Page 45 of The Rowan
But instead of heading up the stairs, she stops to talk to Alric, a high-ranking vampire in our society, her gestures as dramatic and flamboyant as her nature. She’s up to something. When she points across the room, I crane my neck to look, but I can’t see it from where I’m standing. I hurry to the other side, but whatever or whoever is gone. I turn back to Solange to find her walking off, while Alric watches her go with longing in his eyes. The fool is in love with her. If she was smart, she’d realize that he’s a suitable match for her.
I stroll back to where the cadre waits.
Theron is frowning at me. “What’s wrong?”
“Solange is up to something,” I admit. “We broke up yesterday, and she’s here tonight. Like most vampires, she can be petty and vindictive when denied. She might be after Arden.”
“Why would she want to hurt Arden?” Theron is vibrating with anger as he bites out his question.
Running my hands through my hair, I tell him, “Ever since their fight, she’s been obsessed with Arden. I thought I’d defused the situation, but now I’m wondering what she’s doing.”
Astor storms over. “Why didn’t you tell us? We would have banned her from The Abbey.”
“I thought I took care of it,” I tell him tightly. “Now, I’m not so sure. My gut is churning.”
“You better hope she doesn’t hurt Arden,” Valerian bites out. The lights flicker, and he glowers at me.
Rolling my eyes, I turn to watch the dance floor while my mind turns over Valerian’s words. What’s up with Valerian and Arden? Does he like her? I know they spend a lot of time training together, but if he thinks he’s the only one who wants Arden, he needs to look around. Theron is so transparent these days, he’s become a mockery of his old self. And Astor, charming flirt extraordinaire, is dropping the façade to show his true self, especially when he’s around Arden.
I’m so caught up in my thoughts, I miss the opening statement from the DJ. Astor’s shadow flicks my ear.
“Pay attention!” he hisses, jerking his head to the dance floor, where Alric stands with Arden in his arms.
Every muscle in my body locks down. Arden stares up at Alric with a dreamy smile, her arms locked around his neck, and I roar with anger. What the hell is going on? Based on what I saw the other night, Arden can’t be compelled, but her face indicates otherwise.
“What did the DJ say?” I bite out.
Astor’s face is pale when he responds. “He said the performance is called The Mate’s Kiss.”
My stomach drops. Vampires have few rules, but those that exist are ironclad. If a potential partner accepts your request for the Mate’s Kiss, no other vampire, including myself, may interfere. It’s essentially a blood exchange from a vampire to his true love and a vow that ties their lifelines together. The other golden rule? You can’t compel a partner to accept your proposal.
“You’d better restrain Valerian,” I command Astor, my voice cold.
Valerian roars when he sees what’s happening below, and the crowd quiets. Thankfully, Astor’s spell holds him, for now.
I glare down at Alric. “As First Vampire, you must answer me truthfully. Did Arden say yes to The Mate’s Kiss?”
He swallows, nervously searching the crowd. “Yes!” he shouts.
“Answer truthfully, and I’ll let you live. Did you compel her?” I ask, my voice hard. “Did you allow anyone else to compel her?”
“No.” His voice rings out truthfully.
Gripping the railing, I hang on to my control by a thread, my heart stuttering at the thought of Arden belonging to any vampire but me. A burning rage makes me want to kill every vampire in her radius, but none of this reflects in my voice as I say, “Proceed.”
Theron stands coldly beside me. “If he bites her, I’ll kill him.”
“If we move on him, he could bite her before we get to him. If he bites her and he dies, Arden dies, too,” I say bleakly. My mind racing, I sift through vampire rules, trying to find a loophole.
The music starts, and they dance. He won’t bite her until the end of the song. It’s the grand finale.
The crowd is quiet and their faces solemn as they silently protest this farce. I’m searching the crowd, looking for answers, when I run across Reyna and Cassandra standing together. It’s enough of an anomaly to make me stop. My eyes watch, picking up the incremental movement of their lips and hands.
“Astor. What are they doing?” I subtly draw his attention to the two witches.
Astor’s eyes narrow, and shadows slither around his feet in agitation. “Fuck me, they’re using a spell. She’s not compelled, she’s bespelled. I’ll kill them.”
“Can you counter?” I ask desperately as the music is ending.
