Page 32 of A Dream of Stars and Curses

‘She can’t turn invisible, can she?’

Leverett chuckles. ‘I’m afraid that’s one trick vampires haven’t learned, although I suppose it’s a good thing tonight.’

We continue to talk about the other Veiled, and he tells me not to consume any food or drink the fae try to give me, not to dance unless he invites me just in case the music is enchanted after all, and some other stuff I barely remember. My mind is still on Chiara wanting to torture me to death for fun.

And when we drive through an open gate and up the longest driveway I’ve ever seen, I can’t stop my legs from shaking. Relief takes over as we pull up and get out, though. Other guests arrive at the same time we do, so the parking lot is full of people sizing each other up, embracing old friends... or judging one another’s outfits. I actually feel underdressed looking at some of them. Apparently no one does fashion like the Veiled.

There’s a fairy—judging by her wings, anyway—who wears a dress seemingly made out of leaves and flowers that hug her delicate skin like they want to be there. Her hairdo is the same. It’s all so elegant I start calling her Summer in my head. Then there’s a couple dressed like actual royalty, minus the crowns; though I believe she’s wearing a diadem? I think that’s what the sparkly, possibly diamond thing nestled in her hair is. I don’t know fashion, but I wish I knew the names for all those layers and ruffles. Veiled aside, I feel woefully out of my depth.

And then I see something that makes my heart stop for a second.

A human on a chain.

Her eyes are glazed, but there are definite puncture wounds on her neck and, I think, on her wrist. I assume the man holding her chain like a leash is a vampire. Despite her glazed eyes, she stands straight and looks at him like he’s her entire world. I suppose he is while he holds her in his thrall.

A warm hand lands on my shoulder, and I realise I’ve been shivering in the mid-July heat.

‘Are you ready?’ Leverett asks.

I nod. ‘Ready as I’ll ever be.’

‘If you want to leave at any point, tell me. We can go home anytime.’

His words warm me anew, and I feel safer. It sounds like we live together.

I nod again. ‘And stay by your side all night. I can do that.’

He smiles at me, and I feel better. This may be unbelievably far out of my comfort zone, but Leverett knows some of these people. He’s done this before, and he’s one of the Veiled himself. I literally couldn’t be in better hands tonight.

I blush at the thought of his hands all over me. His hand is still on my shoulder, so that’s a start.

‘Anton and Saif know that you’re with me, but if anyone asks, tell them I drink from you or that we’re a couple. Other Veiled will respect those boundaries more than friendship. You’ll be safer.’

Can I go all night introducing myself as Leverett’s girlfriend and not stumble over every syllable? Seems unlikely.

‘Won’t they know you don’t drink from me?’ I instinctively touch my neck. That other vampire clearly isn’t trying to hide his bite marks on the chained human. Would it be odd to tell people that we covered them with make-up? I don’t know enough to improvise.

‘You can give one of two reasons everyone here will accept: You can either say that I heal your puncture wounds, or...’ His smile turns into a teasing grin. ‘Or you can say that they aren’t anywhere visible to them. Up to you where.’

Oh.

Oh.

My mind goes blank for a moment. Now there’s an image I didn’t need tonight. Of Leverett’s head between my legs, biting me too close to my now-too-sensitive clit. I can’t say this to anyone here even once. I just can’t.

But then again, who knows what situation I’ll find myself in? If it saves my life, maybe I can say anything. I guess I’ll learn the hard way.

‘Okay,’ is my lame answer. He must hear my heartbeat and know how much his words have affected me. Is he toying with me, or is this still good-natured teasing between friends? Friends can do this without it meaning anything. Can’t they? But friends would have laughed, probably teased back. If I do that now, it’ll be far too late to be believable. So, really, there’s zero point to playing it cool.

I clear my throat and try to save whatever is happening. ‘How would you heal it?’

Now that he’s put the image in my head, it’s really hard to not picture him between my legs. I really hope he can’t smell what it’s doing to me, or that he at least has the decency to never bring it up. Ever.

‘Saliva.’

I blink. ‘What?’ If I don’t snap out of it, everyone will think he’s put his vampire magic on me after all. I should just have nodded and moved on, but it’s too late for that now.

‘A vampire’s saliva has wondrous healing properties. Vampires often lick their bite marks after drinking from their human lovers to help them heal.’

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