My mouth fell open as the realization of what he had just said hit me. Fabian doesn’t like Lyla. He likes me. I nodded mindlessly, edging around him.

‘But maybe, one day, you might feel differently. Maybe when you become one of us—’

‘No,’ I whispered. ‘No, no, no.’

‘Violet! Please, listen to me!’

‘No,’ I breathed. I wouldn’t. Couldn’t.

‘I-I’m t-tired, I think I will go to b-bed,’ I stuttered, turning on my flimsy heel, fleeing from the room.

‘Violet!’ I heard him call, but too late, I had passed through the great doors and out into the entrance hall. I walked towards the open marble door, inhaling a deep breath of fresh air. I gazed out at the expansive lawns, knowing it would be so easy just to run right now.

But I wouldn’t.

I took another heaving breath. How can I have been so stupid? It was obvious! So blazingly obvious! Why else would he have invited me to the ball? And all those weeks ago, he had volunteered to stay with me whilst the others hunted. Is this why? And what about the others? Do they know? Kaspar must surely know. But does Lyla know?

But he doesn’t like me. He can’t like me. He just thinks he likes me. He doesn’t know me, not properly, I reassured myself, and it was true. He only knew the defensive mask that I was using to survive and stay sane here.

My eyes began to droop and I trudged up the stairs towards my room. I felt eyes on my back, as some of the passing vampires left through the entrance hall, but I did not have the energy to care.

I reached the top and took one last look down, remembering the first time I had passed through those great doors, wondering if I would ever make the return journey a human.

Ignorant.

For a moment, I wondered what it would be like to be a vampire. What it would be like to truly leave humanity behind. What it would be like if these were my last few minutes of true human life. Could I leave it all behind?

I blinked and a corner became dark for a moment as one of the gas lamps blew out. Sleepy, I turned away, dismissing it. I walked the last few steps towards my room as a single tear fell down my cheek.

Where is the mask now?

I leaned against the wall beside my door, forcing myself not to cry, taking deep, shaky breaths. I had to become stronger. I had to. I leaned my forehead against the cool wall, breathing becoming more regular, hands pressed up against the wall. Something cold brushed against my neck, tickling me, and my hairs immediately stood on end. It felt like a bitter draft.

Except bitter drafts don’t snarl.

I wrenched my whole body around, heart beating at an impossible rate. I clutched at the wall, searching for my door handle.

A figure stepped from the shadows, outlined by the little light that slivered in from downstairs. He was tall and a liquid version of silver seemed to trickle down the side of his face. A red vial glowed around his collar. I breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Oh, it’s only you, Ilta.’

TWENTY-FOUR

Kaspar

My eyes searched the room, but to no avail. Some faces stared back, others scowled, but nowhere amongst them was there a small girl wrapped in purple.

They’re not here. Fuck.

I spotted Fabian and Alex deep in conversation in a dark corner near the door and flitted over, anguish rising. I could sense the tension mounting in my family, as they too shared my worry.

‘Fabian.’ They both turned to look at me. ‘Where’s Violet?’ I asked urgently.

‘She went to bed, about ten minutes ago,’ he said, averting his gaze. So he told her.

‘What? Didn’t you go with her? Why aren’t you with her?’ I demanded, anguish turning to panic.

It could be nothing. It could just be a coincidence.

‘Kaspar, what—’

‘Ilta Crimson has gone too.’

They looked to each other and then back to me, eyes wide.

‘Oh, God,’ Fabian breathed.

And with that they darted off in different directions. I paused to gauge the room, before quickly flitting off to join the desperate search. Every Varn and friend of ours was looking up, dread turning their eyes colourless.

With sick guilt, my words from earlier echoed around my brain. Then on your own head be it, Girly.

TWENTY-FIVE

Violet

‘Ilta, what are you doing here?’ I peered closer, as he stood motionless, two paces in front of me. ‘Ilta?’ I called softly once more.

Still he did not move and I waved a hand in front of his face. He seemed to be caught in some sort of trance, eyes glazed over and unseeing.

‘Ilta!’ I said, more sharply. Suddenly, his head twitched and I recoiled away from the unnatural contortion. His body stirred and his arm darted out, a blur, snatching my wrist from midair. I gasped. A shiver rippled along the skin of my arm, across my shoulder and towards my hardworking heart, as it refused to slow its rapid beating. His icy skin scolded mine and I tried to wrench it from his tightening grasp, but I did not have the strength.

‘Ilta?’ I struggled once more to pull my arm free, but his grip only became more constricting. I felt the blood drain from my hand and saw it wither and go limp.

‘I am sorry, dear Violet, I was not entirely focused. Caught up in my senses, one might say,’ he purred, oily and slick as he soaked his lips with his saliva. I heard a faint sniffing and begged for my volatile heart to calm. He paused to look at me and I was forced to look into his eyes. Gone was the dark azure. Instead, they were red.

I drew in a sharp breath, eyes round, and took a step back, withdrawing away from his snarling, hissing face. He yanked me closer, using the lock he had on my wrist.

‘No, my sweet. You will not go anywhere.’ He pulled me up against his chest, before stooping down and placing a hand on the back of my knees, buckling them. I collapsed into his waiting arms. A second later, I felt the chilly air battering my cheeks and knew he was running from Varnley – where, I did not know. I closed my eyes, attempting to stop the tears falling. Only then did it occur to me to scream. And I did. A horrific, dreadful, spine-chilling scream that rang around out into the night.

But it was futile. No one heard and no one came.

Something sharp caught the skin on my cheek, teasing it away from the lower layers it was stitched to. My eyes flung open to see a bramble slash my skin and I winced as blood oozed from the fresh wound. I tried to raise my arm to wipe it away, but found it immobilized. I looked down and saw it was pinned between my hip and Ilta’s chest, all feeling gone as I tried to bend my fingers.

‘Do you not wish to struggle, sweet child? Do you not wish to be away?’ Ilta soothed, leaning over my face. He opened his mouth a little and I saw his sharp fangs, curved, lethal, as they dug into his lower lip. His breath reeked as he opened his mouth wider, a mixture between the stench of rotting flesh and the salty odour of dried blood. My nose wrinkled and I leaned away.

‘You’re stronger than me, so what would be the point? And get some mouthwash,’ I finished, determined to at least fight with words.

‘We will see if you feel the same way in a while,’ he spat. He leaned down further into my face, and swirling his tongue, licked the blood from my smarting cut. He siphoned every last drop. I could not help but close my eyes as his lips gradually followed my jaw line, until they came to a rest on my neck. He inhaled deeply and I felt him shudder violently. His hand came up to meet his lips and he trailed his fingers slowly across my collar, down to my br**sts, inching his fingertips through the crease between them. I gritted my teeth throughout.

He inhaled deeply once more, before shakily exhaling against my skin. ‘Fuck! I cannot wait any longer,’ he hissed.

Without any further warning, he dropped me, leaving me to land on the hard ground with a sickening crack as my dead arm cushioned my fall beneath my back. I shrieked in pain, the feeling fast returning. I barely had time to register that I vaguely recognized this dense part of the forest, especially the ivy-covered stone building nearby, before Ilta had crouched down to my level.

‘Time for some fun, don’t you think?’

He roughly grabbed me by my bodice and pulled me up, thrusting me against a nearby tree. The bark shredded my bare back, grating the satin of my dress.

‘Don’t touch me, you monster!’ I shrieked, willing every ounce of courage I had to help form those words.

‘Ah, but why would I do that? It is my duty to ensure you die before you ever fulfil your fate.’ He chuckled and raised his arms, gesturing around at the forest. ‘Look around you, Violet. What do you see? What is there here, other than trees? See reason, my love. You can scream all you like, but you are miles from anyone. You will not be heard. You can run; but I would soon catch you. Or you could just give in to my power and accept that this pitiful life of yours is coming to an end.’ He leaned in closer. ‘Is that so hard? Think about it, Violet. What do you have to go back to? Your mortal life can never be reclaimed, and your future offers only sacrifice and betrayal. You will have no choice, Violet Lee. What do you have left? What? Answer me!’

Tears streamed down my cheeks and I pursed my lips, searching for an answer. I looked to the mossy ground, watching as my silvery tears fell onto the fallen leaves, coated in a thick layer of pine needles. I closed my eyes, before slowly opening them, raising my head to his level.

‘Hope is what I have left.’

His slender bloodthirsty eyes narrowed to slits, and he growled. ‘No, you don’t! You must die before your time comes, child, and I will have my way whilst I do this dimension a great service.’ He seized a handful of my hair, and roughly tilted my head to the side. His body drove into mine, pressing me to the tree.

‘No! Get off me!’ I screeched, scrabbling around with my uninjured arm, trying to push him off. His free hand grabbed that arm and pushed it out of the way, using his long, sharpened nails to restrain me. They pierced the translucent skin on the underside of my wrists and blood began to emerge. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw red and I convulsed, gagging. Ilta’s mouth gaped, lips rolling back over his gums.

‘No! P-please, no! No!’ I begged.

‘I have waited too long,’ he whispered and he bit down hard upon the tender skin of my neck.

I screeched, the panic-ridden scream escaping my lips as pain, all-consuming pain, shot down from my neck, stopping my heart; freezing my blood; killing my mind.

He began to suck. Unhurriedly, and savouring each mouthful, he drew drop after drop of blood from my failing body. My vision was wavering, darkening to the gloom of the forest. My voice refused to work and my lungs burnt as they were starved of oxygen. My heart spluttered, fighting to pump the decreasing amount of blood around to my vital organs.

As quickly as he had started, he stopped. But my legs went weak and if it were not for the constant pressure of Ilta leaning into me, I would have collapsed to the ground. I sighed in relief, the tiniest, most frugal sigh imaginable, but Ilta still picked up on it.

‘No, my sweet. Do not think I am done with you. I am far from done. I just want you to be conscious and alive for this.’ He trailed off and cupped a hand around my breast. He traced the neckline of my dress with his nails, before allowing his fingertips to slip underneath the material. His intention was clear.

‘No,’ I pleaded, shaking my head and body, trying to release his grip. ‘No, please!’

‘When you are alive to feel the shame, Violet Lee, to feel yourself violated, it makes it far more fun, you see …’ His head bent down to my ear and he took my lobe between his fang and lower lip, tugging it. ‘But do not worry, I will keep going once you are dead.’

‘You’re sick,’ I said in no more than a whisper.

‘I know,’ he replied and yanked a nail down the material, slashing the dress and my bra. I shrieked again as his nails ran deep into my flesh and he laughed like someone had told a good joke. ‘I thank you for telling me, Violet. I do get rather bored of being told how good-natured I am.’

He raised both his hands, baring his nails. He placed them on my collarbone and slowly ran them down the length of my torso, tearing my skin and the dress. Ten long lacerations ran deep over my br**sts and each left a streaky trail of blood behind. I gritted my teeth, refusing to wince.

He took a finger and thumb to one of my br**sts, fondling them, squeezing the cuts so more blood oozed out, running his tongue across my sore skin. I recoiled from him, but he placed a hand behind my back, tearing the laced corset too.

‘Your blood does taste most sweet. Has anyone ever told you that?’ he mocked, smiling up at me. I couldn’t answer.

All of a sudden, he drew back for a moment. I held my breath against my will, waiting for his next move. He reached out a hand, grabbed my skirt and bunched it up. There was a ripping sound, as he tore that too. He pressed himself into me once more and I felt something hard against my abdomen. Pulling me up straight, he paused to look right into my eyes. All I saw was lust. Burning, flaming lust. Reaching a hand underneath my dress, he ran it up and down my inner thigh until he traced the outline of my knickers. He slowly pulled them aside, and I felt his other hand reaching for the fly of his trousers.

‘Get off her!’

Abruptly, his body was ripped away from mine and I crumpled to the ground.

‘You will pay for this, Ilta Crimson! You’ll burn at the stake, you f**king bastard!’

‘On what grounds, Kaspar?’ Ilta’s voice mocked. ‘I am sorry to correct you, but she is a human! I am perfectly within my rights to do with her what I will.’

Kaspar?

‘You forget something. She is under the King and Crown’s Protection. And on those grounds, drinking her blood without consent is punishable by execution. You should read your law books, Crimson.’