Page 11 of House of Lilith

And just as I almost reach the end of the hallway, it starts spinning again.

But I’m ready.

I break into a sprint, kick myself off the ground, do a flip in the air and roll straight into the Entrance Hall, landing on one knee and my palms pressed firmly to the floor.

Well, my fox drawls,at leastthatwas mildly interesting. And with that, he slinks back into the shadows.

It’s with a huge grin on my face that I spring up and dart into the Elevator to get out of the castle and back into the courtyard.

I let my eyes sweep over my surroundings, checking on the state of the party. Right now, the famed three towers are only mysterious silhouettes against the cloudless night sky, all the light and action concentrating in the cobblestone circle around the Dame Gothel statue. And there’s still that light music playing in the background, but there’s no more tense silence permeating the air. People seem to be mingling around the many festive high tables, tossing shots back as they exchange stories. I pick up the pace, scanning the crowd for Ricky, eager to tell him all about my Grimm Academy adventures.

I have to elbow my way through the crowd as I look for him.

At one point, this vampire guy barges out of one tightly knit group, a wide smile on his face. He almost knocks into me and I recognize the man Ricky told me is the prince in these parts.

“I just got engaged,” he tells me as soon as our eyes lock, still smiling.

“Really?” I ask, my mouth cracking into a grin. “Congrats, mate,” I say, giving him a clap on the shoulder.

“Thanks,” he says and keeps moving.

It’s at that moment that I finally spot my friend.

He’s already rushing to me.

“Where were you?” he asks as soon as he stops in front of me, all flustered with worry. “I was just about to send the O’Malley brothers to go sniff you out.”

I laugh, patting him on the back.

But I’ve no time to tell him exactly how useless the brothers would be considering how many whiskeys they’ve had.

Ricky’s eyes dart to a spot behind my back and I look over my shoulder to find a stunning vampire girl giving me doe eyes. Another one, I think as I turn to her, my lips curling into a soft smile.

“Hi,” she says with an awkward wave, obviously fighting not to look away.

“Well hello,” I say in my gentlest, most encouraging voice as I take a step closer, sliding my hands into my pockets. I can sense Ricky’s roll-eye without even having to look at him. “The name’s Dahrian. What’s yours, gorgeous?”

“Marie,” she blurts out and I see the skin on her chest flush a little. Then she presses her arms to her sides and bites the bullet. “There’s going to be a bonfire later in the Lycan Forest. I thought you might want to go.”

Adorable. “Withyou?” I ask, playfully tilting my head as I drag my eyes down her body. “Try and stop me.”

Now, that makes blood rush to her cheeks.

“Perfect,” she stutters as she gestures to a group of vampires chatting by the Dame Gothel statue. “My friends are right over there.” She turns her eyes back on me. “And I’d really love to introduce you. Dahrian.” It’s more of a shy whisper, my name on her lips.

Fuck. I click my tongue, taking her by the upper arm and leading her a few steps away from Ricky.

“I’d hate to disappoint you, Marie…” I look deep into her eyes, watching her eyebrows pull down. “So I’m just gonna be upfront. I like to keep things casual, if you know what I mean.”

The disappointment in her eyes is my answer.

I lean to whisper in her ear, “But if you ever find yourself in need of someone who will worship the fuck out of you, albeit for one night only, you know where to find me.”

When I pull away, she’s staring at me intently, biting her lower lip. Her cheeks flush, she throws me a shy smile, gives a quick nod and rushes back into the crowd.

The crowd… My fox’s fur pricks up, keeping my eyes fixed on it. For a second, I think I feel tension emanating from one of my own, just out of eyesight.

“What is it, Boss?” I hear Ricky ask and I snap out of it, turning to face him.

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