Page 49 of Death Comes for Her
Sound returned, hitting me like a brick wall. Voices and music rushed into me with the force of a tidal wave heralding a maelstrom. The hairs on the back of my neck rose and my flesh prickled in warning. I swallowed down the lump in my throat that must have been my painfully beating heart.
On the other side of the double doors, my natural enemies would surround and outnumber me. The very situation my father sought to avoid when he cut my wings off. But a decade of hiding, wallowing in fear and pity hadn’t completely stolen the bundle of courage whispering in the crevices of my chest.
It burned through my frigid reservation, bolstering my determination. That white-hot golden light blossomed in my chest like a gilded lily, humming that I’d given enough of myself to the war and the vampires. It was time for me to make my last stand against the enemy.
Dante and Simon shared a glance before peering down at me. I lifted my chin, holding my head high as a sign, telling them I was ready for whatever came next. The adoration and pride reflected in their hazel and pale-blue depths sent a pang of guilt through the cracks in my heart where they’d wedged spaces for themselves.
I ignored it, steeling my resolve to do what my legacy required of me. As they opened the double doors, I blinked away the burning sensation in the corners of my eyes.
Muted lights from diamond chandeliers boasting electric bulbs greeted me first. Classical music swept through the room, and I dropped my gaze to the hundreds of eyes snapping in my direction. Heads twisted, sharp smiles curved up, and fangs glinted dangerously in the low light. Predatory fascination lurked in every hungry stare, sharpened by flashes of jealousy.
Dante’s grip on my arm increased. Simon placed his palm firmly on my lower back. Both bracketing me, towering over me as protective shields in my eyes, but a clear warning to their guests. Simon’s frigid aura and Dante’s domineering impression only held curious vampires at bay for so long.
Curiosity got the better of the monsters licking at their chops. Polite society warred with the undead bastard’s urges to feed on intoxicating golden blood.
“Lord Dante, Lord Simon,” a man with a smarmy smile and a shiny, large forehead breached first, “what an honor to join you here at the Ambrose Manor.”
A woman with a beehive of auburn hair on her head snarled, “Yes, it’s been ages since you last held an event. We did wonder why the silence after your Grandmaker’s victory over the sun.” Her lashes fluttered in a demure mockery. “Though I suppose we see what brought you into the metaphorical light once again.”
“Too right, Demelza.” A passably attractive young vampire with short black hair inserted himself. “The Ambrose lordscouldn’t resist showing off their shiny new toy, isn’t that right?” he snickered.
“Especially since she might very well be the last fairy in existence.” A bulkier vampire with copper waves framing a square jaw licked his lips with salacious intent.
Dante swallowed the rising growl in the back of his throat.
Simon interjected, cold and suave. “It is an honor… for you.” He sneered down his nose. “If I wanted filth tramping over my marble floors, we would have hosted sooner. The noise alone keeps me from dreaming of visitors.” His opposite hand trailed a featherlight touch over my cheek. “But you all needed a reminder of your stations and who your betters are. Never forget it is by our grace that you enjoy your luxuries.”
Dante’s shadow fell over the horde of vampires, still practically salivating over my scent. A few of them flinched as his harsh warning snapped between them. “If any of you overzealous leeches even think about putting a hand on our golden little pet here, I’ll feed you to my fucking hounds.”
Fangs flashed, near silent hissed breaths whispered under the lilting music, and glowering eyes flashed with malice. A sickening shiver dripped down my spine as dozens of eyes clung to every visible inch of me. But the other undead heeded the warning despite their blatant bloodlust.
The weight of the dagger strapped to my thigh encouraged my confidence to rear its head. I reached deep, grasping and tugging at the long-forgotten frayed threads of a royal’s hubris. With a steadying breath, I leashed the self-importance to my heart and stomped down the claws of fear. The haughtiness of a princess I’d learned to wear in another life slipped into place, settling as if it never really left and had only lain dormant for the past decade.
I locked eyes with every damn vampire we passed and held their gazes with abundant, vindictive spite. So much so thatseveral flinched away, as if my eyes were daggers and my stare had pierced them—pained them.
Good, I thought.Look away and fear me. Choke on the power I hold and the guarantee of what I’d do to every one of you. And what I will do.
“Remember, Sierra, you are a survivor. You will survive this. I’m going to take care of you,” Simon vowed, voice low as one might utter a prayer to a god. His hand on my lower back guided me to the dance floor.
“I’ll kill anyone who looks at you the wrong way.” Dante’s full lips slashed into a dazzling, dangerous smile. “Please, ask me to kill someone tonight.”
I almost laughed at the absurdity of it all.
A new song breached the lull. A sort of waltz that felt somewhat familiar, tugging on a memory lurking in the back of my mind. I didn’t have time to dig it out and examine it as Dante and Simon pulled me into the center of the room. Dancers made space for our trio, looking on with predatory interest.
Without practice, with blinding ease, we fell into a three-person waltz. It should have been impossible for three individuals to match steps, paces, and positions without adept time to master the dance. Yet, as with all things, we shared a proficient flow of movement. As if instinct and intrinsic knowing guided our limbs.
Simon twirled me. Dante caught me. I spun between them, the crimson fabric glittering as it swished over my legs. Dante dipped me, but I was in Simon’s arms, rising into the air. When I twirled again, the lords were embracing, eyes locked and lips parted. They pulled me in, sharing a heated gaze that made my legs shake and heat pool in my belly.
We lost ourselves in the shared dynamic that had shifted something in my heart. And it had shifted something in theirs as well. My heart stuttered over that revelation, knowing thatI’d be devastated if anything happened to either of them. Dante and Simon had indeed embedded their fangs into my flesh and clawed their way into my heart.
Lost amid the trauma and pain of everything I’d suffered, drowning in the addictive effect of their venom, and their touches, they’d consumed some of my darkness and taken it unto themselves. Dante and Simon lessened the ache of grief and replaced it with something bright—something golden.
Caught up in a storm of movement, a veritable tempest of dance, no one noticed the double doors swing open. The music rose to a fever pitch, vibrating against my eardrums. Two pairs of warm, possessive hands tightened on my body; our panting breaths brushed over flushed skin. The waltz finally reached a crescendo and the rest of the world fell away, everyone blissfully unaware as our dance entranced the crowd.
Until the beautiful notes of the song faded away. I gasped for breath, caged between the protective, solid bodies of my lovers, a tentative smile lifting my lips. The love and warmth reflected in pairs of hazel and blue eyes made my heart flutter with something I hadn’t wanted to put a name to. Something that might be irreversible.
The crowd parted, and I barely registered the movement. Only the striking sound of a single observer clapping shattered the tension enveloping me. Both vampires went stiff and the cold tension in the room suffocated the heat in my core. I blinked through the haze, following Dante and Simon’s gazes, turning to meet the newest guest, interrupting the spell that had fallen over the crowd.
