by Rachel Jonas
That stuck in my thoughts a moment.
“I’m coping,” I confessed. “You’re right, there has been a lot to process, but I’ll manage.”
I kept it to myself that I’d been through some pretty tough times in my nineteen years, and this had just been one more thing to deal with lately.
“You’re one of the strongest people I think I’ve ever met,” she commented, misting my hair with holding spray while she spoke. “The Ianite women I’ve met aren’t like you.”
I had to laugh at that. “Oh, yeah? What are they like?”
She thought a moment. “Needy,” she blurted.
Another laugh escaped me. “Interesting.”
“They expect everything to be done for them and don’t seem to bring much to the table. Well, I at least know that to be true of the few women Julian has dated.”
My smile dimmed a bit when she mentioned his name, his dating life.
“Pardon me. I’ve said too much.”
“It’s fine,” I assured her. “Your secret is safe with me.”
Popping another grape into my mouth, I only looked up again when Elle didn’t speak or move long enough that it got my attention.
My brow quirked when I realized she was staring through the mirror’s reflection.
“What?”
A quick smile touched her lips and I wondered what she was thinking. “I just don’t think I’ve ever had a secret of my own that needed keeping.”
I grinned at her. “Don’t you have friends?”
Half of me couldn’t believe I even asked that. After all, she was merely a robot.
Elle’s gaze lowered when she stepped away, rummaging through the large basket she carried when first showing up at my door.
“I can’t say that I do. Not other than Prince Julian, but our dynamic is more that of an employer and employee,” she stated thoughtfully. “But I suppose it would be nice to have someone to share things with instead of always being the one to shoulder everyone else’s issues.”
Watching her, I couldn’t believe the words I was about to say, but said them anyway.
“You can talk to me whenever you want to,” I offered. “It’s good for a girl to have friends.”
Elle’s gaze met mine and the warm smile she gave felt sincere. “Friends. I like that.”
I nodded and set the empty stem on the vanity, belching into my fist.
“So, any tips before this press conference?”
She peered up. “I think you’ll be fine if you just smile and seem attentive. From what I gather, you’re not expected to speak. Only Julian.”
With a sigh, I tried to quench my nerves. “I can do that.”
Elle’s gaze lingered on me a bit longer than what felt natural, so I guessed there was something else.
“What?” I asked, feeling my brow quirk with curiosity.
“Nothing serious, it’s just that … I want to tell you something, but I’m conflicted.”
“Conflicted? Why?”
She rang her hands together and my intrigue grew a bit. “Because, it’s concerning the prince,” she confessed. “More specifically, his feelings for you.”
I blinked adamantly and tried not to give anything away with my expression.
“His … feelings?”
Elle nodded. “He hasn’t said much, so I’m not violating his trust, but … I think there’s something you should know,” she shared.
I was at a loss for words as I sat, wanting to hear more, but fearful of what Elle might say.
“He’s put his life in jeopardy a lot these last two days, and, in the time I’ve known him, he’s proven to only be so loyal for those he truly cares for—the Emperor and Empress, his Dynasty Brothers. And now, with what he’s done to save you,” she went on, “he’s … thinking of turning himself into the magistrates soon.”
My stupid heart leapt at the thought of it, and despite no one being aware of the reaction other than me, I felt ashamed.
Ashamed that I cared.
Ashamed that the idea of him doing such a thing affected me.
Catching myself lending too much emotion to what Elle just revealed, I pulled back, folding my arms across my chest.
“Well, I’m certain that if he does decide to go through with it, he’ll get little more than a slap on the wrist,” I rebutted, forcing a stiff smile. “After all, it’s not like Emperor Westower would allow anything to happen to his heir,” I stated, glancing up at Elle again for reassurance. “Right?”
Her brow twitched and she lowered her gaze. “I’m afraid you don’t understand how this world works. While, yes, being heir to the throne does afford Prince Julian certain luxuries—certain permissions not available to other citizens—no one is above the law,” she pointed out. “No one.”
I didn’t move a muscle as Elle’s expression softened in the mirror’s reflection.
“He’s shown you kindness I didn’t know he was capable of,” she admitted. “And it would be remiss of me not to tell you that I believe it has little to do with some sort of hero complex.”
Startled, I blinked as a question came to mind, one I lacked the courage to ask. However, Elle must have seen straight through me, because the next second, she answered it.
“I believe he’s smitten with you,” she offered with a slight smile. “Despite the misunderstanding at the gala, despite the secrecy surrounding your identity, despite the two of you making little sense in his world … it still holds true.”
My breaths became quicker, and I wished she hadn’t said so much. If what Elle expressed was true, and Julian’s budding feelings were deepening like she seemed to think, then … I might have been in more trouble than I realized.
Trouble a girl like me ought not to find herself in, ever.
“I knew it when you kissed him,” Elle blurted next, bringing my gaze to her immediately.
“What are you talking about?” I asked sharply.
She seemed confused by my reaction, but humored me anyway.
“When he rescued you yesterday, as you were coming to, you … kissed him,” she clarified.
I couldn’t even comprehend that, searching my mind for an explanation. “I don’t … why would I—”
“You don’t remember?”
Having no words at the moment, I only shook my head.
Elle placed her hand on my shoulder. “It’s said that being bitten brings out strange behavior in a person. Strange but honest behavior,” she clarified. “If it’ll help, I could replay the footage if you’d like. I only need to draw the curtains and access my audio/video files to project the images right on the—”
“That won’t be necessary,” I cut in, feeling my breaths coming quicker now. “I must have been delirious, or … something,” was my defense.
A defense Elle promptly struck down.
“You were slightly disoriented, but you most certainly weren’t delirious.”
My lips parted to speak again. Only, I didn’t bother. An image had popped into my thoughts the day before, as Julian and I spoke about the incident. I had a vague memory of being dangerously close to him, feeling his skin at my fingertips. As much as I wanted to deny Elle’s accusations, my gut told me she wasn’t wrong.
I’d seen him differently in these last twenty-four hours. It pained me to admit that, but I did. Whereas I used to dread being in his presence, I found myself thinking about him last night—in the hours between my nightmares. More than once, thoughts of him had been what lulled me back into sleep. If Elle’s explanation were true, this feeling wouldn’t fade anytime soon.
Heck, for all I knew, it might only grow stronger.
It dawned on me that I hadn’t been myself at all this morning. For instance, had this press conference been a day ago, they would have had to drag me there by my teeth. And yet, I sat willingly letting Elle dress me. So, was I not putting up a fight because of Julian? Because of my awareness that his wellbeing was tied to our ability to fly under the radar for a bit?
> “If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk about something else,” I blurted. There was already enough to think about, without adding some empty kiss to the pile.
“Okay,” Elle agreed. “We’ll need to pick up the pace anyway. We’re expected downstairs in a few.”
She moved to the garment bag she had entered with, and I followed. Adjusting Felix’s bracelet on my wrist while waiting, I thought of how I managed to get my hands on the spare Liv tucked inside my purse. Julian had returned my things to me despite not getting an explanation as to who I was, or where I’d come from. Those were his conditions, and yet, he bent his own rules. An act of faith I knew would only lead to further disappointment for him.
Because … I could never give him the answers he sought.
Ever.
Becoming silent, I began to dress, switching out the earrings Elle brought in with her, for Liv’s. Wearing them made home feel a little less far away, made it feel like I had her with me.
My eyes roamed over my form, and my gaze fixated on the image plainly visible on my arm—the barcode that, both, kept me alive and killed me. However, it mattered little how I felt about it.
“You look exquisite,” Elle beamed.
I said nothing because the tattoo stood out above all else. It defined the outfit, my entire look, my life.
The vampire’s mark was forever.
And, with home beginning to feel further and further away … maybe this was forever, too.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Julian
“Keep all responses short and direct,” my father advised. “Say nothing more than what you’re asked. And if anyone gets too bold with his or her questioning, simply dismiss their inquiry and move on to the next.”
I nodded, breathing deeply as the clock above counted down. In mere minutes I would have to face the world, giving them some rendition of the events that unfolded during and after the gala.
“Your mother sends her love,” he added reassuringly. “And you’ll be fine, son.”
It was nice to have his vote of confidence, but I knew he’d only given it because he had no idea what I’d done.
No idea of the law I’d broken just twenty-four hours ago.
I couldn’t look him in the eye now, as he straightened the lapel of my suit.
“You’ll have to give the press their pound of flesh,” he sighed, sharing a few final words of caution.
“There’s no getting around that, but you owe them nothing more. Explain your decision as vaguely as they’ll allow, and then politely bid them farewell.”
“Understood,” I answered, finally daring to meet his gaze again.
With that, he offered a tight smile that made me at least certain he respected the decision to speak for myself if nothing else. I watched as he walked toward William and Jenna, knowing how quickly his respect would fade when, in the coming weeks, he became aware I’d broken a cardinal rule strictly imposed on our people.
The crowd had swelled since I last peered out to observe it. An endless sea of reporters and cameras waited for me. It was going to be a circus and my only solace was that I had the luxury of concealing my deeper sin.
At the thought, I was painfully aware of my brothers’ betrayal—Silas using his abilities to manipulate me without my knowledge, Levi the mastermind behind it all. Their actions were unforgiveable.
And yet, I couldn’t stand the thought of either turning himself in on my behalf. A strange and twisted reality that left me feeling oddly detached from it all. My only concern at the moment was to get through the public flaying—disguised as a press conference—without things going from bad to worse.
A massive shadow cast to my left and I turned. As if I’d conjured them with my thoughts, my brothers all stood there—tall and confident. I looked them over; dressed in finely crafted suits as always, true gentlemen of the monarch. I too had done well to play the part of a poised royal, despite the turmoil I harnessed on the inside. We were masters at putting on a good performance for the sake of the crown. Today was no different.
A flash in my peripheral vision made me mindful of the one or two cameras that were allowed behind the scenes to capture candid moments such as this. Had it not been for the reminder, I would have distanced myself to avoid hearing whatever excuses my two offending brothers conjured overnight. However, the media would have devoured the mere mention of there being discord between us.
So, to keep the hounds off my heels, I did the gentlemanly thing. I smiled and carried on as if nothing was amiss.
“Thanks for showing up,” I muttered, doing my best to conceal the tension in my jaw.
Silas did a less-than-stellar job of hiding his own feelings. Guilt and remorse riddled his expression.
“Of course we’re here. We’d never think of letting you face this on your own.”
I released a frustrated sigh, praying he wouldn’t say anything else. We’d done our bid to fake it for the world.
“Well, your presence is much appreciated,” I added dismissively. However, Silas completely missed the hint.
“I mulled over our discussion,” he uttered quietly. “Thanks to a good night’s sleep, I’ve come up with a new plan, one we’ve already discussed and while, no, it’s not ideal, we do believe it could fix everything. It’s at least worth considering,” he offered, glancing toward Levi and Roman.
“Stop,” I hissed through clenched teeth. Somehow, I managed to speak quietly as I cut a glare sideways between him and Levi. “I think you two have already done enough, wouldn’t you say?”
When both shoulders stiffened, I masked the tension in them by adjusting my cufflink. It gave me something to focus on other than the growing frustration.
“I understand you’re angry, but we need to talk,” Levi leaned in to murmur. When he reached for my arm, I quickly shrugged from his grasp.
“I’m done,” I grumbled, turning to face them when avoidance failed. “In exactly two minutes, I have to bleed myself dry to make amends with the Dynasty thanks to you two thinking it wise to meddle in my personal life. So, I’m sure you’ll forgive me for not jumping to hear whatever scheme you concocted last night.”
Levi’s mouth parted to respond, but a sharp look from my father halted him. The expression was meant to remind us that we were being watched, and if he noticed that our conversation had turned heated, others would as well.
“After the press conference, you’ll hear us out,” Levi asserted, retreating with the others to a dark corner just out of my line of sight.
I was still trying to rid myself of the frustration brought on by their relentlessness when two sets of light footsteps approached from behind. The sound commanded my attention.
Turning, I laid eyes on Corina just as hers landed on me. She took my breath away, despite the trouble she’d caused—both knowingly and unwittingly. She was certainly taller than most women, her figure elongated by slim-fitting, gray trousers that tied at the waist. A sheer, white blouse left her arms exposed—a decision I was certain had been Elle’s doing. While, yes, the outfit was fashionable, it was functional as well.
Today’s conference served a purpose, and if we meant to pass Corina off as my Doll, my property, she’d have to look the part without question. Dolls were subservient, docile, and proudly boasted their marks for the world to see. Having her mark exposed would at least give her the look we intended to achieve.
Her personality, the defiance that was both admirable and maddening, was another story.
I could only hope she didn’t hang me out to dry today, exposing us both for the frauds we were. Me, a man coerced into following his heart straight over a cliff. Corina, persona non grata, an enigma I was certain did not belong here.
Elle had kept her hidden in a private lounge per my request. The idea was to shield her from the harsh realities my world would undoubtedly hurl at her sooner or later. It was unnatural to be so concerned with the wellbeing of a human, although, thanks to Silas’ and Levi’s admission, I now u
nderstood why. Still, my comprehension of Silas’ gift only confirmed what I already knew.
My deepening feelings for her—as raw and reckless as they may be—were real.
Corina peered up beneath long lashes, flashing her warm, brown irises my way. The gentleness I think she meant to conceal drew a deep breath from my lungs. Had it not been for my gaze shifting to Elle, noting the loaded smile she wore while glancing between Corina and I, I might not have realized how obvious I’d been. Clearing my throat, I forced myself to look elsewhere when I spoke. Unfortunately, ‘elsewhere’ happened to be my father’s inquisitive expression as he observed Corina and I together.
“We shouldn’t be up there more than ten minutes,” I assured her, peeling my gaze away from my father, to stare at the podium just beyond the curtain. “They’ll ask a few questions, snap a few photos, then it will all be over.”
At the mention of there being photos, a blinding flash went off beside us.
I watched her reaction, noted how her chest heaved as she nodded. She hated this, the attention. Even if I hadn’t detected the hint of perspiration beading around her hairline, I still wouldn’t have missed that my words brought her no comfort.
“They’ll only want to hear from me, so just … stay close.”
“I can do that,” she breathed, shaking both hands at her sides, as if she hoped to rid herself of the nervousness.
The glowing, digital numbers counting down above us meant we had less than thirty-seconds to prepare ourselves for what was to come. So, in the heat of the moment, watching as she did her best to be brave, I acted purely on impulse, the same whim that seemed to bring her needs front and center.
I reached for her hand.
It was impossible not to glance toward my father when I did, and the disapproving look he passed was enough to make me turn away from him.
But not enough to make me let her go.
My gaze locked with Corina’s again, and the warmth of her palm pressed against mine was all I focused on at that moment.
“I can’t say for certain how this will end, but you have my word that I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
She passed a curious look my way the moment I finished speaking. Perhaps she wondered why I’d make such a promise, why I’d bother worrying whether she’d be safe or not.
