Page 142 of The Scarlet Veil

I’ve danced with many partners in my life: my father, my instructors, Jean Luc, even Reid, and none of them—noneofthem—can compare to dancing with Michal.

I never want to stop.

The song soon draws to a close on a hauntingly poignant note, however, and reluctantly, Michal and I release one another. “That was...” My eyes fall to the burns across his arms, his chest, impressions of my body left to linger on his skin. He’ll need blood to heal them, and at the thought of him drinking from Arielle again—of him drinking fromanyone—fire sears through my entire being. “Unexpected,” I finish faintly.

He stares at me like a starving man. “Was it?”

“Michal, I—”

He shakes his head, however, and withdraws a length of silver ribbon from his pocket. His palms—already angry and red—hiss softly as he offers it to me. “What I said before,” he says quietly, “about staying on Requiem... I meant it.” He closes my fingers around the ribbon, swallowing hard. “You’re welcome here for as long as you choose.”

Unable to hold his gaze, I look down at the ribbon instead. The tail of it ripples slightly—once, twice—as I clasp it to my chest. Of course he meant what he said. Michalalwaysmeans what he says, but to actuallyliveon Requiem... I glance unbidden to the vampires around us. Though they give Michal a wide berth, their malevolent eyes still seem to follow me through the room, gleaming with hunger. With violence.

Would life even be possible here?

Sighing heavily, shaking my head, I open my mouth to thank Michal—

And the doors to the ballroom erupt in a sphere of blinding light.

Chapter Forty-Six

Masquerade Part II

Pandemonium ensues.

The vampires scatter in every direction, shrieking and hissing and ducking for cover, while Michal pushes me behind him and Dimitri tucks Margot under his arm to flee behind the dais. Odessa appears instantly beside us—shielding her face with her arms—as smoke undulates from her skin. “What is it?” she shouts, panicked. “What’s happening?”

But I don’t know—I can’t answer her—and Michal is smoking too, faster than the others because of my gown. I try to push in front of him, to protect him from the impossible light inside the room, but even burning, his body is too strong. Impenetrable. “Michal,move—!”

“Stay behind me.”

Through narrowed eyes, he glares at the sphere of light, which splits neatly into two as Louise le Blanc steps between them, holding each one in her palm. “Bonsoir,” she calls pleasantly to the room at large, her hair rippling in the pulse of the spheres. Heat emanates from them in waves until—with a horrified gasp—I realize what they are.

Suns.

She holds miniature, fierysunsin each hand, and the vampires are cowering behind tables now, clinging desperately to theshadows of the dais. She strolls past them without a second glance, thoroughly unconcerned. The earthen scent of magic trails in her wake. “I am looking,” she continues, “for Michal Vasiliev. A little birdie told me he wishes to speak with a dear friend of mine, but alas—he’ll have to deal with me instead.”

This—this is bad. This isbad. With those suns in her hands, Lou could do unspeakable damage, and she would never even know that he—that Michal—

I move to lunge forward, but Odessa’s feet still stand upon my train, and the momentum jerks me backward instead. Stumbling, I twist to right myself—except Odessa also shifts, still shielding her face, and I lose my footing completely.Oh God.Pinwheeling, I fall against her arms, which wrap around me instinctively to stop us both from crashing to the floor. Her skin blisters upon contact. Though she muffles her cry of pain, we’re thoroughly entangled now, and Michal—

He steps forward, spreading his arms to shield Odessa and me from view. “Welcome to my home, Louise le Blanc, and merry meet.Iam Michal Vasiliev.”

Lou slows to a halt halfway across the room, her grin widening as she inspects him. Her eyes lingering for a moment on the leather of his pants, the magnificent wings at his back. “Of course you are.” She raises the spheres between them, and they flare even brighter, near blinding now. Even Michal winces. At his pained intake of breath, the last of my control shatters; pushing away from Odessa—she’ll be fine, she’ll be fine, she’ll be fine—I sprint into the open space at the center of the room.

“Lou, wait!Wait!” Her eyes widen slightly as I skid to a halt before her, waving my arms like a lunatic and gasping for breath.“You don’t need to hurt him. He promised not to touch Coco—not to touchanyof you.” Though I glance behind for Coco or Reid or even Jean Luc, none of them stand in the corridor beyond. No one else does either. The passage remains empty except for shards of door and bits of metal. “You—you’re to be treated like an honored guest,” I say, my voice weaker now.At least Lou came.At least she hasn’t incinerated me on the spot.“My honored guest. He promised. He promised he won’t hurt anyone.”

The suns in Lou’s hands dim marginally. Her eyes narrow, and she searches my face for several seconds. “And you believe him?”

“I do.”

“Youtrusthim?”

Nodding furiously, I lower my arms and hold my breath.Please. Please please please—

Though Lou tilts her head, considering, the suns still burn hot and bright in her hands. I try not to glance behind me. I don’t know how long a vampire can withstand sunlight—even the imitation of it—before bursting into flame. “And you’re telling me this of your own volition? You haven’t been compelled?”

I blink at her, startled. Because I never told her about compulsion. Come to think of it, I never told her about sunlight either, but—but that hardly matters now. I need to somehowprovethat Michal is trustworthy before this entire place goes up in smoke. I look behind her again. “Did Coco come with you? Is she here somewhere?”

---