingers a moment longer than necessary, sending a wave of warmth through my body.
I glance at the inside of his left wrist and notice a strange mark on his skin. “Shadow Blade,” I murmur, more to myself than to him as a hint of memory whispers through my mind. “That is what they mean, isn’t it?” I look up at him. “The pendant and the tattoo on your skin.”
His eyes search mine. “You recognize them.”
“Yes. It’s strange. I—” I shake my head softly. “You must have told me this before, didn’t you?”
The edge of his mouth curves up in a slight smile. “Yes, I did.” He curls my fingers around the pendant. “Keep it.”
“I couldn’t possibly accept this.” I blink up at him, stunned he would offer something so precious to me when we are only mere acquaintances. “We barely know each other.”
He lifts my hand to his mouth and presses a tender kiss to the back of my knuckles. “I hope to change that, Juliet.”
Warmth flushes my entire body as my name rolls off his tongue like a sensuous caress.
Lucy’s voice cuts through the night, shattering the moment between us. “Juliet!” She walks onto the balcony and grasps my arm. “You disappeared. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Her gaze flicks to Lord Greyvale. “We should go.”
My best friend has always been very protective of me, and I’m sure she believes she’s saving me from the unwanted attentions of a Vampire. But as she starts to pull me away, I find myself reluctant to leave.
“Forgive me, Lord Greyvale.” I hand the charm back to him. “It was lovely speaking with you, but I must go.” Lucy tugs on my arm, and I’m halfway through the door when I suddenly blurt out. “Perhaps we may speak more later?”
He dips his chin in a subtle nod as his crimson eyes pierce mine. “I will find you.”
My heart skips at his promise. As Lucy leads me back to the ballroom, my hand is still tingling with the memory of his lips upon my skin. Heat flushes through me as I recall his dark and brooding countenance. There’s just something about him that drew me in, and now I cannot stop thinking of him.
Another would-be suitor quickly finds me as Lucy guides me back to the ballroom. Not wanting to appear impolite, I take him up on his offer to dance. But as we glide across the floor, weaving in and out of the other dancers, I find myself scanning the crowd for a glimpse of the mysterious Vampire Lord, Valaric Greyvale, hoping he will keep his vow and find me again.