Page 2 of Princess of Thorns and Ruin

Lucas’ smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “I guess it’s time.”

“It’s a good thing, Lucas.” I rise to my feet and wrap my robe around my frame as he peels himself from his seat and pulls a white scarf over his face.

We climb back up to the small castle tucked on top of the cliff, and my heart pangs. I certainly won’t be able to swim in the sea as much. I love the feel of salted water, but maybe this will change, too? I hope not.

Once we reach the gardens, Lucas veers toward his room, and I follow Selene to the front of the estate. An elderly woman waits for me in the shade of the entrance hall, her silhouette rattling my heart with its familiarity. Deep lines crease her face, her skin shriveled and dry.

She opens her arms wide. “Arielle, ma princesse. You’ve changed so much! Your beauty will blind the court. Dieu, your mother should have seen this day with her own eyes.”

“Genevieve, how good it is to see you.” I refrain from blinking so the tears won’t spill over my lids. Princesses don’t cry.

She cups my cheeks, an act that will be forbidden in only a few days—when I’m no longer a child, but a demon meant to hunt her kind. “How glad I am that I lived long enough to see this. I’ll oversee your Nightfall, dear. Don’t worry about a thing. The ceremony will be grandiose. Arranging it will be my last duty as your mother’s first-blood.”

I nod, not trusting my voice.

Genevieve hooks her arms around mine and ushers me along the gardens. “Have you decided if you want a man or a woman?”

I graze the roses with my fingertips. The white petals are soft to the touch, and a few of them fall to the ground in my wake. “I can’t make up my mind. I’ve asked the Bringer to prepare an échantillon so I can meet a wide array of candidates.”

“That’s quite smart. You’ll know when the time comes. Don’t worry.” She squeezes my arm.

How can I not worry? It’s the most important decision of my life. One of the few I get to make by myself.

“How’s Victor?” I ask, enquiring about my older brother, the king.

My only brother now, in fact.

“The whole court is still in shock over Ludovic’s untimely death,” Genevieve says with a frown.

My oldest brother, Ludovic, was killed a few weeks ago. He was two-hundred years old but expected to rule for many centuries. To humans, we’re just annoyingly rich and powerful, but to demons, we’re force of law. As the strongest breed of demons, we rule over the Shadow World and uphold our sacred laws.

“I’m glad Victor gets to be king. He might actually change things for the better,” I say.

The starkness in Genevieve’s gaze gives me pause.

“Victor will not rule as Ludovic did,” I insist.

“Power changes people, Arielle. And not often for the better.”

I don’t like her tone one bit. She shouldn’t be talking about Victor this way, and I open my mouth to reprimand her, but the child inside me blushes at the prospect. “Will I be home in time for the coronation?” It’s customary for a new king to wait ten to thirteen days before he’s anointed.

“Yes. The government will hold a vote tomorrow to confirm your brother as heir, but it’s only a formality since Ludovic had no children. The coronation should take place a few days later, and by then, your Nightfall will be over.”

A cold wave numbs the tips of my fingers, and I hold my hand out to the bright sunshine but feel colder still. “Yes, it won’t be long, now.”

Tomorrow, the sun will go down, and I shall be reborn as a vampire.

Chapter 2

Unrequited

ARIELLE

The next morning, Genevieve joins me at the back of the reception hall. “Your mother was hiding in a similar corner when I met her.”

The Bringer has thrown a lavish brunch in my honor, allowing me to meet my first-blood candidates.

First-bloods have an extremely important role to play in the life of a high-born vampire. Not only do they provide us with the blood we need to complete the transition, but they also become our human servants, sworn to feed and care for us for the rest of their lives. If we choose right, they can become our friends, confidantes, or counselors. Warm, dedicated lovers… Before old age and death claims them, that is.

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