The Gala

by Leigh Walker

  “You don’t need to apologize, Gwyneth. You already have my forgiveness. And everything else I have to give.” His eyes darkened as he looked past me. “But we should go and help Eve. And…Balkyn.”

  “Yes.” I helped him up out of the chair, but it was a struggle. “Easy. I’ve got you.”

  Dallas winced as I placed his arm around my shoulder, and we staggered across the field toward the others. “Let’s just take it slow.”

  Eve dropped another dead rebel to the ground and scowled at us. “I’ve got this! Stay back!”

  “We’re coming,” I grunted. I sought out Balkyn—he was hunched with the remainder of the rebels. “That’s my brother over there. He needs me.”

  But Balkyn’s eyes filled with hate as he watched me help the prince. His face twisted as another rebel fell to Eve.

  We finally reached them—what was left of them. Eve had worked quickly.

  “Balkyn.” I breathed heavily, staggering under Dallas’s weight. “I can help you.”

  “Gwyneth.” He took a step back as if I repelled him. “Do not come near me. I can’t believe you’re a bloody vampire lover. This is literally my worst nightmare.”

  Dallas hissed beside me. I released him gently, stepping between them. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

  Tears filled Balkyn’s eyes. “I’ve given my life to protect you from them. I have given everything to save my family from these beasts.”

  “It’s not like that. Balkyn, please.”

  “I’d rather die than watch you live like this.” He took his pistol out, raising it to his head.

  “No!” I ran for him.

  Eve caught sight of him and closed her eyes. Before I could even reach him, my brother winced, as if he’d been struck. He dropped the gun to the ground and put his hands over his ears. “Get out of my head, witch!”

  Eve clenched her fists, concentrating.

  “Oh, you bloody beast.” Balkyn fell to his knees, his face contorted.

  “Eve. Eve!”

  She opened her eyes, releasing him.

  Balkyn stared up at me from the ground, tears on his cheeks. “You have sold your soul to the devil. I don’t even know who you are anymore. I only know you are no sister of mine.”

  My heart twisted. “I’m so sorry that you feel that way. But you’re wrong, brother.”

  Dallas came beside me, a questioning look on his face.

  There was only one answer. I reached for his hand.

  I would never let it go again.

  Eve cleaned up after herself expediently, building a funeral pyre and burning the bodies immediately. Needing something to occupy myself, I cleaned up the campsite while she worked. Dallas was still weak. He sat quietly on one of the makeshift seats, watching us. Balkyn was tied up nearby. He hadn’t said a word. I hoped that, somewhere deep inside, he was deciding to forgive me, and to try to keep an open mind.

  “Your Highness,” Eve called. She’d finished with the pyre and was holding the escaped prisoner by the scruff of his neck. He squirmed, looking positively petrified.

  “What d’you intend to do with this one?” she asked. “I took a whiff of him, and he’s quite nasty… But I can eat him if you want me to. I’ll just hold my nose.”

  The prisoner cried out, trying to get away from her.

  Eve held him tight. “Oh, do shut up, you wanker.”

  “Tie him up, and leave him,” Dallas instructed. “I will send sentinels to come for him later, and then I’ll deal with him when I am feeling more like myself. I have plans for him.” The prince’s gaze flicked to the prisoner in distaste. “And they’re quite intricate.”

  The prisoner shook with fear. But I didn’t feel sorry for him as Eve bound him tightly with rope—the same rope he’d used on me.

  Brush your teeth, Moss Man. And next time, don’t be so rapey.

  But of course, there wouldn’t be a next time.

  We made a rather motley crew as we dragged ourselves back toward the palace. We collected Dallas’s horse then Eve’s. Poor Maeve was with them. “There you go. Good girl.” I patted her, and she whinnied, scolding me for leaving her behind. I untied her and gently climbed up.

  “What were you doing out here, anyway?” I asked Eve.

  “His Holiness had finally given me a proper assignment—looking for the escaped prisoner. You’re lucky I found you when I did.”

  “Thank you for saving us.”

  Eve shrugged. “I told you I was going to help people. Bet your posh little bum didn’t think it would need saving, but there you were. And you…” She looked at Dallas and snorted. “That was the sorriest looking thing I’ve ever seen.”

  He frowned. “Feel free to keep the ribbing to yourself. I’m still injured.”

  Eve wrinkled her nose. “How long do the silver’s effects last, anyway? I’ve never seen that before.”

  “Long enough.” His gaze traveled to Balkyn, indicating he’d speak no more on the subject in mixed company.

  Dallas rode carefully beside me with Eve taking up the rear. We went very, very slowly. Eve had Balkyn in the saddle in front of her. He didn’t dare move, lest she sink her fangs into his neck or start mind-possessing him again.

  “So this is your brother?” she asked.

  I nodded. “My older brother. Balkyn. I haven’t seen him in five years.”

  Eve appraised him. “Strapping, isn’t he?”

  “I can hear you, you know.” Balkyn sounded irrevocably pissed.

  She frowned. “I thought you’d taken a vow of silence. I think I’d like you a bit better if you had.”

  “Eve. Please.”

  “Does he know where your father is?” she asked.

  “Yes. He said he’d taken ill, though.” I thought about it for a moment. My brother might hate me, but we both loved our father. “We can help him, Balkyn. I know you might have some objection to telling me where he is—”

  He looked at me with hate. “It’s not ‘some objection,’ Gwyneth. You’ve joined the other side. You’re the enemy. There’s no way in hell I’m telling you where our father is.”

  Dallas frowned, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. There were ways to make my brother talk. I shivered, hoping that we didn’t have to use them.

  Chapter 29

  Another Country

  The palace came into view. I’d never thought I’d be so happy to see it.

  “We’re going to have to put Balkyn in a cell.” Dallas kept his voice low so my brother couldn’t hear.

  I sighed. “I know. But is it safe? If that other prisoner escaped, I don’t know if a lock and key is enough to keep Balkyn behind bars. And I don’t want him trying to escape and getting himself killed.”

  Dallas’s nostrils flared. “I’ll assign my best guards to monitor him. It’s as much for his safety as for ours.”

  “Thank you, Dallas.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. My father is going to be very hostile about this situation. I’m not sure he’ll handle it well.”

  My heart squeezed. “I understand.” But really, I didn’t. I had no idea what was going to happen to my brother—or to me.

  We reached the stable and Dallas dismounted, slowly, painfully. A group of sentinels surrounded us in a moment. “Your Highness. What happened?”

  “He needs medical attention,” I told them. “We were attacked by the rebels. They used silver.”

  They fussed about, taking his horse and inspecting his wounds until he snapped. “Enough. Take the prisoner from Lady Eve’s horse. I want two of you to stay with him until I have a chance to come down to the dungeon. And no harm is to come to him. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Your Highness.” Two of the sentinels eased Balkyn down from the horse and dragged him inside.

  My heart twisted. “Balkyn—”

  “Don’t.” He wouldn’t look at me as they took him away.

  I felt as if my heart was shattering, but I didn’t let my face betray any emotion. The longer no
one knew Balkyn was my brother, the better.

  Eve hopped down off her horse. “Well, that was fun.” She looked at me. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes.” No. The sight of my brother being dragged toward the dungeons had undone me, not to mention the fact that he hated my vampire-loving guts.

  “I’ll check on you later. I’ll just leave you two to it.” She curtsied to the prince and was gone.

  “I expect that both of us will have some explaining to do—to the network, the other contestants, my parents…” Dallas offered me a rueful smile. “But all I want to do is change these clothes and lie down.”

  I looked down at my dress, muddy and torn. “Me too.”

  “Would you agree to spend a few hours with me…alone?”

  “Can we do that?”

  “I’m the prince, dammit. And I say yes. Will you join me?”

  He reached for my hand, and there was only one answer.

  I took it.

  My maids were nowhere to be found when I crept up to my room. I took the liberty of bathing and dressing myself, grateful for a moment of solitude. After I dressed in a plain black frock and put on zero makeup—which would’ve given the twins fits—I peered outside my chambers.

  The two sentinels Dallas had sent with me stood at attention. “Miss.” They both bowed. “His Highness is waiting for you.”

  I curtsied then quietly followed them down the hall. They brought me up a set of stairs and to the northern portion of the castle where I’d never been before. The royals had their chambers over here. Or so I’d heard.

  The guards brought me to an enormous wooden, barn-like door and slid it to the side. I took a deep breath as I walked inside. It was as if I’d entered a different world. On one wall, there was a massive, floor-to-ceiling bookcase, spilling over with books. On another were golden canvases framing oil paintings so vivid, they surely belonged in what they’d called a ‘museum’ in the old America. A vaulted ceiling and huge windows facing the northern grounds filled the space with air and light. If the chambers weren’t big enough to be a whole other world, they were surely big enough to be another country.

  And in the middle of the room was a small, rectangular pool, into which His Royal Highness Prince Dallas Black was dipping his feet.

  He’d rolled up his pants to his knees. “My dearest Gwyneth, come and sit.” He patted the space next to him.

  I kicked off my shoes—a rebellious pair of flats—and went and joined him. I pulled my skirts to my knees and sank my feet into the water. “Oh, it’s warm! What is this?”

  “It’s based on what they used to call a ‘hot tub’ in the old America. It even bubbles.”

  “Fantastic.” I peered at the water.

  “Sometimes, when I’m alone, I get all the way in, but I figured that wasn’t appropriate for this afternoon.”

  My cheeks heated. “Good call.” Although part of me whined that it was not a good call at all.

  Dallas chuckled, and I saw that he’d showered and changed. The ugly scorch marks from the silver were still there, but as his overall look had improved.

  “Are you feeling any better?”

  He shrugged, his movements still stiff. “A bit.”

  “How long does the pain last?”

  “A few days. The marks will fade in time.”

  I nodded. “That’s good.”

  He smiled. “It is.” His face turned serious. “I am very sorry about your brother, Gwyneth. He doesn’t seem as though he’s going to change his philosophy any time soon. It’s a difficult position for you.”

  “I know. But can you keep him safe?”

  “Of course. You have my word.” He went quiet for a moment then put his hand over mine. “I haven’t told my father yet about your relationship. He knows we have a new rebel prisoner but nothing more.”

  I sighed. “Thank you for protecting Balkyn. But I imagine you do so at your peril.”

  Dallas grimaced. “It’s not just my peril. I’m worried about you. I must protect you. If the king somehow finds out the truth and I’m not the one to tell him—that’s bad for you and me.”

  I nodded.

  “But most importantly, I believe in being honest. I’ve always dealt with my troubles that way. It’s better to face these things head on. Then if something bad happens, at least there’s one regret I’ve avoided.”

  “I understand. We need to tell him.”

  “We?” He smiled. “I rather like the sound of that, although I’m not sure I want you there when I break the news.”

  “We’ll figure it out.” I smiled at him. “I rather like the sound of that, too.”

  “Let me get the last of the un-pleasantries off my chest so that we might enjoy the rest of our time together.”

  I groaned.

  “My guards tell me Tariq’s been beside himself because we’ve been gone.”

  “I’m sure he’s upset.”

  “It’s nothing for you to worry about. I’m meeting with him later, and I’ll set him straight. But Gwyneth…” He brushed the hair back from my face. “I have to do what the network says for the remainder of the contest. There’s only a bit left. Can you white-knuckle it through to the end?”

  “You have saved me, My Lord. You have saved my family more than once. I can do many things, not the least of which is ‘white-knuckle it,’ as you say, until the contest is done. I don’t even know what that means. I only know that I can, and will, do it.” I clasped his hand to mine. “I would do anything for you. Even watch you snog Tamara again.”

  He chuckled. “There will likely be more snogging. I will attempt to keep it to a minimum, though.”

  “I appreciate that.” I splashed my feet in the tub.

  He pulled me against him, resting my head on his broad shoulder. “Are you sure you’re quite all right? When that soldier got in your face…”

  The muscle in his jaw jumped as he stared at the bubbling water.

  “We don’t need to talk about that. He can’t hurt me. I have you and my brother to thank for that.”

  He shook his head. “I would have ripped the silver off with my fangs in order to protect you.”

  I leaned up and kissed his cheek. “I know.” It’s one of the things I love about you.

  “The rebels hate us fiercely. They meant what they said about having my head on a spike.” Dallas frowned. “I don’t want to put you in any more danger.”

  “The danger is everywhere. But I feel safest with you.”

  A shadow passed over his face. “But maybe you shouldn’t. You never would’ve been captured if it weren’t for me.”

  “Dallas, don’t.” I shook my head. “I’m the one who ran off into the forest. And as for whether it’s more dangerous with you than without you, I’ll take my chances, thank you very much.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is going to be difficult, I’m afraid. Dealing with your brother and your people. They won’t accept your choice easily.”

  “The people who truly love me will. My mother, Winnie and Remy already adore you. My father is a brilliant man. I refuse to believe that he’ll shun me. In my heart, I believe that Balkyn’ll come around too, eventually.”

  Dallas tucked me against him and kissed the top of my head. “I hope so.”

  I snuggled against his chest, careful of his wounds. I inhaled his heady scent. And although my heart still twisted at the thought of Balkyn in the dungeons, the feeling that overwhelmed me was love. Safe, warm, and protected in the prince’s arms, all I felt was loved.

  I’d read it in a book once, before the war: Love is another country.

  And in our country, there was no hate and there was no prejudice. There was just Dallas and me, in our own happy bubble, the rest of the world and all its troubles miles away.

  Chapter 30

  The Royal Gala

  Somehow, the time counting down to the gala passed uneventfully. Tariq avoided me, which suited me just fine. We remaining contestants settled into a d
ull but comforting routine: breakfast, lessons, lunch, a walk outside, more lessons, dinner. Everything was filmed. Everyone was going on dates except me. We watched the episodes: the contestants giddy with excitement, Dallas tall and handsome and well-mannered. They had him snogging all sorts of girls, of course, including Tamara again.

  She crowed about it. She crowed about it a lot, and she talked about his juiciness and his handsiness in lurid detail.

  I ignored her. I remembered our happy bubble, our own little country. I remembered how Dallas had saved my sister, just as he’d saved me from the rebels.

  And I did not doubt him.

  Dallas sent me daily updates about my brother. He’d had word that Ballkyn was having a hard time adjusting to prison life. My heart ached for Balkyn, but I stayed away. He’d been quite clear. He wanted nothing to do with me. So I would fight to keep him alive, but I would also respect what he wanted: to pretend that I didn’t exist.

  I worried day and night about my father, but at the moment, there was nothing to be done. I wouldn’t torture Balkyn into revealing his whereabouts. I prayed that my father had gotten better. I feared, of course, that he had not.

  After what had happened with the rebels, I made sure to follow every rule. I kept my head down. I listened to my lessons, counted my fork tines, went to bed early, and ate as many biscuits as I could. Shaye, Blake and I shared every meal together; Tamara graced us with her presence when she wasn’t too busy bragging to the other girls about being the front runner.

  Finally, the evening of the royal gala arrived.

  “This is it,” Bria said, pacing my room. “Tonight’s the night!”

  “I’m ready.” In fact, I couldn’t wait to wear the beautiful dress they’d selected for me. It was similar to one of the gowns I already had in my closet, but the seamstresses had outdone themselves with the new dress. They’d stitched in intricate details and subtle beadwork that made it one-of-a-kind, a wearable work of art. It was strapless blue chiffon, with shimmering layers that floated around me to the floor. The gown made me look, and feel like, a…princess.