Page 122 of A Vow of Blood and Tears

Dancers swirled across the floor as the musicians, a quartet of humans and vampires, played a slow, soft song. Beyond them, a group of humans lingered near the crimson-draped columns, half-glimpsed in the flickering light of the chandeliers overhead, all of them cradling wine glasses. They schooled together like a fish, a tight-knit group on the edges.

Kajarin was among them, wearing a brilliantly emerald dress and laughing uproariously at something one of the human noblemen said. He’d been at the wedding reception; I recognized him as the man whose wife had been flustered about my lack of speech. His eyes glued to Kajarin’s prodigious cleavage.

The vampires had chosen to linger near the windows—maybe they expected another warg to interrupt this year’s Bloodrain. They wore crimson in celebration of the holiday, and the only humans among them were bleeders. Yuli was sheathed in red satin, the skin of her throat freshly pink with new bite scars, clinging to the arm of a handsome vampire with a shock of hair as red as my own. His green cat’s eyes flashed to me and Wyn, and he smiled.

I was obligated to smile in return, of course, but my eyes didn’t stop roving the ballroom, looking for my decidedly absent husband.

But Wroth had joined us. Enormous and pale, lurking behind a column of roses, he looked… as resplendent as a fiend couldpossibly be, his clothes tailored to his large, misshapen body, the brocade jacket sweeping down to where his knees bent backwards. His pale eyes were fixed on Kajarin, who fluttered among the humans like a butterfly.

I exhaled slowly, nervous to walk among these lais and fels, people who knew how to behave properly at a vampiric ball. At least in Argent Bloodrain meant eating candy and finding a nice seat to watch the bonfires, not playing nice with people who pretended I wasn’t there.

“Someone is looking less than merry.” Wyn’s eyes narrowed to thin blades, which she directed at a glum-faced vampire in Auré’s retinue. “I know it couldn’t possibly be my hospitality he finds lacking.”

I shook my head, hiding a smile.I suppose you should go do what you do best, I signed to her, my palms sweating at the idea of having to go mingle by myself.Make him enjoy himself. Mandatory merriment, number two on the list.

“I have the strangest feeling you’re having fun at my expense,” she said, eyeing my hands. “Well, I’m going to go chat him up, and see if I can’t get him to behave a little livelier. This is a celebration, after all.”

I didn’t have to fight the smile this time, laughing into my hands.

“Just smile and wave, dear, you’ll be fine.” Wyn swept off, leaving me staring after her, my smile gone just as suddenly as it’d arrived.

The last thing I wanted was to approach the humans alone. I ineffectually hovered in the door, unable to force myself to walk to either of the largest groups. On one side, there was Kajarin, dominating the humans… her cheeks already flushed with drink, now patting the lacy cravat of a young nobleman as she smirked up into his face, leaning forward enough to press her breasts to his arm.

And on the side, there were strange vampires, Auré among them. Neither of us had apologized, and I had no doubt it would be a cold day in hell before one finally came. Wroth was his own party of one, glowering in a corner, everyone giving him a wide berth.

Aside from Wyn, there was no one I particularly knew. I wished Visca were here, or that my husband would make an appearance and save me from dithering like a fool.

I swallowed hard, making up my mind. On the count of three, I’d move, in either direction—but Iwouldmove, and not stand here awkwardly, not while Wyn was out there making a valiant effort to show off during Bloodrain.

One. Two. Thr—

“May I have the first dance, Lady Cirrien?”

I turned my head, my gaze meeting eyes as green as mine, nearly identical but for the fine pupils. The vampire who had smiled, his skin still flushed with the blood he’d drunk from Yuli.

I suppose, I said dubiously, unsure of his motives, then rolled my eyes at myself mentally.

Motives? This was one of their favorite holidays. Maybe he just wanted to dance… but Visca had told me that the male vampires would not approach me directly. It would be considered forward by their kind, verging on a dire insult to Bane.

You have the advantage of me, I said, and the vampire raised a brow. “I apologize, but unlike Auré, I’m not accomplished in multiple tongues, as Veladari has served me well my entire life. If you’re asking my name, I’m Erik fel Coros. If you’re asking why, well, it’s because you’re the most beautiful woman in this room tonight.”

He took my hand, bowed over it, and kissed it—then looked up at me rather smolderingly.

I gave him my most weary stare, sighing through my nose.

Erik laughed nervously, his eyes flicking towards the group he’d come from—the group where Auré seemed relaxed, speaking to another vampire, but her eyes were on us.

I was certainly not going to be the one to apologize first. Ever.

For her benefit, I signed with broad, clear motions, staring directly into her eyes.Is this a test? What did you think I would do, fuck him right here on the ballroom floor?

Surprisingly, Auré smiled.

I turned my venomous gaze on Erik.As for you, playing childish games—

“Unfortunately for poor Erik, he was press-ganged into my nefarious plans.” Auré’s smoky voice was so close I half-expected her lips to touch my ears. I scowled at the woman, who had draped herself over Erik’s shoulder with such quick, fluid grace that she seemed to come from nowhere. “He really does love to dance.”

What are you looking for, exactly?I asked her.Why the pathetic attempt at entrapment?

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