Page 30 of The Vampire Castle in the Sky

“Welcome,” Hector’s deep voice boomed in the hall. When I turned to look at him, I was surprised to find him changed, having slipped into the shoes of a man who was plenty aware of the position he held, the inherent power that coiled within him. He bowed at the waist, one hand placed upon his heart, the other in the air in a simple but elegant gesture of hospitality. “Welcome to the Castle.”

In an uproar of movement, Espen surged forward, towering over Hector’s still bent form. “Care to tell me why a human is present, Aventine?”

Hector straightened, and the two of them came face to face, charging the room with a promise of disaster.

I was about to intervene, but Hector had more courtliness in him than I’d expected. His presence became a spell, bright and bewitching as he sailed toward me in his effortless grace.Mannerly, he placed a hand at the small of my back and ushered me forward. “Thea is my wife,” he announced to them with implacable confidence. “The Lady of the Castle.”

Silence descended over us. There was nothing like the stillness of the vampire, the absolute pause of their internal mechanisms. My human heartbeats struck like bells in the room.

Camilla pulled her blood-red lips over her fangs in a smile that could only be described as ravenous. “A wife,” she crooned, her voice like glass covered in silk. “How delicious.”

I didn’t breathe. I didn’t even dare to blink, for the last time I’d done so she had moved, and now she stood right before me, her impossibly tall figure casting a clawing shadow across the wall. She smelled like the ocean: salt, driftwood, and metal. From this distance, I could see there was a smudge of blood, still fresh, at the corner of her mouth.

Hector’s fingers twisted at the small of my back. I squeezed his other hand firmly to remind him that Camilla was no Arawn and that one wrong sentence could turn our little soiree into a bloodbath. My vision about Kaladin Valkhar had been ominous enough. The last thing we needed was to make enemies out of the Ravenors as well.

“Since when do you have awife?” Espen bit out, his piercing black eyes crawling over me.

I felt like I’d been judged and found wanting, but most of all, I felt confused. Considering the Ravenors’ position in vampire society, I’d expected their behavior to be more… Diplomatic? Refined? Something more sociable than this poorly veiled hostility anyway. Hector must have had similar expectations, for I didn’t think he would have given in to my whim had he known Espen would react in this way.

“Thea and I eloped a few months back,” explained Hector with remarkable calm. Then he added a bit more sharply, “Afterthat we decided it would be in bad taste to celebrate, considering my parents just died.”

In her pale blue gown, Collette glided over the checkered floor and touched her slender hand on her husband’s back in something like a warning. “Yes, of course, we understand.” Her voice was eerie, ancient as stone and light as air. “We do wish to offer once again our sincerest condolences.” Her cold, steady gaze captured mine, her lips curving into a passionless smile. “And our warmest congratulations. We’re a bit surprised, surely, but we’re also glad that Hector has decided to follow in his mother’s footsteps.”

Her wraithlike manner was impossible to reconcile with the tactfulness of her words. Something deep in my bones rattled with disquiet.

“I thought we had other arrangements,” Espen growled at Hector, each word a resonant thrum.

“Arrangements?” Arawn cut in, alarmed by the idea of East and West having any kind of arrangement behind his back. “Whatarrangements?”

Hector’s composure did not waver. “Yes, I am aware of yourwishes,Espen,” he said firmly, ignoring Arawn and at the same time reassuring him that no agreement had flourished between them but the mere expression of wanting one. “However, I’m not willing to tailor my personal life to your desires, nor are you in a position where you can expect me to do so.”

Roan, who I had not heard or seen move, emerged right next to Espen. His eyes were kind, young, the skin of his face like the softest silk, but something in the way he held himself was as ancient as his mother. “Well, that was the politestfuck youI’ve ever heard,” he chuckled.

To my surprise, they all laughed, their dark amusement rippling in the air. Even Espen let out a sigh and shot Hectora look of fatherly exasperation. Only Dahlia didn’t seem able to relax, her fangs digging into her lip.

With a fresh surge of discomfort, I realized that thearrangementwas that she was to marry Hector. An incredibly powerful match. One I couldn’t believe Hector was jeopardizing for the sake of having me here for a couple of nights. Or, perhaps, this was exactly why he’d agreed so easily to my ridiculous—and evidently dangerous—plan.

Was this charade his way out of an unwanted engagement? And if so, why didn’t he just tell me about it?

My eyes flew to him, a million questions buzzing in my head, when suddenly, the crystal chandeliers released a swift clinking sound, shifting to filter the moonlight that streamed through the rose window. The entire hall spun into a kaleidoscope of colors, a gust of warmth enveloping our forms.

“The Castle is happy to see you,” Hector claimed, his voice reaching us from every direction at once. “And so am I. Let us use this rare occasion to celebrate the foundations upon which vampire society was built. Harmony. Strength. Civility.” Once again he wound an arm around my waist and pressed me to his side. “I hope you welcome Thea into our world the same way you once welcomed my father, and I urge you to remember that the sole reason this society exists is so that we can continue to live our lives freely and in peace with humankind.” During his brief pause, various red roses with golden keys tied with ribbons around their stems popped in the air before each guest. “The roses will guide you to your rooms so you can rest and prepare for tonight’s celebration,” he continued in the same courteous but firm manner. “If you wish for anything, please don’t hesitate to ask the Castle. It is more than happy to grant your wishes.”

Camilla arched a silver brow, her hands resting on the voluptuous curve of her hips. “Allof our wishes?”

“You’ll find more than a few bottles of blood in your room, Camilla,” said Hector steadily.

“Squirrel, no doubt,” she guessed as she pranced toward the stairs, the long tail of her silk dress gathering a few steps behind her like sea foam. The air stirred with her, and my breath hitched as her scent washed over me again: ocean and blood.

The corner of Hector’s mouth twitched. “Do you have an issue with that?”

“Of course not, my sovereign,” she purred, trailing up the flowing red carpet. I listened for the thud of her footsteps, the swishing of her dress. She made no sound. She was stillness embodied. And it frightened me.

She paused mid-ascent and cast Hector a sharp look over her shoulder. “I wonder, though… What happens if someone challenges this title?”

Hector’s face was carved in stone. “War.”

“Hmm,” hummed Camilla, passing her tongue over the edge of her left fang. “Sounds delectable.”

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