Page 98 of A Vow of Shadow and Blood
That’s not true.
You try residing inside a lust-filled human who tries to deny her feelings every day and tell me otherwise.
I’ve denied nothing. I just know that it is the bond. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t feel a damned thing.
He simply laughs, and I wish for a second that he were corporeal just so I could stab him.
You can’t even beat the vampires in the training room. You wouldn’t stand a chance.
I’m ignoring you.
Trailing behind the prince is the dutiful Eamon, his expression dark and stoic as always. He carries an air that says he will literally die to protect the prince, and I honestly believe he would. I’m not sure why he would die for that monster, but I would surely love to know. Surprisingly, in place of Kaia, who is usually following the prince around like a lost shadow puppy, is Ajax. I’ve never seen him look as serious as he does right now, but he has not cracked a single smile.
I’m surprised to find Iza trailing at the very back, a stack of parchment in her hands. Her eyes fall to me, and a tiny smile of relief seems to curve her face, and I can’t resist returning the gesture. She looks so human among them all.
Karius and Iza sit at the head of the table in the space directly across from the door, and Eamon and Ajax take up standing positions behind them, their gazes fixed firmly on the door. I wonder why Ajax decided to take on the position instead of Kaia tonight. It feels weird seeing him like this. I’ve spent so much time training with him that I almost forgot that he is one of the most lethal vampires walking this realm.
The prince whispers something to Iza, and she nods, rifling through the papers spread across the table until she finds the one she wants and sets it on top of the pile. There are over twenty seats at the table, a place for every head of house and their heir. Seeing the familiar faces of the bloodhouse was not what I had in mind tonight.
“The House of Kayn welcomes Lord Idris, head of House Astrella, wielder of shadow poison, and his heir, Lady Nova.”
My eyes flick to the door, to the guard who is announcing the arrival of the first two vampires. A tall male with warm brown skin stands at the threshold, and next to him stands a stunning female with beautiful light brown curls and pale skin. I recognize the male from the meeting at the bloodhouse. He is one of the council members who were in attendance, though I barely heard him speak other than to advise that he would be considering another court.
The female shifts beside him, her eyes piercing into Karius like he is a meal that she wishes to devour. A strange tug pulls at my stomach at the sight of her staring at him, and for some odd reason, I can instantly tell that I will not like her despite the obvious fact that she is a vampire. Looking at the two vampires standing at the threshold, there is no denying that the two are related; her face is just a more feminine copy of his. She is beautiful. I wonder what Karius thinks of her.
“Your majesty,” Idris drawls as the two bow before him. “It is a pleasure to be in your company once again.”
Karius’s face holds no emotion, yet it does not seem to bother the male in the slightest as he takes up a position to the left of the prince and Iza.
“It would have been far better had I been aware that you were arriving earlier than scheduled.”
“Of course, please forgive the intrusion, your majesty, but Prince Orian of the Court of Nightmares has moved the viewings of his court forward, meaning that we would have missed vital talks with you had we not attended now.”
Karius’s jaw ticks as his eyes pin Idris in a glare. I’ve heard rumors about the cruelty of the Court of Nightmares and its dangerous prince. It is the only court that has ever been rumored to be just as powerful, if not more so, than this one. Thankfully, it is in the kingdom of Rumyr, and there have never been any problems between our two courts in my lifespan.
“The House of Kayn welcomes Lady Hira, head of House Creed, wielder of shadow steel, and her heir, Lady Kaia.”
My head snaps to the door, and I almost gasp when I see Kaia standing beside a cruel-faced woman in a long gold dress that makes her look like a princess. That is why she’s not at Karius’s side.
My mind takes me back to what Ember said. If the head of a house decides to switch courts, then every member of that bloodline must do the same. My stomach drops as my eyes find Ajax’s. His lips press into a thin line, but emotions swirl in his eyes, and I realize for the first time that if his mother chooses to move courts, he will have no choice but to follow. I don’t know why the thought bothers me.
Hira waves her hand dismissively at the guard as though he were no more than a pest.
“Are the formalities truly necessary? He knows who I am. Both of my children are members of his royal guard after all.”
Her words are as cruel as the expression she wears, and though she and Kaia are equally beautiful, there is something sharper and crueler about her features. For the first time, I understand why Kaia always seems so angry. If this were the person making decisions about my life, I would be too.
Hira turns a sharp look on the prince. “Your Majesty.” She pauses as her eyes move to Ajax, but he does not make eye contact. “Son.” She spits the word like a curse, and I want to drag her out of here and keep her as far away from him as possible.
She ignores his clear lack of acknowledgment and sits herself to the right of the prince, right by where Ajax sits, and part of me wonders whether she did it on purpose.
Karius watches her with a predator’s gaze, but she seems wholly undeterred by it all.
“The House of Kayn welcomes Lord Vaughn, head of House Vancova, wielder of shadow elements…”
The noise of the room completely fades away, and my chest tightens at the thought of the vampire who stands at the door, his cold stare trained only on me. My eyes meet with Vincent Vancova, heir of House Vancova and the monster who left me with a scar after beheading an innocent pureblood.
My stomach drops as I find him staring right back at me, a look of pure lust swirling in his irises. Bile rises to my throat, and the confidence I have been feigning dies almost immediately as our last encounter fills my mind. My hand absentmindedly brushes the raised skin on my wrist, and it’s as if I can feel the burn of his shadows all over again. His eyes fall to the mark, and his mouth tilts up into a wicked grin.
