Dark Prince: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (Blueblood Vampires Book 1)

by Michelle Hercules

  “Yeah, right.”

  I continue the apartment exploration. The first bedroom I check is definitely occupied, and it’s an explosion of loud colors. It looks like someone had a crayon party in there. There’s not a single white surface or object in sight. I wonder if Manu’s tastes have anything to do with her own lack of coloring.

  I try to locate the bathroom, finding none. So, that means each bedroom is a suite. Let’s hope so. I’m about to inspect the second room when Manu walks in. We both freeze at the same time, and then she’s holding me by the throat.

  “What are you doing in my apartment, bitch?” She squeezes my neck so hard I’m afraid she’ll break it.

  I kick my legs as I try to break free from her death grip. “Let … me … go. I live … here … psycho.”

  Surprisingly, she drops me to the floor. “What did you say?”

  Clutching my neck, I gasp for air. “I said, I live here.”

  “You can’t be my roommate. You’re a regular vampire. You should be staying in the dorms.”

  Slowly, I get back on my feet, glowering at the Blueblood. “I’m sure it was a mistake, but administration won’t fix it until registration is closed.”

  Her golden eyes become nothing but slits. “Hmm, maybe you should stay. You’re hiding something, and I have every intention of finding out what it is. I’ll call them and say everything is fine.”

  It’s hard to keep my expression neutral under her hard stare, but I don’t look away. Only when her cell phone rings does she break the connection.

  I win. Ha!

  “Hi, Sax. What’s up?” She walks over to the couch with the phone glued to her ear. Then, she looks over her shoulder with the hint of a smirk curling the corners of her lips. “Yeah, I’ve met my new roomie.”

  Ignoring her malicious smile, I collect my duffel bag from the floor and head for my bedroom.

  “Party? Sure. I can make an appearance,” she says. “Yeah, I’ll bring her.”

  I’m almost home free when she calls out, “Hey, roomie. Don’t get too comfortable. We’re going to a party. And don’t even think about refusing. Attendance is mandatory.”

  11

  Lucca

  I’m pacing in my apartment, burning a hole through the carpet, while Ronan and Saxon sit leisurely on the leather couch in the living room, playing a video game.

  When we got back to the apartment, they wanted to know what the deal was in the auditorium. I was close to telling them the new Keeper prospect was the human thief from Havoc. But if I tell any of my friends or my sister, they’ll meddle. That will spoil my plan of slowly torturing the little human.

  A human pretending to be a vampire in Bloodstone Institute. She’s either fucking stupid or she’s hiding a trump card under her sleeve. Either way, she’ll regret ever crossing paths with me.

  I head for the wet bar and pour myself a glass of whiskey. We don’t need to drink anything else but blood to live, and it’s what we crave the most, but sometimes, I like the taste of fine spirits. It doesn’t do jack to Bluebloods though. You won’t ever see us drunk. Regulars stay away from the stuff; they’re too weak to handle it. They usually get incredibly ill.

  While I sip my drink, I begin to imagine the cruel ways I can make the little thief suffer. Vivienne is her real name—it was information easy to find, which boggles my mind. Why risk so much, only to steal something from me?

  “Motherfucker.” Saxon tosses the game controller aside while Ronan laughs.

  “Don’t be such a sore loser.”

  “Bite me, asshole.” He gets up with his cell phone in hand.

  Ronan glances at me. “How about you give it a try, Luc?”

  A scoff is the reply he gets from me. Saxon tried to explain the appeal of video games, but he lost me after a minute. Sitting idle in front of a screen, killing animated characters, is not my idea of fun. I’d much rather spend time on the tatami, acquiring real skills that I can use against the likes of Boone.

  I finish my drink while Saxon talks on the phone with Manu. Something about a party. He has always been the social butterfly in our group, which works because Ronan is a reclusive by nature and I couldn’t give a fuck about mingling with ass-kissers.

  Done with the call, Saxon turns to me. “Party in an hour in the catacombs. Everyone is invited; that means your regular friend should be there too.”

  Hunger mixes with an odd excitement. It’s the thrill of the hunt, something I haven’t felt in a long time.

  I curve my lips into a grin. “Excellent.”

  Saxon squints, crossing his arms. “You really not gonna tell us what you see in that female, are you?”

  “There’s nothing to tell.”

  “Bullshit. But whatever. I’d rather hook up with a human anytime. They taste better, and I don’t have to deal with the aftermath.”

  “You know that if everyone was invited, Tatiana’s followers will be there too,” Ronan pipes up, killing my good mood in an instant.

  “If they’re dumb enough to show up, no one can blame us if they get roughed up.” Saxon smiles impishly.

  Ronan pierces me with a stern stare. “Boone is at Bloodstone. Are you going to be able to control yourself this time?”

  The whiskey glass shatters in my hand. “Of course.”

  With an air of resignation, Ronan shakes his head. “Just please stay away from any of his blades. He got you once; he’s gonna try again.”

  My nostrils flare. “Let him. Isn’t self-defense killing allowed in the Accords?”

  “Allegedly,” Saxon replies. “But if you kill Boone, Tatiana will demand your head on a spike.”

  “She already wants my head on a spike—along with every single member of my family,” I reply, letting the bitterness fester in my chest.

  I reach inside my shirt and clutch my mother’s necklace. It’s the only thing I have left of her. Tatiana might not have delivered the killing blow, but my mother is dead in part because of her. Revenge belongs to my uncle, but considering the things he’s allowed to happen in the last century, he doesn’t seem inclined to end that bitch anytime soon. He claims he wants to save our race from extinction. How noble of him. If I have the chance to kill Tatiana, I’ll do it in a heartbeat even if that condemns us all.

  Vivienne

  Manu wasn’t kidding when she said I had no choice about attending this party. She’s practically dragging me there, pinching her talon-like nails on my skin. If I wasn’t wearing a jacket, she would draw blood. I really can’t allow that to happen anymore even though it feels like an impossible task when I’m surrounded by sharp teeth and claws.

  “You can let me go now. I’m not going to run,” I say.

  “Of course you aren’t. A regular vampire is no match for a Blueblood in everything that counts.”

  Wow, I had no idea there was such a division between the bloodsuckers. To me, they’re all equally bad. The vampire who drank from me when I was younger was a regular, and he was freakishly strong.

  Despite her comment, Manu doesn’t let go until we reach the bowels of the institute. We’re underground, and this place matches the spooky exterior of the building. Now, it feels like I’m living in a haunted mansion. The stone walls are dark and mossy, and the stagnant air smells of mildew. It’s also chilly here, and I’m glad that I had the foresight to grab a leather jacket.

  “Who is throwing this party anyway?” I ask.

  “Who cares?”

  “What’s this place?”

  “The catacombs.”

  “The catacombs? Could this party be more cliché?”

  Surprisingly, Manu laughs. “Our existence is cliché, thanks to all the horrendous fiction out there.”

  I bite my tongue. I have to remember that I’m pretending to be a vampire, and I can’t make comments only a human would. There’s a lull in the conversation, and all I hear now is the noise of our steps echoing in the damp corridor.

  Then, the muffled sound of techno music reaches us.
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  Manu lets go of my arm and turns to me. “Wait here.”

  “Why?”

  “There’s no way in hell I’m arriving at this party with a regular.” She zaps ahead, turning into a blur before she disappears around the bend.

  Fucking great. I hug myself when a chilly wind comes blowing in the corridor. A new sense of dread takes hold of me, but it’s different than when Lucca was watching me earlier today.

  Release me, the chilly breeze seems to say.

  That’s crazy. My brain tells me I should get going, get out of this dark tunnel at once. But I’m pulled in a different direction from the party, and like an idiot, I follow the invisible force. I hear the same command again. Am I imagining things or is this place truly haunted?

  I don’t know where I’m going, but I can no longer hear the music. I’m shaking nonstop, terrified of what I might find at the end of this narrow corridor, and yet I keep putting one foot in front of the other.

  Maybe there’s another vampire down here who can compel me. Shit. Shit. Shit. If that’s the case, I have to break free from the thrall. I only stop when I can’t go on any longer. There’s a wrought iron gate blocking my path. Curling my fingers around the bars, I try to open it, but it’s locked. There’s barely any illumination here. The only source of light is coming from a dangling lamp a couple of feet behind me.

  I pull my cell phone out to use the Flashlight app. It’s stupid that I didn’t think to do it until now. The bright beam shows me a small chamber where five stone tombs are laid out in a circular pattern.

  I hear it again. The creepy, whispered words. Then, my cell phone light goes out, and someone touches my shoulder. My scream pierces the silence, but it’s cut short when my mouth is covered by a hand.

  “Chill. It’s me, Aurora.”

  She releases me at once, and I lean against the stone wall, trying to catch my breath. “What the hell? You scared the crap out of me.”

  “How did you get here?”

  “I don’t know. I got lost.”

  There’s no chance in hell I’m telling her I was hearing voices.

  “Come on. Let’s go. We can’t be here.”

  “Why not? Is it because of those five tombs in the chamber?”

  She glances at the gate and doesn’t answer for a couple of beats. I wish the corridor weren’t so dim and I could see her face better.

  “Do you know who is inside them?” I press.

  “No. All I know is that there’s a powerful spell concealing this chamber. No one is supposed to know it’s here or even find the way to this spot. How did you do it?”

  “I have no idea. How come you got here?”

  “I’m a witch. I already told you that.”

  “How many witches are attending Bloodstone?”

  “You ask way too many questions. Come on.” She grabs my hand and steers me back to the place Manu abandoned me.

  I press my feet against the ground, halting our progress. “Wait.”

  With eyebrows pinched together, Aurora turns to me. “What now?”

  “Who am I going to find at this party?”

  Sighing loudly, she drops my hand and fixes the sleeves of her kimono-style jacket. “The invite was sent to everyone, so expect to see Bluebloods, regulars, humans, and familiars.”

  “What about witches?”

  She narrows her gaze. “I’m the only witch in residence.”

  “Oh. Why?”

  “It’s an old tradition. My mother is the High Witch. She serves King Raphael, and when she passes, I’ll inherit the title. Therefore, I must train at Bloodstone.”

  “I didn’t know that.”

  “I think we should start with what you do know about vampires and go from there. If you don’t want to be discovered, you can’t ask questions that are common knowledge around here.”

  “Can you help me?”

  She squints. “What do you think I’m doing now?” Animated voices echo in the tunnel behind us. “Let’s get going. It would have been smarter if you hadn’t come, but the sooner you make an appearance, the sooner you can leave.”

  I couldn’t agree with her more, but I came to Bloodstone to get closer to Lucca and steal his necklace. Staying locked in my room will not get me anywhere.

  The party is being held in a large room with a high ceiling that makes it look like a cave. Several little alcoves in the wall have candles in them, giving a truly spooky vibe to the place. There are tombs everywhere, which are now being used as makeshift tables and seating areas. A DJ has his stuff set up at the end of the chamber, and large speakers, strategically placed throughout, spew out loud techno music.

  Some couples are dancing provocatively in the middle of the room. One in particular seems to be going all the way in front of everyone. Then, the male sinks his teeth in the neck of his human partner. She lets out a loud moan, melting against his body.

  Aurora yanks me to the side. “Stop gawking as if you’ve never seen shit like that. You’re a vampire for crying out loud.”

  “He’s screwing her in front of everyone while he feeds,” I whisper-shout, not hiding the disgust in my tone.

  “Vampires don’t suffer from fake modesty syndrome.”

  “Do they always need to fuck when they drink blood?”

  “No, but I’ve been told the experience is very erotic for both parties.”

  Chills run through my body again. All I felt was terror and repugnance when a vampire fed on me. He might have done more than drink my blood if Rikkon hadn’t shown up. The worst part of my story is that my mother had put me in that situation. I avoid thinking about her most of the time, but when I do, all I feel is anger. How can a mother sell her own daughter like that, to be ravished in more ways than one?

  I avert my gaze from the dance floor and inspect the rest of the party. Small clusters of individuals have formed, and mostly, the attendees are keeping to their own species. It’s easy to distinguish between vampires and humans. At first glance, they all seem human, but vampires do have an otherworldly quality to them. Also, the humans are staring at the bloodsuckers as if they were some kind of gods. Gag me.

  Continuing my perusal, I find a group of people, not human or vampire.

  “Who are they?” I ask.

  “Familiars. You know that many Bluebloods have them, right?”

  “Yeah, I just don’t know what they are.”

  “They were animals certain vampires had more affinity to, changed magically by the Nightingales into human form to serve the Bluebloods. Back when they were first created, familiars could change between animal and human forms at will. But their magic weakened with time, and now, very few familiars can return to their original animal forms.”

  “I’m sorry. You lost me. Who are the Nightingales?”

  Aurora glances at me with a look of pure astonishment. “Oh my God. You’re truly clueless, aren’t you? The Nightingales created the vampires, and please don’t ask me to get into the details about that. It’s too long of a story, and we don’t want anyone overhearing me explaining Vampire History 101 to you. It’d be suspicious.”

  “Fine. What about the familiars? Are they immortals too?”

  “Yep. Their life force is linked to their vampire’s. If the vampire dies, their familiar dies too.”

  Anger develops in my chest, bubbling up my throat. “So, they’re basically slaves then.”

  “In a way, yeah. But many familiars don’t see it that way. They’re glad to serve.”

  I glance at her. “How about you? Are you glad to serve them too?”

  Aurora’s eyebrows furrow together, and her lips turn into a slash. “The witches’ relationship to vampires is different.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  Her posture becomes tenser, but I don’t think it has anything to do with me. She’s staring over my shoulder now. Curious, I whirl around, and now, I’m the one turning into stone.

  Lucca is here.

  12

  Vivie
nne

  I can’t breathe, and my thoughts become vapor as my eyes lock with Lucca’s. The hint of a wicked smile unfurls on his cruelly beautiful face, and I swear, I feel the weight of that stare deep in my loins. Our connection is broken when a Blueblood female enters his orbit, curling a possessive arm around his waist. Some horrible new sensation develops in my chest, a stiffness that’s filled with anger and pain.

  “Who is that?” I ask.

  “Therese Schutz, Lucca’s main squeeze.”

  “His girlfriend?” The word leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

  Am I jealous of that vampire? If that’s true, then I need to be sent to a psych ward.

  Aurora scoffs. “She wishes. No, Lucca has never really cared about anyone to commit to a serious relationship.”

  “He seems tight with his friends.”

  “Yeah, but that’s different. They’re like family.”

  I can’t take my eyes off them. Lucca glances in my direction again before pushing Therese away. She follows his line of vision, and almost immediately, her eyes turn to slits.

  Shit.

  “Oh crap. I think Therese has noticed Lucca’s interest in you. You’ll have to watch your back with that one.”

  “Hey, Vivi.” Cassie comes over to say hello. “Cool party, huh?”

  “Yeah.”

  Cassie turns her attention to Aurora. “Hi, I’m Cassandra, but everyone calls me Cassie.”

  “Then why not introduce yourself as Cassie from the get-go?” Aurora replies a little too harshly.

  The vampire girl shrinks into herself. “Uh, I don’t know.”

  “Hi, I’m Damon.” The lanky guy next to Cassie extends his hand to Aurora.

  I think he’s another regular. I don’t sense a lot of power coming from him.

  Aurora drops her gaze to his offered hand, and for a moment, I fear she’s going to ignore it. But to my surprise, she shakes hands with the male. She doesn’t seem to care much about bloodsuckers. It seems we’re in the same boat, forced into an unpleasant situation thanks to family obligations.