Page 3 of A Memory in the Flame

“I’ve seen you here before,” a male voice says close to my ear.

He’s tall enough that I’m forced to tilt my head back to see his face, despite my four-inch heels. “I’m sorry?”

The vampire smiles, flashing his fangs, and a dimple deepens in his left cheek. Bright blue eyes stare into mine. “You’re that ex-princess, huh?”

“I guess that would be me. But my real name is Charlie.”

“Cool. I’m Kyle.” He pushes his fingers through messy blond hair, which has a surfer look—dry from the saltwater and light from the sun. “You haven’t been here in a while.”

“I’ve been busy,” I mutter, tossing back another mouthful of whiskey and blood.

The vampire watches me intently. “Are you here for paint night?”

“Paint night?”

“It’s all good, babe. I’ve got you.” Kyle tosses me a tube of neon green paint, which I catch easily.

“What am I supposed to paint?” I ask, reading the label.

He grins again. “You’re adorable. The paint is meant for your skin. Every part of your body. And let me just say... you have a stunning canvas.”

I roll my eyes and down the rest of my drink, then order another, making it a double. After I’ve given Mia more money, I unscrew the paint cap and squeeze a little onto my finger.

Just then, a female voice shouts over the music. My eyes go wide at the sound of it, and I turn to see my sister sauntering over to us. Valerie is wearing a black cocktail dress that clings to her every curve, and her auburn hair falls in delicate, loose curls. Her makeup is expertly done, and I wonder if she got help from Beatrix or Gabriela.

She spots me a moment later, and her mascara-lined eyes widen. “Charlotte?”

I press my lips together, uncertain what to say. Finally, I murmur, “Hey, Val.”

She stands there for several beats, not saying a word, and then she throws her arms around me. I manage to set my drink down in time to avoid wearing it, but the tube of paint ends up pressed between us. The bright color seeps through my dress and onto my skin. I don’t care—I drop it and hug my sister so tight it would likely suffocate a human. The smell of alcohol practically seeps from her pores.

She eventually pulls back, laughing at the paint on both of us. “What are you doing here?”

“I should ask you that,” I say, raising my voice as the music intensifies. “I used to come here all the time.”

“I’m going to take off,” Kyle cuts in suddenly. I glance at him and see that his eyes are now fastened on a group of giggling tree nymphs at the end of the bar. “Catch up with you later, Camille.”

“Her name isCharlotte, you waste of fangs,” Valerie snarls. I can’t suppress a smile—there’s the sister I’ve always known. Kyle is already moving away, though, and I doubt he even hears her. Still scowling, Valerie refocuses on me. “By the blood, it seems like everyone is on venom these days. Okay, so, have you been? Honestly.”

I frown. “Wait, you think that guy is on venom?”

She flaps her hand dismissively. “Him and half of the people in here. Even the bouncer is riding a serious high. But forget all that—I want to hear about you.”

I bite my tongue to keep from telling her that our father came to see me at the hotel. “Honestly? I’m barely keeping it together. I mean, at least I have a place to stay and a job.”

“How is working in the sewers?” Valerie asks next. Her golden eyes are overly bright from the amount of alcohol surging through her bloodstream. “Is it as revolting as I imagine?”

I laugh, reaching for my own drink, and take another sip. “Pretty much. It’s okay, though. I’ve made some friends.”

Well, Ididhave friends.

Oblivious to the shadow that passes over me, Valerie waves Mia back over to order a beer. “That’s great, Charlotte,” she says.

I hurry to change the subject. “How is everything at home? At the mansion, I mean.”

“Same as always. We don’t talk about what happened to Mother, of course. Father has been—” She stops and grabs the bottle of beer off the bar, tipping her head back to drink from it. “He doesn’t spend a lot of time at the mansion. Not that he ever did, but even more so now.”

My mind goes back to the conversation I just had with the Vampire King in my hotel room. “Really?”

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