Page 57 of A Vow of Shadow and Blood
The long train of her black dress flows behind her as she swoops past us. Flashes of last night fill my mind as I fight to stay in the present. But all I see is her killing Tori, and rage bubbles inside my chest.I hate her.I no longer care what happens to me after I kill the prince I just want to make sure she gets what’s coming to her. She doesn’t even look at me as though I’m so insignificant.
She doesn’t even have a drop of remorse,I say.
Do not worry, her time will come.
Yes, it will.
“Why is this one not wearing black?” Amabel narrows her eyes at Cora, and anger tingles beneath my skin.
“I’m sorry, Mistress, but the dress chosen for her was damaged.”
I hate that Cora is forced to lie because I was too selfish to think about how my actions might affect her. After the prince left the dressing room, his demands still fresh in the air, I was mad and wanted to take something back, even if it was as smalland insignificant as the color of my dress. Something about him brought my defiance to a whole new level. The fact that he didn’t kill me is a mystery, or a sign that he has something far worse in store for me.
Amabel’s glare could slice a person whole, and right now it’s aimed at Cora. I step forward, but noticing the action, Cora quickly speaks.
“It was entirely my fault. I should have checked more thoroughly.”
“Yes, you should have.” Amabel is at least a foot taller than Cora, and she looks down on her like she is nothing more than the dirt on the bottom of her shoe. Cora may have gained her freedom years ago, but her decision to work for Amabel only made her a slave once again.
“It will not happen again.”
“Good,” Amabel says.
Finally, Amabel turns her attention to me, her eyes sending a silent warning. I do not break eye contact. She knows I cannot say anything, but it doesn’t mean I will just roll over and take her shit.
“You have all been given your council member for the night. When you enter the room, ensure you are standing in the allocated spots you were shown this morning. This is not a practice run anymore. The council has never hosted a royal meeting in a bloodhouse before, and if this goes as well as I anticipate, then there will be many favorable opportunities in store for several of you.”
The other purebloods audibly show their excitement while I stand tight-lipped. I have no intention of being purchased by a noble. My only goal is to kill the prince and free Willow.
My eyes fall on Cora; a knowing look passes between us, and her mouth drops into a straight line — a look I have come to recognize as worry. The truth is, neither of us knows how tonightwill end or whether I will walk away from it alive. But none of that matters now.
“Remember, these are the most powerful vampires in this court. In their presence, you are to be seen and not heard. Do not speak unless spoken to, and do not question a thing they ask of you.”
I scoff.
All eyes turn to me, but I keep mine on Amabel’s, my anger radiating through me at just the sight of her. The fact that she can hide what she truly is makes me even angrier. I can’t help but wonder how she’s doing it. Perhaps that will be how I destroy her by revealing her secret. An unsanctioned vampire is a dead one, and if she was made without the council’s approval, then her days are numbered.
“Sorry, something in my throat,” I say. Her dark eyes pierce into mine, but I don’t look away. Tension fills the room as we are caught in a silent battle.
The sound of the dining-room door opening steals our attention, and standing at its threshold is a male whose long black hair is tied half up and half down. His tall frame is dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit that fits his slim body to precision. Lissian Blackwood,head of House Blackwood.
According to Amabel, only ten council members will accompany the prince tonight. The eleventh member will not be in attendance. From what Cora tells me, there were once over a hundred noble houses, but after the war, the smaller ones allied with the most powerful survivors and merged. This alliance created what is now known as the twelve high noble houses. Other than the royal line, Blackwood House is, of course, the most powerful, boasting over one hundred and fifty members in total. Something Lissian often brags about on his quarterly visits to the bloodhouse.
“We are ready for them.” His sultry voice is aimed in Amabel’s direction. He fawns over her like a little pet, and it sickens me to the stomach. She dips her head in his direction before turning to Cora, but an emotion sweeps across her stoic features for just a moment, and I’m left wondering what that was all about.
“Let’s begin.”
Cora fusses down the line of us, setting us in order from the lowest of the houses to the most powerful. Being the prince’s donor, I will be the last to walk in. Once we are all filed in a line, she ushers us in, and despite myself, my stomach churns. A boy in front of me loses his footing, but I catch his elbow and straighten him quickly. Vampires don’t like weakness. He whispers his thanks, and I nod even though he can’t see me.
Inside the room is a long mahogany table with the prince right at the head of it. Glasses and table settings are arranged neatly on its shiny surface. Five vampires sit on the prince’s left and the other four to his right, with an empty chair right next to him that I imagine is reserved specifically for Lissian.Of course, the snake is right beside the prince.The only thing Lissian has ever been known to want is more power. The other donors move quickly, taking their places by the stone pillars running in two vertical lines on either side of the table. I remain at the opposite side of the room, facing the arrogant prince.
His brow lifts in question as his eyes sweep down the length of my dress, the starlight orbs reflecting off the silver material. I squirm beneath his gaze, but my eyes hold his in a challenge, and I’m not sure if I imagine the small twitch of his lips. His eyes move quickly from mine as his face falls back into the stern expression I expect from a vampire with his reputation.
Lissian hurriedly stands behind the empty chair before looking out at the other vamps in the room. The tawny beige skin of his cheeks reddens ever so slightly as he speaks.
“I would firstly like to extend a thank you to you all for attending tonight and, of course, to our prince for accepting the invitation to host our centennial meeting within the walls of the Blackwood bloodhouse. It is an honor to have each of you here.”
A few mumbles pass across the table, but the prince’s face is like a predator, watching Lissian with a keen eye. Gone is the playful smile he had upon seeing my outfit change, and in its place is a dangerous beast.
