“I’m sure you can come up with something quickly.” He winked. “Perhaps you can sing? Or play an instrument? That’s what a few of the other princesses are doing.”
I shook my head, blinking away tears. I couldn’t sing while in my own body, and a ballroom few of onlookers wasn’t the time to experiment with this body’s vocal chords. As for playing an instrument, my parents had let me stop piano lessons in elementary school when they’d come to terms with the fact that I was way too active to sit down and practice each night.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“Nothing.” I chuckled, trying to appear less worried than I was. “Just that I don’t think I can wow this audience with what I remember of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”
He laughed at that as well, which did help ease my worry. But only slightly.
“Do you want to be excused from the talent portion of the night?” he asked, serious again. “I can explain that you didn’t receive your notification, and that you didn’t have adequate time to prepare…”
“No, no,” I said quickly, since not showing a talent would make me look like even more of a loser princess than I already felt. “I’ll think of something.”
I hope.
“If you need anything for your performance, let a member of the staff know,” he said as the music ended. “It was lovely sharing this dance with you, Princess Ana.”
“Thank you,” I said, and then realized that I should say something else in return. “I enjoyed dancing with you, too.”
But the next song had already started, and he’d whisked one of the other princesses off in a dance… leaving me to figure out what I was going to whip up for my so-called talent.
Annika
If I could return to my quarters, I could see Geneva and wish for her to bestow a royal talent upon me.
But every time I tried to leave the ballroom, someone stopped me. It seemed like every noble vampire in the Vale wanted to speak with Princess Ana to ask about the Seventh Kingdom. The furthest I got was the restroom, but there were other ladies in there. I couldn’t risk using the ring to call upon Geneva where anyone might see her.
Finally I made it to the exit of the ballroom. But as I was about to step out into the hall, someone blocked my path—Tess.
“Where are you going?” my guard asked.
“I need to fetch something from my room,” I told her. “For my talent.”
She watched me blankly. It almost looked like she didn’t know what I was talking about. But who else could have hidden the note?
It took all of my strength to hold in my anger.
“I never saw the note informing me that each princess will be performing tonight and should come prepared with a talent, but luckily the prince let me know while we were dancing. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” I lifted my skirts in preparation to pass, but she stepped in front of me again, crossing her arms and making me me realize that this was going to be more difficult than anticipated.
“If you need something from your room, I can send a maid to fetch it,” she told me. “You’re to remain here for the duration of the ball.”
I let out a long sigh—this was definitely going to be more difficult than I’d thought.
But then I remembered—as a vampire princess, I had the ability to use compulsion. I could simply compel Tess to let me pass.
“I’m going to go to my quarters, and you’re going to let me pass and not come after me,” I said, holding my gaze with hers and pushing magic into my tone.
She just narrowed her eyes at me and stood straighter. “Laila has permitted the assigned guards of the princesses to wear wormwood,” she said steadily. “Your compulsion won’t work on me. It’s a reasonable precaution, given that we can’t risk the princesses from the other kingdoms attempting to thwart the protections of their guards in any way.”
“I just need to go back to my room for a few minutes.” I widened my eyes, praying I could convince her to be more lenient. “No one will notice that I’m gone.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” she said. “They will notice if you’re gone. Right now, everyone’s watching each of the visiting princesses. Especially you, given your questionable backstory. I’m trying to help you, Your Highness.”
“You don’t need to call me that,” I said. “Ana is just fine.”
“I will address Your Highness as your station demands,” she said. “Especially in public. But back to what I was saying—if you disappear from the ballroom, people will question if you have what it takes to be a princess of the Vale. And if Prince Jacen wants to dance with you again, and he finds that you’ve gone…” She paused, and I realized that yes, it would be quite bad if that happened.
Not that I expected he would seek me out again, given how lackluster our first dance had been, but it would be bad nonetheless.
“You understand,” she observed. “Why I cannot let you leave.”
“I understand,” I said, my stomach flipping at the realization that I wasn’t going to be permitted to escape the ballroom.
I was going to have to figure out a talent to perform without Geneva’s help.
And it was going to have to be a talent worthy of a princess.
Annika
Circular tables were set up for dinner, and of course, the one in the center was designated as the table for Jacen and the eight remaining princesses. Our place cards were already on each setting and a glass of blood infused champagne waited at each seat.
I was disappointed to discover that I was as far away from Jacen as physically possible.
Either my dance with him had gone worse than I’d realized and he’d requested to have me seated far away from him, or whoever assigned the seats didn’t want to give him an opportunity to get to know the princess of the Seventh Kingdom.
I suspected the latter, but really, either one was a legitimate possibility.
Jacen was surrounded by the princesses from the Carpathian Kingdom and the princesses from the Ward. He appeared to fall naturally into conversation with Princess Karina—as naturally as they’d danced. Looking at their ease with one another made my heart hurt.
I wondered if he was as interested in Princess Karina as he appeared? Or if he was just fooling her, like he’d fooled me when he’d known me as Annika?
The prince was such a master of deception that it was impossible to tell.
I ripped my gaze away from them, not wanting anyone to notice me staring, and focused on the people closest to me. My side of the table had Princess Isabella and the two stuck up princesses from Utopia.
It was clear from the way Eve angled her body away from me that she had no interest in conversation. But it could have been worse—Queen Laila herself could have been at our table. As it were, the queen sat with Camelia and the other princes and princesses of the Vale. So, while disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to secure Prince Jacen’s favor over dinner (or at least try to redeem myself after the awkward conversation we’d had during our dance), at least I had time to finish up the conversation I’d started with Princess Isabella in the waiting room.
Also, the more I could steer the conversation toward someone else and away from myself, the better.
Laila said a toast—welcoming us to the Vale again—and just like I did while talking with Camelia, I tipped the glass to my lips without actually drinking anything. I thought I felt Jacen’s eyes on me, but when I glanced over at him, he was chatting with Princess Karina.
It must have been in my imagination.
The twins from the Ward also weren’t drinking, although they didn’t bother to hide it—instead, they called over a waiter and specifically requested glasses of pure blood with no alcohol.
“Children’s blood only,” one of them instructed. She was the same one who had waved over the waiter, so I assumed she was the more outgoing of the two.
“I’ll be back with it shortly.” The waiter bowed and scurried off.
I couldn’t help but notice
the way Princess Isabella had pinched her lips when the princess of the Ward had made her request.
“What type of blood is your favorite?” I asked Princess Isabella the first question that popped into my mind.
It sounded strange when said out loud… but surely this was the type of thing vampires discussed? Like when humans discussed what toppings they preferred on their pizza?
From the way Princess Isabella laughed, I guessed this wasn’t comparable to asking about her favorite pizza topping.
“I’m sorry,” she said, covering her mouth with her hand. “I didn’t expect you to ask that.”
“I just noticed that you didn’t look too fond of children’s blood,” I said—and I instantly regretted it when the princesses of the Ward glared at me. I sunk slightly into my seat. The princesses of the Ward were muscular and strong—they were clearly fierce warriors. I didn’t want them as enemies.
“I have no issues with any type of blood.” Isabella said, and with that, the princess of the Ward relaxed. “But since you ask, I always ensure that the blood I drink comes from a willing human.”
“Is that how you’ve managed to never kill a human?” I asked, making room for the waiter to set down my appetizer plate. It was a Caesar salad—one of my favorites—but I was so nervous about what I was going to do when it came time for the talent show that I doubted I could eat much.
“It’s not the reason,” she said. “But it’s tied to it.”
“Oh.” I picked at my salad, worried that I might have overstepped my bounds. “If you don’t want to share, I understand…”
“No, no, it’s fine,” she said. “It’s just that the reason I’ve never killed a human is quite rare. It’s because I’m an empath.”
“Oh.” I took a moment to try to understand what exactly that might entail. “Does that mean you were a witch before you were turned?”
“Not at all.” She laughed. “When a witch is turned into a vampire, they lose their powers. We think it’s because witches conduct the forces of nature to do magic, and becoming a vampire cuts off their connection to the Earth. I was most definitely a human before I was turned, but I was born with a slight psychic ability to pick up on the emotions of everyone around me. That ability came from within me—and it remained in me after my transition.”
“So you know what I’m feeling right now?” I asked, backing away from her slightly. Hopefully her ability didn’t let her see too much.
I couldn’t risk her picking up on the truth of who I was or why I was here.
“I can tell you’re anxious,” she said. “Very anxious. But nothing more. It’s only when I drink blood straight from the vein that my ability is heightened.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, allowing the waiter to clear my plate and replace it with another one—this one with a juicy looking steak.
“Drinking blood from the vein creates a direct connection between myself and the person I’m drinking from,” she said. “I can feel everything they’re feeling, know what they’re thinking, and even see into their past. I, in essence, join souls with them.”
“Wow,” I said, not wanting to say what I was truly feeling. Because what she was explaining sounded rather… invasive. In the meantime, I cut into my steak, unsurprised to find that it was cooked rare. “That’s intense.”
“It is,” she agreed. “But it’s what keeps me from losing control while feeding, especially when I first turned and the bloodlust was the strongest. It’s impossible to want to drain a human dry and kill them while I feel so connected to them. I’m grateful for my gift.”
“Are you the only vampire who has a… gift?” I asked, using her exact wording. “Or are there others?”
“I’m the only one I know of with my particular gift,” she said, and I could tell she was choosing her words carefully. “But while such gifts are rare, I’m not the only gifted vampire. Prince Jacen himself was strong as a human, and that strength has followed him through his transformation. And pretty much all vampires know the rumor of a vampire of the Haven who has the ability to communicate with spirits who have yet to cross over.”
“The Haven,” I repeated, reminded of the other vampire kingdom that Geneva had told me about while prepping me for my mission. “Do you know why they didn’t send any princesses to meet the prince?”
Eve broke in before Isabella could answer. “The Haven is too concerned with neutrality to make an alliance with the Vale,” she said, and the way she scrunched her nose made me think that she didn’t particularly like the Haven. “Which is a good thing, if you ask me. Better odds for us.” She waggled her eyebrows in Prince Jacen’s direction. “Now, Ana,” she said, focusing back on me. “Hopefully Isabella won’t be hogging you all night—Margaret and I are so curious to hear about the Seventh Kingdom.”
“There’s not much to tell.” I focused on cutting my steak so I wouldn’t have to stare at Eve’s snide features. “We’ve kept to ourselves until now for a reason.”
“What reason is that?” she asked.
I placed my fork down, looked at her as seriously as possible, and said, “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”
A few seconds passed, and then she burst into laughter. “You’re funny,” she finally said, but she stopped pushing me and left me to eat my meal in peace.
I was glad to get her out of my hair.
Then again, at least she’d tried to talk with me.
That was more than I could say about Prince Jacen, who hadn’t bothered to look at me once.
Annika
Soon enough, the meal ended and Laila took the stage, stepping up to the microphone. In her fluffy white ball gown, she looked like an innocent young bride.
We all knew she was anything but.
She looked around the crowd, her tiara sparkling under the light, and everyone went silent.
“It’s an honor to host this welcome ball for the princesses who have come to the Vale to meet our very own Prince Jacen,” she started, and as she spoke, the butterflies in my stomach fluttered more and more. Because I knew what was coming.
And I still hadn’t decided on what to do for my talent.
I looked around in panic. The other princesses seemed so relaxed. Did Jacen’s offer to allow me to not participate in the talent portion still stand? Because at this point, I might be willing to take him up on it.
“As you know, the princesses have each prepared something special to share with us tonight—something to show us a bit about who they are and where they come from,” she said. “I’ll be taking my seat to enjoy the show, and my trusted advisor Camelia will be introducing the princesses. Camelia?” she called to the witch, and Camelia took her place on the stage, allowing Laila to return to her seat.
“Thank you.” Camelia nodded to Laila and looked around the crowd, eventually focusing on the table where I sat with the other princesses and Jacen.
My stomach shot up into my throat—what if she called my name first?
That would be a humiliating disaster.
“We will go in the order that the princesses were presented in the parade this morning,” Camelia said, and I relaxed slightly at the realization that I would be going last. “First up, we have Princess Karina of the Carpathian Kingdom.”
Princess Karina stood up, glided toward the stage, and sat at the giant piano. Without saying a word, she started to play. Her hands moved across the keys as fluidly as if she were Mozart himself. Each note was perfect. She even closed her eyes at some parts, and she still played perfectly, as if she were one with the music.
No one spoke as she played—everyone was spellbound.
Once finished, she gave a curtsy to the resounding applause and returned to her seat.
If Twinkle Twinkle Little Star wasn’t an option before, it definitely wasn’t an option now.
Next up was Princess Bianca, also from the Carpathian Kingdom. The tall beauty looked radiant and poised in a stunning purple gown as she took the stage. She smiled, but ther
e was something chilling about it—it didn’t reach her eyes.
She stepped in front of the microphone and clasped her hands in front of herself. “Thank you,” she said once the applause died down. “As was apparent from my sister’s performance, the Carpathian Kingdom places much importance upon the arts. Surely you were as breath taken as I by her performance of Mozart’s ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.’”
Many in the audience clapped—myself included—and we glanced at Karina. The petite princess blushed and nodded in thanks.
Bianca smiled as she waited for the clapping to quiet, and once it did, she continued, “While I also play the piano—my sister and I often enjoy playing duets back home in the castle—my favorite instrument is the violin. Tonight, I’ll be gracing you with Bach’s ‘Chaconne from Partita in d minor,’ which is often considered the most difficult violin piece to play of all time.”
Many guests sat forward in their seats, the rustling fabric sounding throughout the room.
Princess Bianca appeared unfazed as she retrieved the violin and brought the back over to the microphone, her eyes sharp and focused as she started to play.
The song was slow at first—haunting—but it soon picked up speed. The varieties of notes were played quickly, even for a vampire. The music echoed throughout the ballroom, and Bianca’s fingers moved with such swift precision that without my enhanced vampire vision, they would have been a blur. There were times when the bow danced across the strings so fast that it sounded like multiple musicians were playing at once. It looked difficult for a vampire—how a human could play the piece was beyond me.
The song was long—perhaps fifteen minutes—and everyone was silent and transfixed the entire time. But unlike Karina, who’d appeared moved by the music as she’d played—Bianca’s eyes remained cold. It was as if she were a machine going through the motions of the song without actually feeling it.
Once she finished, the audience burst into applause. They clapped even louder for Princess Bianca than they had for Princess Karina.
The Vampire Wish: The Complete Series (Dark World) Page 26
