Page 29 of Cruel Vampire King

I turned on him, but the angry words died in my throat. I needed his mercy. The thought bubbled in my gut, but I stopped myself from saying what I really wanted to say. He stared at me, hungrily, even though all he could see of my face was my eyes.

“What’s going on?” I asked, reigning in my temper.

“You are escorting me to a masque,” he answered casually. He lifted a Venetian mask over his face.

While he did it, I took a good look at him. He wore a dark blue coat with gold filigree, a white ruffled shirt, and tight tan breeches. The cut fit him perfectly, emphasizing how wide his shoulders were. His hair was done in a basketweave braid on top, and loose and flowing at the bottom. He’d never looked more elf-like before. I looked back at the portrait. He might have his father’s coloring, but much of his mother was still in him. The harsh angles of his father’s face were softer in him, and with a start, I realized he had his mother’s eyes.

“There are dignitaries and ambassadors from other kingdoms here tonight,” Luken told me as he secured his mask. “Try not to make them suspicious.”

“Why am I even here?”

Luken smiled. His long canines flashed. “I wanted you on my arm tonight. And after your struggles today, I thought you might like to have some good food and drink. There are plenty of non-alcoholic beverages available.”

He slid his arm through mine, and sparks erupted under my skin. I warmed to his touch, even though he was coolerthan I was. My heart hammered against my ribs, my breathing unsteady. He met my eyes and the glow grew brighter as his eyes pinched upward at the corners. He didn’t smile with his mouth, and the pleased look seemed even more intense for it.

“I…” I trailed off, not sure what to say.

Now that I was here, thinking I could trade my blood for the sake of the team, I wanted nothing more than for him to push me against the wall right now. But that would hardly be enough to get me what I wanted. I needed to play this smart. Leave him wanting. Build up his desire, so I had something to actually work with. Should I go so far as to flirt with him, or would he find it suspicious?

“You?” he asked, lifting a heavy brow.

I scrambled to figure out what he was asking of me. Right. I’d started talking. “I think I should thank you,” I said slowly. “For giving me… um, food.”

It was pathetic, but it was as much of gratitude as I could think of. Maybe I’d think clearly if I didn’t have so much to think about. My family. The Blood Trials. Thessa. Darcie. Now here I was at some fancy ball, on the arm of the vampire king, and the lives of myself and four others weighed on how I conducted myself… and I didn’t even know if it would make a fucking difference.

Luken’s gaze remained on my face, hungry and unnerving. But there was something else in his eyes that told me he was regarding me with as much suspicion as I was giving him. But he didn’t say anything else as he swept me from the waiting room into the ballroom. Marissa—dressed in a stunning silver dress that mimicked the look of chainmail and left nothing to the imagination, stood at the top of a set of red-carpeted stairs.

“His Majesty, Luken Holakas, King of Taimarah,” she bellowed, her voice echoing through the air.

What exactly was she to him? She said she loved him, and it wasn’t a romantic love. She couldn’t be related at all. I frowned, disturbed by how curious I was. Luckily, the mask and veil meant nobody could actually see my expression. Not even Luken, standing right next to me. I still tensed when I turned from Marissa to view the faces staring up at us.

There was so much color it nearly blinded me. Everything was bright, highly saturated. Men and women alike wore every color of the rainbow. Even though they all wore masks, it was still easy to tell there were a wide variety of species. Luken kept my hand tucked into his elbow as he moved around the ballroom, chatting with an elf ambassador here, an orc princeling there. I snatched refreshments from passing servants as I could, filling my belly and sating my thirst.

“Who’s that woman with the vampire king?” I heard at one point during the night.

“Some whore, no doubt,” came the dismissive answer.

I tensed, fighting the urge to shout at the unknown conversationalists.

The first voice grunted. “He’ll never make good on the prophecy if he slakes himself with whores.”

Luken growled softly, so softly I was sure I was the only one who heard him. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He swept me away from the conversation, his amber eyes hard.

“Don’t pay them any mind,” he whispered to me. “Ignorant tongues will always wag.”

I nodded, a little unsettled all the same. It was easy enough to hide my unease as I focused on preparing myself formy offer to Luken. Soon, my mind was too busy thinking to pay full attention to what was happening around me. It didn’t help that Luken kept shooting me small glances that sent fresh shivers through my body every time. My core tightened and something inside of me ached, wanting to be touched. And this time, I let myself indulge in the fantasy. It wouldn’t be hard to give myself to him, if it meant that my team would survive.

But what about Darcie?

Luken tugged on my hand. I turned to find his eyes smoldering behind his mask. He slipped his hand down to mine and pulled me through the crowd. I grabbed a glass of something as I passed a waiter and downed the drink. It was fruity and pleasant, with the faintest aftertaste of alcohol. My heart was pounding as Luken pulled me through a set of doors and whisked me up the stairs.

We were back in the room where Marissa had first brought me before I knew it.

Luken spun me around as soon as we were inside. He pressed me against the door and groaned as he leaned into me, careful to keep some distance between my hips and his.

“You smell utterly sinful,” he groaned.

I knew what he wanted and lifted my chin, my body shivering in his arms. With one hand, he lifted the mask off his own face then removed mine. I felt cold all of a sudden, my chest feeling too tight. Before I could tell him he couldn’t have it, not until he gave me something in return, he bent his head. The air evaporated from around me as his lips pressed to mine. So light. Like a feather. Almost… tentative, gauging my reaction.

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