Page 48 of Fated to the Vampire Prince
“I can’t do that.”
“This accord was made to prevent war, but tell me, Bastien, are we at peace?”
“This is your advice? That I break the very treaty I died to create?”
Imogen pointed to the shell in my hand, turning her strange eyes on me once again. Eyes that saw things that weren’t in this cavern. “It seems you’ve done a fair few things that go against the rules,Sebastien,in the name of preserving yournoble quest.”
“The way you saynoble questmakes me feel like you don’t think it’s very noble at all.”
She turned her back to me. “If you wanted to ask more questions, you should’ve brought more shells.”
I took my leave of the cavern, climbing the spiraling steps that led back to my chamber. When I reached my room, I threw the heavy black drapes open and was rewarded with the sight of the moon hanging over the snow-capped pines—refusing to bow to the rising dawn.
It reminded me of Claire. The stubborn look of defiance she’d given me when I’d left her alone. She was fire. But she was also soft and delicate.
A moonflower.
Could Imogen be right? Could Claire feel a pull toward me too? Was she as tortured as I was? I swallowed down guilt and shame. I’d left her alone, making her vulnerable to the elements and my nephew and any number of dangers that could befall her on the half-day journey. All because I couldn’t keep my feelings for her at bay. I didn’t want this—her—and at the same time, she was all I wanted.
Chapter 23
Je ne te fais pas confiance
CLAIRE
Natalia stood beside me, glaring into the darkness, as if she, too, was cursing him for being such an arrogant bastard.
Guilt, shame, and frustration had me clenching my jaw and balling my hands into fists. Bastien had pulled me into his lap and unraveled me like a spool of thread. Now he was punishing me like this was all my fault—and everyone else’s too.
After the sound of hoofbeats died, Natalia whipped around, her long braid nearly smacking me in the face. “Come on, Claire. Dinner time.”
I didn’t move when she stepped toward the circle of tents. My body trembled from the cold and the wind, but I continued to stare into the darkness, making my own kind of oath. One that hardened my heart to him. If he never wanted to touch me again, then so be it. I never wanted him to touch me again, either.
This whole thing proved just how much of a monster the Duke truly was. It also proved how stupid I was for thinking my plan to woo him might actually work. Myshoulders slumped, and the hot press of tears burned in the back of my throat. Mama was right.I wasn’t smart.Now, more than ever, I needed to stick to what my family had told me to do—gain enough of his trust to sneak around behind his back. To listen. To find allies in his court.
“Did you hear me?” Natalia prodded. “I have orders to follow, and so do you.”
Her demanding voice grated on me, and I struggled to harness the sweetness I was supposed to be showing these vampires. I was too frustrated. Too angry. Too bitter.
A breeze blew over my shoulder, and I could feel the presence of another vampire. Behind me, Natalia groaned. “What doyouwant?”
I turned to find Tyson had joined us at the edge of camp. He looked wholly out of place among the trees and tents. A shiny coin at the bottom of a dark well. He casually ran a hand through his black hair. Glancing my way, he winked. “I thought I heard someone ask what a consort is?”
I narrowed my eyes at the Viscount. I was angry with him for causing trouble.
“No one askedyou,” Natalia shot back. “Come on, Miss Donadieu,” she grumbled, grabbing my arm and yanking me roughly forward. I slipped on the icy snow and nearly toppled into Tyson. He steadied me with one hand, and with the other, grabbed Natalia at the wrist, just above where she held me.
“Just a moment, Cousin.”
My gaze darted between the two of them. Natalia stared at the place where he was touching her like she might bite his hand off. Which I wasn’t opposed to after he sent me to thatfeedingtent.
“I can see you’re rather busy,” he said casually, “so how about we split the duties? I can give the order to strike camp. You ensure Miss Donadieu has something to eat and gets allher important questions answered. She’s half frozen, standing there in nothing but a nightgown.”
Despite my annoyance with Tyson, if given the choice, I’d rather eat dinner with him than spend more time with her. Which was saying something.
A beat of silence passed before Natalia shoved me backward. I stumbled over a pile of snow and landed squarely on my backside, gasping as she drew a knife from her chest scabbard, elbowing him in the ribs in the process. He doubled over, and just as fast, she whirled around behind him, grabbing his hair and fitting the blade against his throat. A wicked smile spread across her face.
“I’d love to see you order our guard around,” she said with a humorless chuckle. “Gods, it would make me laugh so hard to watch them tell you tofuck offlike the green little boy you are.”
