Page 21 of Tower of Ash and Darkness
“Oh, just Gerald being Gerald,” I reply lightly, glancing over my shoulder.
Gerald, still looking pale and flustered, watches us with wide eyes as Sera gives him a playful, flirty wave. She wiggles her fingers at him, her expression nothing short of mischievous. His face flushes crimson, and he stiffens further, as though he’s forgotten how to breathe.
“You’re going to give him a heart attack,” I murmur, biting back a laugh as we walk away.
Sera leans in, her grin widening. “He’s a vampire. He’ll live,” she says breezily, radiating confidence.
Her nonchalance is infectious, and soon, my own laughter rises again, spilling into the air as we skip down the hall together, arm inarm. The energy between us is light and carefree, a perfect balance to the thrill coursing through my veins.
Jason Striden.The boy I once knew. The man he’s become. The man who will soon be my husband. The words repeat themselves in my mind, not as a duty or expectation, but as a promise of something I’ve wanted for longer than I can admit.
I glance down at the parchment I’m still holding in my hand, its edges slightly crumpled from my grip, and the realization strikes me again:I’m going to see him. Today.
3
LAILAH
Hours had passed since Sera’s attempts to make me ready—her fingers weaving through my hair, her voice a gentle hum meant to steady my nerves. But no amount of soft hands or whispered reassurance could prepare me for this. Now, seated beside my father on the throne, the weight of eyes and expectations pressing in from all sides, my fingers toy with the edge of my gloves, the satin pulled taut beneath my restless grip.
A wave of nervous energy surges through me, making it impossible to stay still. The thought of seeing Jason again—of standing before him, not as the girl he once knew but as his intended wife—unsettles me in ways I hadn’t anticipated.
Memories surface, vivid and haunting. Before Sera, Jason was the first human I was ever permitted to truly know within the Vampire King’s court. In a world dominated by vampires, where elegance veiled danger and every interaction was a calculated dance of power, Jason had been a rare source of light. He didn’t belong in the shadows, and yet he navigated them with surprising ease, never afraid to approach me when everyone else kept their distance.
He was different. He never feared me the way the others did. He didn’t flinch at my gloves or whisper about the scars they concealed.Instead, he was curious, earnest, and unrelenting in his efforts to draw me out. He treated me like I wasn’t some rare creature to be revered or avoided. He treated me like I was human.
I remember slipping away from my lessons, restless and frustrated with the endless expectations placed on me. The tutors droned on about history, diplomacy, and the intricacies of court politics, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. I’d retreat to one of my two favorite hiding places—the underground library with its labyrinth of bookshelves and hushed silence, or the willow tree in the farthest corner of the garden, its drooping branches forming a sanctuary where the world couldn’t reach me.
But Jason always found me.
“You’re hiding again,”he’d say, his voice warm as he stepped into view.
“I’m not hiding,”I’d retort, glaring at him even as a small smile tugged at my lips.“I’m avoiding.”
“Avoiding is just a fancy way of hiding,”he’d reply, settling beside me with an easy grin.“What are we avoiding today? Diplomacy? Proper posture? Or the entire court?”
“All of it,”I’d mutter, plucking at a blade of grass or tracing the spines of books in the library.“They stare at me like I’m some sort of… thing.”
“You’re not a thing,”he said firmly, his grin softening into something more serious.“You’re Lailah.”
His words always disarmed me, cutting through the layers of frustration and loneliness I carried. He made it seem so simple, as if my existence didn’t have to be weighed down by power or duty. As if just being me was enough.
Jason wasn’t just kind. He was daring in ways I hadn’t realized until much later. He’d pluck flowers from the meticulously maintained vampire gardens, the thorns cutting into his hands, and hand them to me as if they were treasures.
“They’re beautiful,”he’d say, holding up a rose with a bloody finger.“But not as beautiful as the girl I’m giving them to.”
I’d roll my eyes and laugh, shaking my head. “That may be the most pathetic attempt at charm I’ve ever witnessed.”
“And yet you’re smiling,”he’d counter, his grin infectious.
We spent hours like that, escaping the world together. He’d talk about his dream of becoming a knight, even though it was impossible for someone like him. The heir to House Striden wasn’t meant to wield swords or ride into battle. His path was already set—lands to manage, alliances to uphold—but that didn’t stop him from dreaming.
“I’d be the best knight,”he’d declare, puffing out his chest dramatically.“And I’d protect you from everything.”
“You think I need protecting?”I’d challenge, arching an eyebrow.
“No,”he’d admit, his voice softer, his golden-brown eyes meeting mine.“But I’d like to protect you anyway.”
Those moments had meant more to me than I ever admitted, even to myself. He made me feel safe—not because he could shield me from the world, but because, with him, I didn’t have to be the Vampire King’s daughter or a monster. I could just be Lailah.
