Page 42 of Their Blood Queen

“Thank you, Earl Rinhold,” I say as I take it and coddle the vial to my chest. It might be from lack of sleep, but the edges of my eyes sting, and I squeeze them shut to keep the tears in.

When I open them again, the attractive Earl is smiling at me. “Like I said, call me Edward, Lady Scarlett.” He presents his hand, and I give him mine. He lifts my hand to press a small kiss against my skin.

My stomach flips, and I stay poised like that while his gaze lingers on mine.

This is definitely what flirting feels like.

Except, he’s given me a tonic that’s worth more than I care to think about.

If Earl Rinhold is trying to impress me, it’s working.

“And you can thank me by accepting my gifts. I’ll be sending a new dress for the fête, and it would please me greatly if you wore it,” he says.

I hadn’t agreed to go to the fête, but given that my courtship starts on the same day as the Choosing—an important event for families before Monsters Night, when selections are made that will determine our point earnings—I don’t feel like I can rightly say no.

“I’ll think about it, Edward,” I say with a shy smile and just a touch of a proper Lady’s dialect intertwined with my words.

But there’s enough of me in the phrasing that I’m kicking myself.

I expect him to be vexed with me, but Earl Rinhold seems to like the display of my inner spirit.

“And I’ll be thinking about you,” he says as he retreats from my view.

My heart is pounding in my chest as I watch him leave. Only when I’m sure that he’s gone do I enter my mother’s room.

No matter what happens, I’m grateful for this moment.

I’m grateful for a chance to say goodbye.

CHAPTER 9

CAIN

Days in the Elite City normally fly by in a flurry of paperwork, meetings, and the prayers of my loyal citizens. Nighttime is when I get to walk the Dream Realm and look for a real meal.

I know I’m not eating tonight.

An incident has made the humans fearful, giving me more than enough nourishment, should my beast want it. I suspect Helia is to blame for that, and I’m glad she has likely already returned to Monster City. She tends to forget that the Elite City and her capital have distinct differences.

My citizens are more delicate and must be handled with care.

There’s one particular citizen I’d very much like to tend to right now, but the woman who has captured my interest isn’t giving me an opening. She’s not praying to me, so that means I can’t watch over her.

I might be able to find her when she falls asleep. But until then, I’m left in the dark.

My beast ignores a barrage of prayers he would normally gobble up, but he’s abstained from any prayer that didn’t taste like peaches since last night.

Sadly, Scarlett Nightingale hasn’t prayed to me again.

Why isn’t she praying? I wonder with a frown as I rummage through endless paperwork.

I hate being the King of the Elite City some days, and loathe it during others. Namely because there is always a request, a form, or a letter that needs my attention in the ever-growing pile on my desk.

A faint knock at my door has me growling as my teeth thicken in my mouth.

My beast is just a hairsbreadth from the surface, and I don’t seem to be able to gain a full handle on him.

My secretary, Bernard, is one of the few monsters on my staff in the city. My tower has more than enough guest rooms to accommodate monsters who might stay here, and Bernard has become a permanent fixture.

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