Page 94 of The Vampire's Bride

“If you are wondering, I believe she is already halfway in love with you.”

“You… sensed it?” I ask carefully as fragile hope begins to take root.

He nods. “I can already see the faint glow of it around her aura. Just as I can see the vivid brightness around yours. She could be the one to break your curse, Valaric.”

Happiness soars within me, but it’s quickly dashed by worry. “Shhh.” I bring my finger to my lips. “You risk being overheard,” I hiss.

He at least has the decency to appear chagrined. He and the others know that Juliet must not be told of my curse. I told my first and second wife the truth. But because the witch bound my tongue, making it impossible for me to tell them how to break it—how to pass the final test—both of them reacted with fear and hopelessness, choosing to lock themselves in their rooms.

Withholding the truth of my curse would have been kinder because they were miserable until the very end since they did not know how to break it, and I hated myself for putting them through that.

I will not repeat that mistake again.

Juliet must fall in love with me of her own accord. She must speak the words: “I love you.” But once she does, the curse will transform me into a hideous beast, a true monster. If she cannot see past my appearance and still accept and love me, all is lost.

Then again, all will be lost anyway if I cannot earn her love before the last petal falls on the enchanted rosebush. She will end up like the others.

I meet his gaze evenly. “You are an Incubus. Your kind are skilled in the art of seduction. What can I do to make sure she falls in love with me?”

“You can start by not dismissing her when she is speaking.” He gives me a pointed look. “That is most definitely not the way to woo your mate.”

I narrow my eyes. “You were spying on us?”

“Me? Spying?” He scoffs. “Really, Valaric, you make me sound so devious,” he feigns offense. “I was merely observing. That’s all.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “It’s the same thing.”

“It is not, and you know it.” He waves a dismissive hand before planting them both on his hips. “Sheisright, you know. If you do not take her to the ball, Stryker will believe you are weak.”

“I don’t care,” I state firmly. “She is human. I cannot take her to a ball full of Vampires. It would be like dangling a rabbit in front of a pack of wolves.”

“There will be other humans there,” he points out.

“They are blood wives and bloodsworn.” I grit my teeth. “You have seen how they are treated by my kind.”

This is an impossible situation. If I go without her, I will be seen as weak, but if I take Juliet to the ball, she could be hurt. Either way, it is a risk. Unless… I look at Aerlyx. “Can you use your magic to conceal her somehow? I’ve heard of spells that can mask a person… make anyone who sees them immediately forget what they saw. Can you do this?”

He shakes his head. “My magic enhances sensations and pleasure. What you ask for, you would probably need to go to another blood witch to receive.” He gives me a grim look. “Given how terribly it went for you the last time, I would advise against it.”

I curl my hands into fists at my sides as I think of the foolish bargain I made. I needed a potion to walk in the sun, to exact vengeance upon those who slaughtered my entire village and my Shadow Blade brothers. If I’d known the true cost of my revenge, I wonder if I would have still made the same choice. It’s a question I ask myself often.

“Can you turn Juliet?” he asks. “If she were a Vampire, she would not be so vulnerable.”

“The witch’s spell prevents it. And even if I could, I would not. Only one in three survive the change.” Juliet is everything light and good. She is the most precious person in the world to me. I could never do such a thing to her. “And this life was forced upon me; I would never damn her to this cursed existence.”

“What about marking her?” he asks. “Claiming her as yours by changing her scent with your venom?”

“She wants to take things slow.” I shake my head. “My venom is an aphrodisiac. If I gave her that much, it might make her think she is ready for something she does not actually want yet.”

“So, not an option then,” Aerlyx murmurs. He lifts his gaze to the ceiling, tapping a finger on his chin. “I think I might know a way to protect her.”

“How?”

“I’ll go with you to the ball. With two of us watching over her, she will be safe.”

“It’s invitation only.”

“I’m an Incubus.” A sly grin curls his mouth. “If anyone knows how to hide in the shadows and avoid detection, it’s me.”

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