Page 55 of Princess of Thorns and Ruin

I curl my fists. “I won’t suck your cock, not now, not ever.”

“A little homophobic, are you?”

“Oh no…I’m just not into drunk, arrogant bitches.”

Egging the murderous vampire on for a swift death… I’ll take that gamble. I should really thank him for the opportunity since I’m too much of a coward to do it myself.

He grabs my throat and squeezes it, hard enough to choke me. Dark spots dance in front of my eyes, and I squeeze the vampire’s arm hard with no effect.

I’m human. He’s not. It’s not a fair fight.

A woman appears a the door, with pale skin, garnet-red eyes, and short black hair. A sparkling tiara decorates the short, boyish haircut. “Jasper. What do you think you’re doing?”

The chokehold loosens a tiny bit as Jasper bows. “My queen.”

“Leave the poor man alone and follow me.”

The vampire releases me, but not before he squeezes my ass. “See you soon, Callas.”

He leaves with the queen, and I escape his office with quick, hurried steps. Panting hard, I return to my room, aware I’ve nearly been killed—or raped. A deep bruise throbs on my neck, and shivers quake through me as I close the door of the annex behind me as quietly as possible.

This can’t be the rest of my life, being ordered around and abused by every vampire with a pair of fangs. There must be a way to both save myself and protect my family.

If I was scared to grow soft on Arielle, I’m certainly not coming around to my destiny as a vampire slave. In fact, I’d sell my soul to see Jasper Beaumont burn.

Chapter 22

Idiot

ARIELLE

“Who was he? The demon that attacked me?” I ask Victor as he paces my bedroom, looking over the trinkets on my dresser like he’s gathering his thoughts.

Leo’s been gone for about ten minutes, and the king surprised me with his visit as I was still pondering whether or not I should run after my first-blood. If he hadn’t run off…our dalliance would have become really public indeed.

Victor picks up mother’s jade pendant from the open jewelry box and twirls it in the air. “We don’t know yet, but the longer you stay here, the more I fear you’ll be in danger. The Zhaos have heard of our plans and want to prevent the alliance from taking shape. Have you thought on my offer, yet?” He sneaks a glance at me, trying to appear nonchalant.

I give him a solemn nod. “I did. Do you think Felipe Pereira will let me influence his court?”

My brother fails to mask a wince as he returns the pendant to the box. “No, I think he’ll gorge himself on blood and sex until he dies, but that’s not the issue. His lords and ladies will come to you for guidance. I want you to befriend them until they trust you, and then we can bring them around to the reform that needs to take place.”

A soft knock calls my attention to the door, and Victor opens it to Lucas, motioning him inside. “Lord Pereira will be with you every step of the way. You’ll help your new queen win over your people, won’t you, Lucas?” he asks cheerfully.

“Absolutely.”

Victor wraps one arm around each of us. “Perfect! The both of you can work together on the inside, but it won’t be easy. Vampires abhor change. Any splashy action will put them off, so you’ll have to be smart about this. Take your time.” Victor leans closer to my ear. “You’ll have to rely on each other. Take care of each other. You understand?”

Lucas and me… the intense glint in Victor’s eyes throws me for a loop, his words full of double-meaning. For the last ten years, I’ve repeated to myself, over and over again, that Lucas and I could never be together.

Now that I’m learning that the real world is not quite the romantic fairytale I’d hoped for, the fact that Victor is involving him in his plans no longer seems trivial. It’s well known that seasoned kings and queens have plenty of mistresses and lovers… Maybe, despite what we’ve been told by the Elders, our friendship could eventually evolve into something more. Victor isn’t sending me to a foreign court without an ally, and at the very least, I’ll have a friend to confide in.

Someone has to try and get the Pereira court in order, and if the Zhaos are trying to kill me to prevent this alliance, it means it’s even more important.

A shaky breath escapes my lungs. “Alright, I’ll do it. It’s my duty to our kingdom.”

My brother cups my cheek, a wide smile glazing his lips. “Mother would be so proud of you.” Then, his gaze falls to Lucas like he’d forgotten about his presence, and he clears his throat. “Thank you for your loyalty, sister. I wish you the best of luck.”

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