That’s what Fabian and Lyla should have.

I refused Fabian a third dance, claiming thirst and escaping for water.

I stumbled towards the refreshments table, grabbing a glass of water. I downed it, closing my eyes as the cool liquid ran down my parched throat. I didn’t dance much after the second dance, preferring to sit near the edge of the wall with my drink, wary of the lustful glances coming my way. At every passing opportunity I would talk to a vampire I knew, clinging to them until they decided to join a dance. Fabian had long disappeared, dancing with almost every young vampire in attendance. But I earned myself considerable attention despite my cowering, not least because every few minutes, Fabian’s eyes would search around the room until they rested on me, making sure I was okay.

I would often see Kaspar or Sky looking my way too: brief looks, checking to see if I was still here, still alive; every time I turned, Eaglen or Arabella would have their backs to me, seemingly having an animated conversation, but I knew their full attention was devoted to me. Whenever an unknown vampire approached me, a Varn would miraculously appear, initiating a conversation, sweeping them away in seconds. I spotted a few humans amid the sea of deadened skin, but they too were passed around in their own protective circles, shunning anyone unknown.

A group of choirboys walked out and began singing, hallowed voices echoing around the room. I watched them for a while. They were so young, most not even ten. Their sweet, youthful faces were untainted by the horror of life, their mouths opening to reveal the voices of angels. Tiny fangs were visible and my face fell. How can something so angelic, be so dangerous? Those children would grow into monsters and would kill when they were older.

‘It is beautiful, is it not, Miss Lee?’

I jumped and promptly wheeled around to see a young vampire standing there, with the deepest blue eyes imaginable and a most dazzling smile.

‘Ilta, you scared me,’ I flustered, feeling the surge of adrenaline course through my chest.

‘I am deeply sorry; I did not mean to startle you.’

I brushed his apology off. ‘It’s fine, I should have been paying more attention anyway.’ I shook my head, turning to look at him. His smile wavered.

‘You should not have come here, Miss Lee. You are never safe around vampires; you are intelligent enough to know this, are you not? But I fear you underestimate the danger of this night.’

The voices of the choirboys became shrill and unnaturally high-pitched, filling every arch of the ceiling. I nodded my head uncertainly.

‘To be here, Miss Lee, amongst so many thirsty vampires, many of whom have not eaten in many days due to their long, arduous journeys, well … I thought the King would have better sense than that. But no matter, you are safe among some, and I like to consider myself one of them.’ He smiled that charming smile and I could not help but feel my heart leap. Kaspar should take notes. ‘May I ask, Miss Lee, for this dance? And perhaps the one after?’ he continued, sweeping down to take my hand, bowing low.

‘Of course,’ I curtsied.

He took my hand and led me into the large space in the centre, where couples were dancing an extremely slow, ornamental dance. I vaguely recognized it from my lessons, and began turning on the spot, seeing that the other girls were doing the same.

When I returned to hold, he placed a cold hand on my cheek, cradling my head until I faced him once more. I shifted my gaze, uncomfortable with his unmoving stare. I stared at his chest and noticed he was wearing a deep red shirt, and around his neck was an ornate chain, hung with something that looked horribly like a vial of blood.

‘Do not be shy, Miss Lee. For I know you find our allure most irresistible; an allure you despise so very much. It is not something to be hated, but accepted as the dire, underhand ways of nature.’

I nodded glumly, shame washing over me as I realized that was probably the truth.

‘No matter. Do not let me upset you. Let us change the subject. I have heard so much about you, dear Violet, but you never ask much of us. Do you not desire to ask me a single question?’

I thought for a moment. ‘Where do you come from? Your family, I mean.’

‘My family,’ he chuckled. ‘What an extensive subject you have landed upon. I come from Romania, although my family has residences all over the world, as do most powerful families.’ A smirk played on his lips. ‘We were one of the few not to flee when the slayers overtook Romania, many centuries ago.’ The pride in his voice was unmistakable, though I did not find the feat so impressive. Sky and Jag also lived in that part of the world.

Suddenly, Ilta whirled around, lips rolled back and snarling. ‘Oh, Your Highness, forgive me, I thought you were somebody else,’ Ilta said, bowing low. There was begrudged politeness in his voice.

‘I wish to have this dance with Violet.’ Kaspar glowered. Ilta reluctantly let me go.

‘Of course, Your Highness.’ Stiffly, he bowed again and swept off, disappearing into the whirling crowd.

‘What was that for?!’ I hissed, shooting daggers at the Prince, whose eyes were cemented to the spot where Ilta had slipped into the crowd. I took a step forward, but he took a step back.

‘Curtsey,’ he snarled. I lowered myself as little as possible, never letting my eyes leave him. I didn’t bother to take his hand as I turned on the spot once more.

‘I told you to stay away from him!’ he scolded, talking to me like a child.

‘I know you did. But I am not a child or a vampire so you have no control or right to tell me what I can and cannot do. I will make my own judgements about people, thank you very much.’ I went to leave, but he grabbed my wrist. His nails dug into my skin, as they had done that first night I met him.

‘Do not walk away from me. No one refuses the heir to this Kingdom.’ He glared at me, the power he clearly knew he possessed radiating in waves as the admiring eyes of the passing women and girls swept over him.

‘I do,’ I whispered, leaving him and the dance floor behind.

TWENTY-TWO

Kaspar

‘I do,’ she whispered and with that she was gone. I narrowed my eyes, watching the flash of purple disappear into the crowd.

‘Damn it,’ I muttered, shoving my hands into the pockets of my trousers. I had never met such an irksome woman, let alone a human one. But I had enough experience of irritable females to know I should let her think she had escaped for the time being.

Instead, I meandered through the crowd, enjoying the attention my title and good looks attracted, until the scent of hairspray started to loiter in the back of my throat, and a flash of bleach-blonde hair caught my eye. Sleeping with Charity was one thing, and dancing with her bearable if I wore steel-capped shoes; spending time with her when I didn’t have to, on the other hand, was plain traumatic.

I made a beeline for the alcove in which Fabian and the others were talking, and was far more satisfied to see a head full of dark curls amongst them. That feeling quickly moved to surprise as I realized Violet was comfortably leading the conversation.

‘I’m intrigued. How do vampires liven their balls up?’ she said in reply to Fabian.

I saw my opportunity and seized it. ‘May I ask for the next dance, intrigued one? I can show you how.’ I bent down and kissed her knuckles. She flustered and I was pleased to see the shiver travel up my arm; pleased to see her react like any other girl would react in that situation.

She recovered quickly. ‘Fine,’ she snapped, with a flick of her head. ‘But if you dare lecture me, I will step on your foot.’ She met my gaze as steadily as she would if her threat was not hollow, and I held it. I was not going to alter my view on Ilta Crimson. He was no friend of my family, and I had no doubt that he had contacts with various slayer clans. That wasn’t to mention the fact he was a known lecher.

To simply get her to give in and stop being so stubborn, however, I would tell her the sky was green. ‘Fine,’ I agreed, equally as terse.

She removed her hand from mine and I found Fabian frowning at me. I rolled my eyes with a slight shake of my head, which Violet didn’t miss.

‘Lyla!’ She seized my nearby sister’s hand with as much vigour as when I had seized on the chance to steal a dance. ‘You dance with Fabian.’ She joined their hands and left before they could protest.

I hurried to catch up with her. ‘Girly, you little matchmaker!’

‘You know too?’

‘She is my sister.’

She seemed somewhat disappointed that she wasn’t the only one to know about my sister’s obsessive – but very recent – crush on Fabian, and didn’t speak as she curtsied without any prompting and gazed over my shoulder. She broke out into a smile and when I glanced back, it became obvious that the sight of Lyla in Fabian’s hold was the source of her happiness. But Fabian was my best and oldest friend, and I knew him well enough to see that he led my sister only in a stiff, mechanical fashion.

‘This is a little too risqué for the elders,’ I explained as I moved away and circled her, already having missed the more traditional waltz at the beginning. As much as I thought my sister’s love of clothes was almost as fanatical as her feelings for Fabian, I couldn’t deny that she had done a good job with this waif.

She watched me warily, craning her neck as far as it would go. ‘I’m sorry about—’

I cut in before she could finish. ‘Sorry about lecturing you and crap.’ Her eyes narrowed and I could see in her face exactly what was in mine: apologies? I looked away before she could register any surprise in my expression.

Everywhere I looked there were joyous smiles, raucous laughter, and the younger vampires holding one another far closer than what was ‘proper’. Hands grazed necks and shoulders; outwardly, it looked innocent, but the looks in their eyes told me it wasn’t. And I was about to show Violet exactly why that was.

‘Are you ready?’ I grinned and placed my hands firmly on her waist, tightening my fingers around the boning of the dress.

‘For what?’ She looked rightly anxious.

‘For this.’ The music paused and with that I hoisted her high into the air; she shrieked and her hands automatically sought my shoulders, forcing me to inhale first the perfume dabbed on her wrists, which I recognized as Lyla’s, and second a scent that made my throat burn. She might look like a vampire for the ball, but she still smelt like dinner.

I lowered her a heartbeat too early and as soon as her court shoes kissed the floor she was telling me off.

‘A little bloody warning would be nice next time!’ With that she purposefully stepped forward instead of back and jammed her low heel onto my toes.

I let my eyes flicker closed. ‘You do realize that didn’t hurt me in the slightest?’

‘You do realize you’re intolerable?’

‘The feeling is mutual then.’

I lifted her twice more, and would have done an extra time if she hadn’t put up such a loud fuss, cursing vampires under her breath.

‘You never learn, do you? You have to be polite to me. I am the Prince. Prince. Ring any bells?’

She folded her arms as she curtsied. ‘No. And the Prince will receive some courtesy when he is so kind as to show some himself.’

I smirked. ‘In your dreams, Girly, in your dreams.’ When she started to back away, that smirk only widened and I grabbed her wrist. ‘No, you don’t get away that easily. You’re having a second dance.’

She looked at my hand like it was a manacle, and shook it off in much the same way. ‘I have to go,’ she muttered with a frown. ‘But I’m sure Charity would love a dance.’

In the second I was distracted by the platinum-blonde to my right, the brunette somehow slipped away. Nowhere amongst the crowd was there a purple dress.

My hands found themselves in my pockets again. That was twice in one night she had escaped. I really am going to have to do something about that.

TWENTY-THREE

Violet

The truth was, that dance had been a little too easy. Too comfortable. I shouldn’t have enjoyed it. Especially when it was with him.

He brought you here. Don’t forget that, Violet.

Forced, more like, my voice added and I was inclined to agree.

I stood there for a while, content to be alone with my thoughts. Yet I was interrupted when Fabian stepped into the gloom.

‘Where’s Kaspar?’

‘Where’s Lyla?’ We spoke in unison, before laughing.

‘Kaspar’s dancing,’ I explained.

‘Lyla said she was going to go and get a drink,’ he explained. I raised an eyebrow. Gone to get a drink. Sounds familiar.

‘So you two just had the one dance then?’ I probed.

‘Yes. She seemed flustered,’ he said, clearly puzzled. I almost smiled at his ignorance. Honestly, men.

‘You really have no idea, do you?’

He shrugged his shoulders.

I couldn’t take it. I had to tell him. He had to know. ‘Lyla likes you.’

I expected his face to light up, or a smile to curl his lips, or at least to acknowledge what I had said. But he didn’t. He just stood there, as the minutes fell away.

‘Fabian?’

‘This makes things complicated,’ he eventually said, sighing and moving further into the darkness.

‘How?’

He sighed again and I saw his eyes go slightly black. ‘I don’t feel the same way about Lyla, if that is what you are thinking.’ He looked out towards the ballroom, before turning back to me, his eyes back to their original colour, but brighter, more alive. More stunning. ‘You’re so young and ignorant. I don’t blame you for not realizing sooner. But I know you don’t feel the same way, so don’t let this change anything. Not one thing, okay?’