Page 76 of Fated to the Vampire Prince
“Welcome to the ballroom,” Tansy said, throwing open the doors and revealing an awe-inspiring expanse of a room.
The walls were black. The floors were maple. The chandeliers were crystal. The windows shaped like arches that stretched all the way to the ceiling. A smile pressed itself onto my lips as I marveled at it all. I didn’t know how to dance, but this room made me feel like anything was possible.
I spied Alec and Devlinn standing beside a small table in the corner of the room, laden with candles and desserts. Neither of them wore shirts beneath their gold-and-white–trimmed jackets, exposing well-honed musculature. I accepted the wine glass Alec offered me, and we all rang the crystal together in a toast, silently sipping the smooth vintage.
One glass. I could have one glass and keep my head.
Once I drank my fill, and I was feeling less self-conscious, I let Alec lead me out to the dance floor while Devlinn put on a record that began playing a slow waltz. I laughed harder than I had in years as he tried to teach me the steps. However, I mostly stepped on his feet
“You’re too stiff!” Tansy shouted, prancing over to me and taking my hips in her hands, working them back and forth as I giggled.
“There’s no such thing as beingtoostiff,” Devlinn remarked, which caused everyone to explode with laughter.
I quit dance lessons not long after, drawn to the table by my growling stomach. I knew they had been trained in the artof lovemaking, but I enjoyed just spending time with them. Even Devlinn. I might not know about his wicked tongue, but he was funny.
I knew my consorts were paid handsomely to spend time with me. For them, this was employment. But all the same, as I sat with this impossible little quartet, I wondered why there was fighting between Light and Dark. If we could all get along, enjoying ourselves, sipping chilled herbal tea with lemon and honey and snack-sized sandwiches, why couldn’t everyone else?
What made us special?
“What brought you all here?” I asked, taking another sip of tea to help dilute the glass of wine.
The energy around the table shifted as I watched their expressions change, and a pit of guilt opened in my stomach. Devlinn and Tansy glanced at each other while Alec focused on his glass.
“You’ve already heard my story,” he said. “I tried to help a girl who was being attacked by strangers, only to earn this scratch when she turned into a wolf.” He took a slow drink. “I’d still be working at the inn if the Duke’s scout hadn’t found me and insisted I accompany him back to Roselyn.”
The Duke’s scout? I hadn’t heard that part of the tale. “What do you mean,his scout?”
He shrugged. “I think he must’ve been following someone who was staying at the Veraleese Inn, but he found my story worth bringing to His Grace. So we left Nightfall and now I’m here.”
I bit my lip, wondering if the person the scout had been following was Sera. I wouldn’t put it past Natalia to give the order. Or Bastien for that matter. Either way, his story raised more questions.
“You said she was a Witch of the Light. The girl who scratched you,” Tansy said.
Alec nodded. “That’s right. White hair and all. I saw her transform into a wolf right in front of me. It looked painful, the way the claws shot out of her hands, and when I asked if she needed any help, she scratched me and ran.”
Tansy shook her head. “My mother prayed all the time for such gifts. I wonder if it was a girl from my coven.”
My breath was caged in my throat. I wanted to ask her for more details, but I found I couldn’t speak. Had he really seen a werewolf?
“It sounds like it’s only getting worse out there. I’m glad we left when we did,” Devlinn said.
Silence passed between us. I couldn’t stop myself from leaning in and asking, “What do you mean?”
Devlinn rumpled his red hair, then reclined back in his seat, taking Tansy’s hand and setting it on his thigh, their fingers twisted together.
“All I’ll say is thatmagickruined our lives.” My brows cinched in confusion. Magick was agift. “Neither of us charge our powers anymore. At this point, we’re as magickal as you and him.”
My mouth fell open. Witches, regardless ofwherethey drew their power, had to charge their magick. Witches of the Light performed sacred rituals when the moon was full. Witches of the Darkness had their own rituals with demonic relics.
But… I couldn’t imagine why they’d choose to be…normal. I’d give anything to have their power. I waited for him to say more, but that seemed all he was willing to offer.
“I heard a rumor that His Grace keeps a mermaid locked below the castle,” Alec said abruptly. With a charming grin, he added, “Is that true?”
Tansy snorted out a laugh. “Oh yes. She tends to the dragon, who heats the hot springs with his fiery breath.”
Laughs went around the table, the mood lifting, but I couldn’t work free the knot of tension I was still carrying.
“There’s probably not a mermaid or a dragon,” Alec admitted, “but what about the greenhouses? Are those magick? I mean, how can they grow things in the winter?”
