Blood trickled from a cut on her finger, but as she reached to touch it to my tongue—to Ursula’s tongue—once more, the queen cleared her throat. This was a public ceremony, not a bedchamber. The groom did not take his bride at the altar, nor reveal whatever taboo practices they enjoyed in private.
“Come, my love.”
I felt Morgan’s hand on my elbow as she helped Ursula to her feet. They fled the throne room, giggling as they stumbled through halls lit with flaming chandeliers and into a dark room. Morgan’s arm circled my back, and her lips grazed my throat as we fell back onto a canopied bed. The pain hardly registered when she bit down. Everything else felt so good.
My heart fluttered and ached. It beat too fast. Like a hummingbird’s. I couldn’t remember ever feeling this alive as a human—but Ursula had. And she’d given it all away for a love she’d thought would last an eternity.
Chapter Twenty
Ursula’s finger was still in my mouth when the queen cleared her throat. The new princess returned the dagger to the serving tray and helped me stand. She might as well have been stuck in the vision with me. Her cheeks colored, and she avoided my gaze.
“Welcome, Jenna, Duchess Tempus of House Lilith,” the queen said.
I nearly tripped over the hem of my dress as the crowd cheered, “By the blood!”
What the hell was a duchess tempus? And why hadn’t someone explained it to me before I was declared one?
I trailed after Ursula, back to our seats at the other end of the queen’s dais, and tried to snag her attention as the next sire-scion pair was called forward. Her hands gripped the armrests of her chair, and her breath was uneven, but she soon composed herself to focus on the ceremony.
My questions would have to wait. I tried not to fidget as the time crawled by, but man. It was hard.
Anytime my knee bobbed, or I stuck a finger in my mouth to chew a nail, Ursula would shoot me a warning glare that made my skin crawl. Pretending to be living rather than imitating a statue apparently meant something different around here.
When the festivities finally wound down, and we were dismissed, Ursula bolted ahead of me toward our suite.
“Wait up!” I called after her.
She spun around and huffed at me. “I just…I just need a few minutes alone. Can you allow me that much, Jenna?”
My mouth dropped open. I was shocked that she even bothered to ask. “Yeah. Right. Of course.”
“Thank you.” She disappeared into the suite, closing the door behind her.
“She’ll come around.” Murphy’s voice startled me, and I sucked in a surprised breath. He, Donnie, and Lane took up posts in the hallway. The party was over, and bodyguard duty had resumed. Dante appeared soon after them.
“Come, take a walk with me,” he said, eyeing the closed suite door.
“I’m supposed to be guarding the princess.”
He nodded to the guards stationed in the hall. “I think they can manage without you for a few moments. Besides, the day shift will be arriving shortly.”
I frowned at Murphy’s teasing grin. He was sure to give me hell about this the next time we sparred.
“Fine.” I folded my arms and followed him away from the suite, suddenly wishing I had been given my own. I hadn’t expected to feel so needy where Ursula was concerned.
Dante crossed his hands behind his back and nudged my shoulder with his. “Do you still hate me?”
I tilted my head from side to side as if giving the question serious consideration. “Hate’s a strong word.”
“But is it an accurate one?” He asked. “We are going to be stuck with each other for at least fifty years. Would it not be more enjoyable and beneficial if we passed that time as friends?”
“Friends?” I tried out the word with him in mind. It felt…odd.
A week ago, I’d wanted to choke the life out of him. I thought he was to blame for everything wrong in my life. Now, I was an honorary member of the royal family and destined to live under his roof for the next fifty years. Maybe he wasn’t out to ruin my life, after all.
“Friends,” I said again, more thoughtfully.
“Could we not all use more of those?” His eyebrows hitched up in the center, giving him that sympathetic look that I’d found so disarming when we first met. It defused me now again, melting the edges of the ice that encased my broken heart.
“I’m not a very good friend to have,” I confessed. “Too many enemies, I’m afraid.”
“Well, as an enemy of your enemies, I only see that as one more reason to cement our friendship.”
We passed a large, framed print of a setting sun, and I paused to nod at it. “One of yours?”
“It is.”
“What is it about dusk and dawn with you?”
Dante’s smile widened, and he loosed a soft laugh. “That is where the magic happens, is it not? When we die and when we are reborn. I suppose it fascinates me—how our souls flee from the sun’s light.” He glanced up at the photograph. “Do you like it?”
“It’s nice.” The compliment had sounded better in my head. “I really like the one in my room, with the purple and pink sky.”
“That one is my favorite. I captured it over the lake behind the manor years ago.”
We continued down the hall a few steps until I stopped and turned to him again. “Did we just have a conversation that wasn’t about a dark family secret or attempted assassination?”
“I believe we did, Your Ladyship.”
“Does this mean we’re friends now, Your Grace?”
He grinned. “I think it is a fine place to start.”
Catch up with Jenna and company in…
BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS
BLOOD VICE BOOK SIX
Coming September 4th, 2018
The Duke of House Lilith is finally ready to anoint a scion, but when the prime candidates begin to drop dead, he enlists Jenna’s help to solve the murders. After several long months with her new sire, she’s more than ready for a distraction, and Dante Lilosa is all that and more.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to all the usual peeps who help me make these books happen: Chelle Olson, my epic editor, who works so hard to make my words pretty (even when I miss deadlines—sorry!); Rebecca Frank, who designed another lovely cover, this one featuring the epic Gateway Arch; my cover model, a.k.a. little seester, who knows how to strike a pose; Hollie Jackson, who brings Jenna’s voice to life in the audiobooks; my critique group, the Four Horsemen of the Bookocalypse, who are always supportive and inspiring; THE Professor George Shelley, for proofreading my books—even though I’ve strayed from Limbo City; my sweet son, who reminds me of the importance of taking a break every now and then to watch The Little Mermaid and eat popcorn with him; my husband, who once again kept everything from going to hell in a handbasket while I panicked over fleeting deadlines; and all my Grim Readers, who take time to send encouraging emails, leave reviews, and hang out with me on online. You guys rock!
I hope you’re enjoying the Blood Vice series and looking forward to book 6 in September 2018. Follow me on BookBub or sign up for my newsletter, The Reaper Report, if you’d like to be updated when Jenna and company return.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USA Today bestselling author Angela Roquet is a great big weirdo. She collects Danger Girl comic books, owls, skulls, random craft supplies, and all things Joss Whedon. She's a fan of renewable energy, marriage equality, and religious tolerance. As long as whatever you're doing isn't hurting anyone, she's a fan of you, too.
Angela lives in Missouri with her husband and son. She's a member of SFWA and HWA, as well as the Four Horsemen of the Bookocalypse, her epic book critique group, where she's known as Death. When she's not swearing at the keyboard, she enjoys boating with her family at Lake of the Ozarks and reading books that raise eyebrows. You can find Angela online at www.angelaroquet.com
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Thicker Than Blood (Blood Vice Book 5) Page 16
