Page 33 of The Pureblood Princess
After this, Theodore says,I want you all to myself.
A quick smile tugs at her lips, but then Earl Rosetti is guiding her to a door near the end of the hall. He exchanges a few brief words with the footman watching over the door, and they both turn to look at Nadia. A tingle goes down her spine, and she begins to count backward once more.
Ten. Nine. Eight.
The footman nods once, then opens the door and steps through. The doorway leads to a dimly lit hall, candles burning in sconces spaced evenly against the brick walls.
“Come now, it’s all right,” Lord Rosetti says, gesturing for Nadia to step into the hallway. Theodore moves to follow her, but Lord Rosetti holds up a hand. “Given the circumstances, I think it best that I introduce her alone.”
Nadia glances back, her stomach tightening at the idea of proceeding without Theodore. She hopes he’ll petition his father to allow him to come along, but instead, he exchanges a serious look with the earl, then nods his head.
“You’ll do just fine,” Theodore says, his eyes finding Nadia’s. “I’ll see you shortly.”
Before Nadia can respond, Earl Rosetti steps through the door, and the footman closes it promptly behind him. The music and light from the ballroom vanish in an instant, leaving the hall darker and colder than it was just a moment before.
“This way, my lord,” the footman says. He starts down the hallway, his pale hair reflecting the candlelight as his polished shoes click loudly upon the stone.
Nadia and the earl trail behind him, and she resumes her counting.
Seven. Six. Five.
“I suppose I should warn you,” Lord Rosetti whispers, “that Clan Kazamir’s matriarch is one of the brotherhood. I can’t imagine she’s pleased about the dissolution of Theodore’s engagement to her granddaughter, but I’m certain she’ll move past it soon enough.”
He pats her shoulder, perhaps to offer some shred of comfort, but it does very little to loosen the knot in her stomach. Thank goodness he’s only telling her of this now; if he’d told her any earlier, she would’ve spent the entire trip dreading this meeting even more than she already does.
The footman stops at a black door at the end of the hall, and he does a rapid succession of knocks, then listens closely. After a moment, a voice calls out, and the footman opens the door.
Nadia follows him through and finds herself in a small candlelit chamber. The walls are papered in deep burgundy, and the high ceiling depicts a dark moonlit forest. Softly glowing crystal chandeliers illuminate the space, casting a warmflickering light onto the round mahogany table and the nine vampires seated around it.
They each turn when Nadia steps into the room, their gazes sweeping up and down her body, lingering, seeming to study and draw conclusions before she’s even opened her mouth. It makes her feel as if she’s debuting again.
Lord Rosetti steps up behind her, and she’s immediately grateful for his presence, even if a moment ago he was unable to provide her solace.
“Brothers and sisters,” the earl says, offering them a bow fit for the king. “It’s my pleasure to introduce to you the only child of Kirill and Vera Magdalena, the last of her line, Miss Nadia Magdalena.”
Nadia drops into a smooth curtsy, ever thankful she no longer suffers fatigue and shakes from her adoptive father’s years-long poisoning. Her deep crimson skirt swishes across the floor, and as she straightens up, she gives the brotherhood a genial smile.
“It’s an honor to be here,” Nadia says, trying to lock eyes with each of the nine vampires in turn. “Your invitation was much appreciated.”
“Of course you were invited, dear,” says a gray-haired woman as she rises from the table. Her face is creased with age, and she’s by far the oldest vampire Nadia has yet seen. She must be some centuries old to be showing her age in this way.
The woman rounds the table, her strides small but smooth, and her icy blue eyes hold Nadia frozen where she stands.
“When we heard whispers that you, the last descendant of Clan Magdalena, still lived, well, we most certainly had to meet you. It’s not every day a child thought perished comes back to life.” The woman looks pointedly to Lord Rosetti, and one of her silver brows rises slowly.
“My apologies, Sister. Miss Magdalena, allow me to introduce you to Sister Dorota Kazamir.”
Dorota Kazamir. Clan Kazamir’s matriarch.
Nadia strives not to allow anything other than a smile to show on her face, though her heart races in her chest. “I’m honored to meet you, Sister Kazamir,” she says. “It’s a most welcome opportunity to stand before you this evening.” Nadia’s gaze shifts to the eight vampires who remain seated at the table. “To stand beforeallof you.” She dips her head to them.
Sister Kazamir’s lips curl into a smile, and she seems to assess Nadia again, but what she’s looking for, Nadia can’t say.
Slightly behind her, Lord Rosetti clears his throat. “Since Miss Magdalena’s return, we’ve delved deeper into what happened to Kirill and Vera on that fateful night, and I believe we have the evidence required to open a case against the hunters’ guild. They even sent an assassin to take the life of my son, right in my own garden. The audacity.” The earl pauses briefly, his hands curling into fists, but he seems to regain control of himself quickly. “Certainly we’ve grounds now to open an investigation into their actions.”
A few of the vampires seated around the table whisper and nod, and a surge of hope floods Nadia’s heart. Perhaps she’ll yet get answers about what happened to her parents that night.
“I believe we discussed this already, Lord Rosetti,” Sister Kazamir says. “It was my understanding that we’d agreed to let it lie. Or was I mistaken?”
