by L. Danvers
I’d seen portraits of him before, but I’d never seen the prince in person. His perfectly tailored suit highlighted his chiseled physique, and the navy jacket brought out the hint of sapphire in his eyes.
But underneath that perfect specimen of a man wasn’t a man at all. He was a monster. And it wasn’t only that he was a vampire—as if that weren’t enough. It was what Julian had said that really bothered me. Not only did Aiden intend to turn one of us, he also was going to slaughter the others so that the “winner” could feed and complete her transition.
It was demented.
I couldn’t control the predicament I’d found myself in. I was a human in a castle of vampires. But I could control how I handled myself.
I wasn’t going to give Aiden, Julian or anyone else here the satisfaction of seeing me sweat. I was going to be calm, cool and collected. I was going to stand with my shoulders back and my head held high, despite how I felt inside.
I had no interest in being Aiden’s bride. I couldn’t imagine a more insufferable fate. But if I was going to die, I might as well go out with dignity.
So when Aiden offered me his hand, I fought off the instinct to look at my feet. I made myself look right into those blue eyes of his, and I introduced myself.
As soon as I got the words out, my throat went tight, as if my body was catching up to the emotions I felt. I tried not to flinch. But something about our introduction made me especially uneasy. Because he cupped his other hand around mine, squeezing a little tighter, and he leaned in and repeated my name, letting it linger on his lips.
His cool breath tickled my nose. Strange. It didn’t smell like blood. I would have recognized the scent. After all these years, I knew it all too well. And his tongue didn’t have the same red stain to it as my maids’ did, either.
He released my hand and took a step back, addressing the room while focusing on me. He ran his fingers through his dark, brownish-red hair. It almost looked gold in the candlelight. I found myself cocking my head to the side, taking him in. But I swiftly reminded myself that there was far more to the man standing before me than his deceivingly charming looks.
“Ladies, it is a pleasure to meet you. I know it must come as quite a shock to you to be summoned here. I want you to know that for as long as you are at the castle, I will look after you. You are perfectly safe.”
Except for the whole being offered up as food for your bride-to-be thing, I thought to myself.
He stole a glance out the window. “It’s getting late, and I’m guessing you didn’t get a chance to partake in the post-Donation Day feast this evening. I’ll see to it that the staff prepares dinner in your honor tonight.”
“No need, brother,” Julian said, slipping inside the room from a side door. “Everything has been arranged already.” He stepped in closer, his hands clasped behind his back, cheeks dimpled, looking rather pleased with himself.
It was hard to read what was going on between the two of them. It seemed like a peculiar dynamic.
Granted, I supposed one sibling being a vampire and one sibling being a werewolf would lend itself to family drama.
Julian arched an eyebrow, flashing a grin at Aiden. “Shall we?” He bowed and motioned with his arm, inviting us to feast.
Julian went about his business while Aiden escorted us into a lavish dining room. It was circular, with a double-window that faced out upon the water. The perimeter of the room was home to statues nested in arches that had been carved into the wall. I could pick out Aiden, Julian, Xander, Charlotte and Natalie—I’d seen their images countless times. It was the two in the middle I didn’t recognize.
I didn’t realize I’d been staring at them until Aiden chuckled. “My parents,” he explained.
I nodded, not knowing what to say. I’d heard whispers about the Scarlet Queen. But no one knew much about her or King Logan. Supposedly she’d made some bargain with a witch to make her children immortal. And then Julian had sought revenge by killing her and her husband.
I wondered how Aiden could allow Julian to serve as his advisor after such an atrocity. I could never forgive someone for something like that.
Thinking of what happened to his parents made my heart grow heavy. Not so much out of pity, but because it made me ache for my own parents. I wondered if they had any idea what had happened to me. Did they think I’d run away? Had they spent years searching for me? Had they given up hope?
Tears started to collect in the corners of my eyes. I hurriedly blinked them away. I could feel the weight of Aiden’s gaze lingering on me. I needed to say something. “Do you miss them?” I asked as a servant helped push my chair in.
“Every day.”
“I know what you mean. I miss my parents, too.”
Aiden shifted in his seat, looking rather uncomfortable. He quickly diverted his attention over to Tara, who had been seated beside him.
I stared down at the elegant table setting spread before me. I had no idea what all of these forks were for. I’d been kidnapped and brought to Crescent Cape when I was eight. And Christmas Eve dinner with the special Santa plates was about as fancy as it got back home.
The double-doors swung open as servants brought in our salad—a spring mix sprinkled with cranberries and drizzled with poppy seed dressing. My hand hovered over the forks as I debated which one I should go with.
Grace, who was sitting beside me, discreetly nudged me. She picked up the outermost fork, and I followed in suit. It was a simple gesture, but one that was much appreciated. It was nice that even though we were being pitted against one another, she was offering me help. Yes, it was over a fork. But considering the inevitable end to this whole twisted competition, I cherished every act of kindness shown to me, no matter how small.
Dinner was horrendously uncomfortable. No one knew what to say—not even Aiden. I could literally hear the clock ticking.
I gladly downed two glasses of red wine with the main course to help take the edge off.
Amara, on the other hand, had had one too many glasses. She filled in the awkward silence with even more awkward banter. She actually had the gall to reach across Tara to grab Aiden’s hand while she told what she thought was a hilarious joke. The poor girl was making a fool of herself. It was abundantly obvious to me and, no doubt, the rest of the girls that she was desperate. Desperate to live. And so, she was trying to throw herself at Aiden. But he either wasn’t interested in her or wasn’t interested in this drunken version of her because, while he was cordial, he didn’t flirt back.
Just when I didn’t think I could take any more of Amara’s antics, Aiden announced that he was growing tired and excused himself for the evening. The abruptness of his dismissal was startling, but it also came as a tremendous relief. All I wanted was to go back to my room.
As if on cue, our respective maidservants entered and escorted us back upstairs. As soon as the door had latched behind us, Flora, Amber and Layla bombarded me with questions.
They mainly wanted to know if the prince had said anything about my dress.
He hadn’t.
But, feeling bad for saying so, I told them that I thought he liked it.
They also wanted to know if I’d gotten the chance to speak to him one on one.
I hadn’t.
Disappointed that I didn’t have any good gossip for them, they finally stopped asking me questions and, after readying me for bed, retired to their own quarters.
Tucked into bed, curled under the coziest silk sheets I’d ever felt, I turned to my side, resting my head on my pillow. I stared at the oil painting that hung on the wall. It depicted the landscape of Crescent Cape: a sparkling cerulean ocean hugged by a rocky shoreline, a rather large village that housed the blood slaves, an impressive Gothic-style castle—the outskirts of which were surrounded by forests and, finally, the peaks of the mountain range that enclosed this kingdom.
From the way the artist had depicted these lands, one would never suspect the horrors one would find here. It looke
d picturesque—the epitome of nature’s beauty and man’s architectural prowess. I wondered if a vampire had compelled the artist to paint it that way. Because this place was anything but beautiful.
Growing tired, I closed my eyes, desperate to find refuge in my dreams from the real-life nightmare I was living.
Danielle
After indulging in the largest spread of breakfast foods I’d ever seen, the other ladies and I were informed that Aiden would be taking each one of us out on a date today.
The thought of being alone with a vampire made my skin crawl.
He’d promised no harm would come to us. But he was a liar. Because we knew the fate that awaited us once he made his choice.
I was surprised to learn he was taking Amara out first. Maybe he wanted to get it over with. I suspected she would have been quite lovely if her intense fear wasn’t making her overcompensate so much. But the poor girl reeked of desperation, and, without a doubt, the vampire prince could smell it a mile away.
We had just finished eating when Aiden entered the dining hall, looking slightly more casual today than he had last night. He wore blue slacks with a white button-down shirt—the top couple of buttons hadn’t been clasped, exposing a hint of his chiseled chest.
I hated myself for looking at him the way I did. He was the prince of this wretched kingdom. He was ultimately responsible for why I’d been trapped here for the past decade. The reason I was separated from my family. The reason I was robbed of my childhood.
My jaw ached from grinding my teeth so hard.
Realizing my emotions were getting the best of me, I let out a heavy sigh and waved goodbye to Amara as she slinked her hand around Aiden’s elbow. I watched her as she batted her long eyelashes at him, covering her mouth with her hand as she giggled.
“There is no way he chooses to spend an eternity with her,” Grace muttered under her breath, loud enough for me to hear.
I tried to contain my smile, but it was too funny. I burst into a fit of laughter. Grace laughed, too.
“Where do you think he’s taking her?” Tara asked.
“Probably to watch a movie so he doesn’t have to suffer through her attempts at flirting.”
I gave Grace a playful swat. “Be nice.”
“Sorry. I shouldn’t make light of the situation. I get why she’s doing it. Heck—she might be the smartest one here. At least she’s trying to fight for her life.”
Tara scratched the back of her neck, suddenly breaking eye contact. She glanced around the room, confirming that we were alone. “Aren’t you terrified?” she asked us. “I don’t understand how the two of you are acting so casual about this whole thing.”
Grace tossed her blonde curls behind her shoulder before resting her chin in her hands. “Of course I’m terrified. But I’m not going to compete for a vampire’s heart.”
“But if you don’t win, he’ll kill you.”
“Even if I do win, he’ll kill me,” Grace retorted. “How do you think the transition works, Tara? Vampires are dead, remember? In order for me to turn, I’d have to be forced to drink vampire blood and then be killed. The effects of the vampire blood would bring me back, but only for twenty-four hours. And in order for the transition to take hold, I’d have to drink human blood—and a lot of it. Your blood,” she said, dividing a look between me and Tara. “So, no, I have no interest in being a pawn in this sick little game the prince is playing.”
“Me neither,” I said. It was comforting to know that Grace shared my perspective, and the affirmation of my views about how to handle this situation only firmed my resolve. “This whole thing is so messed up. Can you imagine actually marrying into this family?”
“It’d be a literal life sentence,” Grace said, leaning back in her seat.
Tara shook her head in disbelief. The color had completely drained from her face. “I wish I could be as strong as you two. I’m just...” She floundered for the word. She lowered her head in defeat.
“Scared?” I suggested.
“Yeah.”
“Me, too,” I said because it was true. I was terrified. I didn’t want to win this competition for the prince’s heart, but I also wasn’t ready to die. I hadn’t even had the chance to live yet.
Danielle
Tara excused herself from the table, barely able to hold back tears as she spoke. I don’t think she fully understood how transitioning worked until Grace explained it to her.
I wondered how long she’d been here in Crescent Cape. It couldn’t have been all that long if she hadn’t heard about transitioning yet.
Tara being so emotional only reminded me and Grace what there was to be emotional about: the cruel fate that awaited us.
But we weren’t going to spend our last days anxiously waiting for death to take us. We were in desperate need of a distraction. So, ultimately, Grace and I decided to do some exploring.
Aiden had told us we had permission to roam the castle as we pleased. And Grace and I were eager to look around. We’d been brought here so late last night that we’d hardly paid any attention to our surroundings, and we’d both always wondered what secrets this castle held.
We pushed back the red velvet-cushioned seats and stood from the table. We’d hardly crossed the room by the time one of the servants scurried inside to clean up after us. The sound of our plates clinking as they were stacked up on top of one another muffled when the door closed behind us.
I smoothed down the skirt of my sundress as we headed down the wide hall. The dress was navy with a powder blue floral pattern and thin straps that crisscrossed over my back. The wedged sandals were a bit easier to walk around in than the heels I’d worn last night, but they still made me feel awkward. The highest heels I’d ever worn in my old life were about half an inch tall—I’d wanted to experiment with different looks, but my mom always insisted that I wear what she considered “age-appropriate” attire. She was an old soul with an old-school fashion sense. I used to resent it, and all the other little things she would do that would drive me crazy, but now I’d give anything to see her again.
“Which way should we go?” I asked as Grace and I came upon a split in the hallway. Three vampires brushed past us, and the hairs on my arms stood on end. I would never get used to roaming about so casually in a castle filled with the same vampires who had fed from me on so many Donation Days over the years.
She pursed her lips, thinking, as she peered to the left and the right. “This way,” she said, and I followed after her.
Finally, we came upon large double doors. They were grand, with ornate designs etched into the wood. They were far more lavish than any other doors I’d seen thus far. “I wonder what’s behind them,” I said breathlessly.
Grace turned to me, and her bubblegum pink lips turned into a playful grin. “There’s only one way to find out.”
She tugged on the handle, pulling the heavy door open for me. I stepped inside and let out a startled gasp when I found Julian sitting in a tufted leather chair. He pulled out a bookmark and slammed whatever it was that he was reading shut. The sunlight splashing in from the row of pointed-arched windows made the dust that puffed up from the book sparkle. I could feel his eyes trail from my feet, up my legs and all the way to my face. Our gazes caught, and I swore I spotted a flicker of a smile.
Grace entered behind me, and Julian stood from his chair.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “We didn’t know you were in here.”
I started to turn, but he stopped me.
“No need to apologize, Danielle. I have matters to attend to anyway.” He motioned to the impressive shelves of books lining the wall behind him. “Take a look around the library. I imagine you can find something to your taste.”
With that, he left the room, book in tow.
Julian
I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to shake off the feelings the girl aroused in me. There was something so innocent, yet so fierce, in Danielle’s eyes. And it was like whenever I was in the sa
me room with her, they were drawing me in, compelling me to look into them. She was beautiful, yes. The way her glossy hair, dark as morning coffee, bounced when she walked... And the way the tip of her nose turned up ever so slightly...
I firmed my grip on the book I was carrying, snapping myself out of it. There was too much at stake here to be distracted by the young woman, however captivating she might be.
And anyway, she was here for Aiden, not me. Just as I’d planned.
I marched toward my room and found my sister Charlotte inside waiting for me. She stood there with her arms folded across her chest, looking out upon the waters. She glanced back at me over her shoulder. “Where have you been?”
“Reading up on the Kingdom of the Silver Seas,” I said, raising the book to show her.
“Natalie called,” she said flatly.
I crossed the room to stand at her side. “And?”
“Our sister’s having the time of her life, of course. Flirting with princes, dining with kings...” She gave a disinterested flick of the hand.
“I would expect nothing less.” I chuckled quietly to myself, turning to face my younger sister. I cleared my throat, getting to the heart of the matter. “Anything of interest to report?”
Charlotte huffed. “Unless you’re interested in who’s she’s been having romantic flings with, no.”
“That’s a shame.”
“It’s kind of hard for her to gather intel for you when she has no idea that she’s on a reconnaissance mission.”
“You and I both know that the less Natalie knows, the better.”
“Do you think Aiden has any idea what you’re up to?” Charlotte prodded.
“He doesn’t have a clue. And trust me. Soon, he’ll be too busy trying to win the affections of the girls I’ve selected for him to even notice.”
Charlotte laughed. “Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”
