Page 57 of Fated to the Vampire Prince
Icouldn’t stop crying. Heavy sobs shook my shoulders and tears poured down my cheeks.
My desire to know what it meant to be close to a man had kept me watching Tansy and Devlinn, but somewhere along the way, it became less about my curiosity and more about disbelief.
How?How could a witch blessed with the powers of Diana forsake her people and give herself to a Witch of the Darkness?Willingly and happily. Sighing and gasping with pleasure as he moved inside her.
Iwas a ruin.
Ihad no magick.
Iwas an embarrassment.
But Tansy wasn’t.She had white hair, which meant she had power. If Tansy could be with him without remorse, it made me questioneverythingI knew about the world.
I sank onto the ground, back pressed against the cold glass just to feel something real. Wiping my tears, I wondered if Tansy’s family didn’t have cemeteries filled with the bones ofthose who died by dark magick? If maybe, they weren’t at war with the darkness like we were.
My thoughts bounced around, flitting between the stories I heard from my family and what I saw at Shreesa’s Inn. Bastien insisted that they practiced their craft within the bounds of the law, and I’d seen no reason to doubt that. My back was slick with condensation from the glass and numb with chill, but it wasn’t the cold that made me shiver.No.It was my next question.
What if—I’d been lied to?
Sickness rose in my throat, and I swallowed hard, forcing the sour taste back down. No. No, thatcouldn’tbe true.It couldn’t.
Light flashed across the gilded surface of a floor-length mirror. I forced myself to crawl toward it, unwilling to trust my unsteady legs, just to see the lace choker Mama had fastened around my neck.
Sitting up on my knees, I pulled back my long silver-lilac hair and tilted my head to inspect it—something I hadn’t done since we left the inn. The scabs beneath the lace were almost healed, but I’d never forget the sickening pain of the barbs as they pierced my skin. Nor the way the vampire had tried to save me by cutting it off. His first instinct had been to protect me.
Sniffling, I let my hair fall back around my shoulders and stared at my reflection in the mirror.
I didn’t recognize the girl staring back at me. Dressed in the black and gold of House Allard, sitting in a room that catered to my every need, my femininity awakened by the touch of a vampire.
Who was I? Really? Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks.
The only thing I’d ever known about myself was that I was a witch devoid of magick. I was cursed with hair the color ofpale purple orchids, as if to show everyone how different I was—how alone I was.
I knew I wasn’t the eldest daughter Mama had hoped for, not by a long shot, but she wouldn’t have asked me to take on this burden, to make a vow to discover the location of the demonic relics if the circumstances weren’t dire. I touched the black lace as a question rose to my mind. My lip quivering.
Would she?
I closed my eyes and a memory of the ceremony surfaced. Of the vow she made me say. Of the way the magick burned on my lips. At the way the choker sealed itself around my throat. The way she looked into my eyes and told me that I wouldn’t be able to escape my fate. That if I tried to take it off, it would kill me. That if I tried to seek help, or breathed a word of who I really was or who sent me, it would bleed me dry. It was either fulfill my mission or die.
I opened my eyes, looking at myself, really looking. Where Bastien saw fire, Mama saw a worthless girl.Useless.Could she have sent me on this mission just to rid herself of me?
My breath caught on something painful and sharp, and tears blurred my vision all over again. Heavy sobs flooding out of me until I doubled over, on hands and knees, willing the sick feeling to leave my body.
I was her blood, her daughter. She wanted to see me rise despite my lack of magick. She wanted to push me to be stronger, better, than I’d been. And I was doing just that, wasn’t I? Proving at every turn that I could do this. I wiped my cheeks and forced myself to take a deep breath. So what if I met a handful of witches along the way who were different? I couldn’t doubt my loyalty to my family.
If I did my job, Sera could be the first witch who didn’t need to worry about dark magick. That’s the goal I needed to hold in my heart. I couldn’t fall to pieces. I had to act.
There was a knock at the door, and I startled, hoping it wasn’t the vampire. I didn’t want him to see me like this. Pushing to my feet, I made for the vanity and powdered my nose. Then, rolling my shoulders back, I strode across the room to the door. I found an older woman with kind eyes staring back at me. “Can I help you?”
She let out a titter of laughter. “No, my dear. I’m here to helpyou.” She curtsied, then regarded my puffy eyes with a sympathetic smile. “I know you’re a long way from home, Miss. But hopefully you won’t be sad for long. My name is Lena, and I’m here to bring a bit of cheer your way.”
She turned, revealing a host of people lined up behind her. Two were carrying a long table, others silver trays laden with food. Sweet and savory scents drifted into the room, making my stomach twist with hunger.
Lena slipped inside, fluttering into the room and directing everyone where to place the table and how to arrange the dishes. I followed after her with slow steps, not knowing what to do as two men with musical instruments hurried past me. Those who weren’t carrying trays were wearing robes.Black silk robes.Just like they’d done this morning.
“What’s going on?” I muttered more to myself than anyone in particular.
“We’re having a party!” replied a male voice.Devlinn.
