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‘Manslut? Seriously? That’s not really a comeback.’
But this is, I thought, raising my hand to slap him. He caught my wrist – of course – before I got anywhere near his cheek.
‘Whoa! Ease off. Don’t want to get on my bad side now, do you?’ he said, winking. I felt a sharp pain in my mind and knew he was trying to invade my thoughts. I threw up walls around my mind, not sober enough to really hide anything beyond the padlocked box I had stashed the knowledge about my father in. He shrugged and stopped trying, taking a long swig of vodka until the bottle was empty. Without saying anything, he left, dumping the bottle and returning with a new one. I eyed it, amazed at how much he could drink and not even seem tipsy. He caught me watching and stepped around the shattered glass on the floor.
‘Dare you,’ he said, holding the bottle out to me. I stared at it, hesitant. My rational self said no. It was neat vodka. The other part of me said beat Kaspar.
‘Whatever,’ I replied, sounding more confident than I really was. Snatching the bottle from his hands, I tipped it up and gulped several mouthfuls down. It burned my throat and I shuddered, feeling it strip away all the moisture in my mouth. I took another mouthful and another, trying to quench my growing thirst, but it didn’t work and as stars appeared in front of my eyes, I thrust it back into his chest, feeling the room spin. The music faded away, the voices becoming louder, confusing, overwhelming and I grabbed onto something solid in front of me, steadying myself. After a minute, the dizziness passed and I stood up straight.
‘See?’ I smirked at Kaspar, who I realized I was gripping the shoulders of. I let go, but then decided it was a bad idea as my legs threatened to give way. I wrapped my arms around his neck, trying to steady myself, not even thinking about what I was doing. I felt breath on my hair and a voice whispered something in my ear that sounded like, ‘Want to dance?’
I nodded eagerly and felt a hand take mine, leading me towards the far end of the room. Something pulled me around and in a blur I was pressed up against someone, hips swaying to the beat, hands on a hard chest. I forced my eyes to re-focus and recognized that the hard chest belonged to Kaspar. I frowned and froze, a little rational thought breaking through the haze. What am I doing?
‘Relax, Girly,’ a voice purred in my ear.
Before I knew it, I had spun around, my back to his chest. A pulsating beat filled the room, pounding against my ribs and sending my heart into my mouth. It was slow; too slow almost. Hands rested themselves on my waist, following my movement as my body instinctively followed the beat. My head rested in the curve of his neck and I could smell the same musky, expensive cologne that his room and half the corridor always smelled of. He was wearing too much; it tickled my dry throat, yet it was alluring. Maybe that was the drink. Yes, it’s the drink. I could feel how warm my skin was compared to his and louder than the music, louder than the voices, louder than anything was the sound of his breath in my ear, like a rush of wind amongst the trees.
He wrapped an arm around my stomach, pulling me closer. His other hand reached down and hooked itself under my arm, sweeping it up until it circled his neck. The other followed as his arms trailed after mine, starting at my neck, sending shivers down my spine. They ran over my shoulders, lingering around my breasts – were people watching? – over my hips, stopping at my thighs. I barely noticed as they slowly worked around to my inner thigh; I hardly cared. My breath came out in short rasps and I could have sworn his breath wasn’t as icy as usual.
‘What do you say we–’
His low voice was interrupted, his hands abruptly leaving my legs. They settled themselves around my waist, spinning me around with him. I giggled and squinted, recognizing Fabian in front of us. He looks angry, I registered. Even in the gloom and through my alcohol-tinted gaze I could see his eyes were black followed by a vivid green.
‘I think you have had your fun, Kaspar,’ he growled. Kaspar stood perfectly still, eyes cold. He didn’t loosen his grip on me. Fabian narrowed his eyes and they paused at black. ‘A word if you will,’ he continued, addressing Kaspar. He grabbed my hand and I toppled into his arms as he pulled me back towards the sofas and away from the music just as the song changed.
‘I love this song,’ I moaned, tugging on Fabian’s hand. He ignored me, as did Kaspar, who walked silently behind us. We stopped and spotting a sofa, I slumped down against the back; any clear thoughts that remained were fast leaving now and I just wanted to close my eyes, which I did, just listening instead.
‘What the hell were you thinking?’ Fabian spat, his voice venomous. ‘What would have happened if you had lost it? If the King knew, he would kill you.’
‘But he doesn’t know,’ Kaspar replied. His voice seemed distant. ‘Christ, I was just having a bit of fun. It’s not as though she minded.’
‘Of course she didn’t mind. She’s drunk! And it was you who got her that drunk. I saw you. When will you get that you can’t treat every girl you come across like this? Especially her,’ Fabian bellowed. ‘Alcohol can kill humans, you know that right?’ His words echoed around my mind, but I didn’t really hear them. My head felt like lead and I slumped even further, only just managing to stay upright.
‘I can treat girls anyway I like, I’m the Prince. And yes, I did get her drunk. So what? It’s not as though she’s dead, is it?’ I cracked open an eye at that and saw him gesturing towards me without really checking to see whether I was all right, which I wasn’t: the room was spinning and I felt sick.
‘Guys, I don’t feel so good,’ I groaned, as my vision funnelled. Before I knew it, I was tumbling over the back of the chair, landing with a thump on the soft cushions. Two faces loomed above me, one concerned, the other amused.
‘Kaspar, how much did she drink?!’ I heard Fabian roar before I passed out.
NINETEEN
Violet
Birds chirped outside and I could feel the warm sun filtering through the huge windows. It was peaceful and the perfect remedy to my pounding head. Why did I drink so much? More pressing than my headache though was the thought of what I had done with Kaspar the night before. I cringed, regretting every moment of it.
I opened my eyes. The sight that greeted me was not a pretty one. Littered about were empty bottles, shards of glass coating the once sparkling floor. Most of the uninvited ‘guests’ had left, or at least were not in the room, but a girl and a boy lay in the chairs opposite, draped across Felix. They weren’t asleep, but unnervingly still. Cain and Charlie were nowhere to be seen and I didn’t want to know what they had been up to.
Lyla was lying on the same L-shaped sofa as I was, her head resting on Fabian’s leg, as he sat slumped against the arm of the chair. Shocked, I realized my head also lay in Fabian’s lap.
But what really unnerved me was the fact one person was unaccounted for. I raised my head and looked towards my feet. Something cold was pressing into my bare leg and I was pretty sure I knew what it was. Lying beside my hips, legs draped over mine, was Kaspar. He blocked my escape off the sofa and I shifted a little, hoping he would move. But he didn’t budge, so I kicked him hard in the stomach.
‘What the hell was that for?’ Kaspar groaned from beside my legs, eyes opening, revealing their emerald, not quite as glassy as usual. ‘I do have a fucking headache you know.’
‘Just get off me, okay?’
‘I’m good here,’ he shrugged, not moving. He was saved from another kick when Cain entered, making a beeline for us.
‘Man, you guys reek of alcohol.’
‘So do you,’ Kaspar snapped, standing up this time and adjusting his shirt. ‘What about father?’
‘Out hunting.’
‘Well that’s something,’ he sighed and I only just moved my legs in time as he flopped back down on the sofa. I swivelled around, sitting up and dropped my head against the plush white velvet, wishing the continuous pounding in my head would go away.
‘So what do vampires do to get rid of hangovers?’ I asked, massaging my temples, the bright sunlight hurting my sensitive eyes. ‘Because I have one.’
‘We drink coffee. Does anyone want one?’ a stern voice asked.
‘I’d love one, thanks,’ Fabian chirped, piping up. But his smile faded as he turned. Kaspar’s head whipped around, before he very quickly stood up, nervously running a hand through his hair. The others stood up too and the two vampires I didn’t know made a hasty departure from the room.
‘Arabella, how, err … nice to see you,’ Kaspar stuttered, still running a hand through his hair. I turned around. Stood beside the door was a very cross-looking Arabella, hands on hips, flashing us the most livid expression possible. Noticing that my top had slipped down over my bra a little, I pulled it up, averting my gaze as a scowl came my way.
‘Yeah … about this … we can explain,’ Fabian faltered.
‘It was all Violet’s fault,’ Kaspar blurted, pointing in my direction.
***
‘Stupid, stupid, arrogant vampires,’ I muttered darkly under my breath as I swept tiny shards of glass into the dustpan and brush I was using. I crawled across the floor, picking up every last piece of bottle known to man. Kaspar was doing the same over the other side, a frown creasing his normally faultless brow as he too cursed under his breath. My only consolation was that I knew the spoilt brats were being made to clean instead of the servants, though Fabian had slipped away after chucking a few empty bottles into a black bin liner. Nobody had questioned his disappearance, or even seemed to notice it.
‘That should do it,’ Lyla announced, as she placed her weight on the broomstick she was using. ‘Father won’t notice the odd little patch.’
‘You missed a spot,’ a low voice rasped. I stood up, just in time to see the King flitting into the room, a black travelling cloak wrapped around his shoulders. He stopped, facing us all, anger twisting his face. Fabian appeared behind him.
If colour could tint the King’s pale skin, then he would most definitely be purple. He opened his mouth and pure venom seemed to pour out.
‘I leave you for one night. Just one night. As responsible adults, that should not be a problem. Yet I return to find that yet again, you have engaged in behaviour not fitting to your status, humiliated me, and made a complete mess.’
‘We tidied up!’ Kaspar protested, glaring at Fabian who wore a smug smile.
The King silenced him with a raise of his hand. ‘Enough. You have some explaining to do.’
Kaspar gawped. ‘Me?’
‘Yes, you. Violet too. My study, now.’
***
I trailed behind the King, throwing filthy looks at Kaspar. His face was blank, apart from the occasional grimace and I was sure he and his father were having an angered conversation in their heads. I could even detect some fear in his manner, all usual signs of arrogance gone. His fear only added to mine. I knew the King was not one to cross.
My bare feet slapped on the stone flag floor, as we weaved our way through unrecognizable corridors. Torches were hung high in brackets, their burning fuel the only source of heat in this part of the mansion that I never wished to visit again.
After a few minutes, the air began to warm a little and more light flooded in. We passed through a wooden door back into the main corridor, heading towards the double set of doors halfway down, which were opened by a manservant. The King made an abrupt turn and entered. We hurried after him and, in an instant, he was stood behind a great desk, a floor-to-ceiling window framing his figure as a silhouette against the bright light, which bounced off shelf after shelf of books.
Here, it was clear he was King – the one creature who wielded such awesome force over a species far superior to our own, who exercised such restraint; such compassion upon every other being ever known to live. He could end us, if he wanted; a wave of his hand and humanity would be mincemeat. Yet here he was, about to lecture his ‘teenage’ son, along with me.
‘Sit,’ he ordered. I followed Kaspar forward to where three wooden chairs were placed in front of the desk. As I sat down, the legs scraped against the floor.
The King closed his eyes for a moment, seeming to calm himself. ‘I am told by Kaspar, Miss Lee, that it is your eighteenth birthday today.’
I nodded. And what a great one it is turning out to be.
‘Then many happy returns.’
I hesitated. ‘Thanks.’
‘But what you two did last night was unacceptable and dangerous for you, Miss Lee. I am not angry at you for it, as my son has already confessed to supplying you with drink with corrupt motive. Under the influence of alcohol, your actions are forgivable. But let me stress this to you: do not do it again, for I may not be so merciful on another day.’
I nodded, surprised at his calm demeanour. But he didn’t need to worry – I would definitely not do that again. But something else bothered me. Kaspar owned up.
‘As for you, Kaspar, I tell you time and time again that your behaviour is unacceptable; that you jeopardize the Kingdom with your womanizing ways. But you never seem to listen. I understand that you are of the age when you feel the need to... experiment... find your own legs, as one might say, and that is quite alright, but only behind closed doors and not under any circumstances with Miss Lee.’
I blushed bright tomato red. Kaspar didn’t react.
The King went to sit down, but changed his mind. Instead, he leaned on the desk, and sighed. ‘Sometimes, I wonder Kaspar, if you would have been different if your mother were still alive.’
Immediately, I went rigid. I had never heard the King mention the Queen before. I glanced at Kaspar. He sat deathly still beside me, his eyes a stormy grey.
‘Perhaps she would have been able to talk sense into you, as I cannot. Or perhaps you would not have to despise this power you possess … perhaps you would not be heir,’ he seemed to mutter to himself. He turned away and walked towards the window, his head hung low. As he turned, I caught sight of his eyes and suppressed a gasp. There was no colour in them. They were an empty white. It was repulsive to look at, but too compelling not to look. I glanced at Kaspar. Still, he did not move.
The King turned back to the window and I shifted uncomfortably, feeling as though I was an intruder on a conversation I was not meant to hear.
‘You are not to do anything of this kind again to Miss Lee, do you understand, Kaspar?’ the King demanded rather than asked, his harsh, authoritative voice returning.
‘And if I do?’ Kaspar challenged.
‘When one plays with fire, one gets burned.’
I frowned, looking from one man to the other. I’m not a fire of any kind and I can’t ‘burn’ them, so what does he mean? But Kaspar seemed to understand and he got up, storming towards the door when the King spoke again.
‘You may go.’
I shot up and scrambled after Kaspar, passing him in the doorway as he hung back.
‘Why do you have to lecture all the time? Mother never did,’ he spat at his father in a bitter tone, sweeping passed me without a second glance. I hurried after him. He was already halfway down the corridor when I called after him.
‘Kaspar, wait up!’ He stopped, turning slowly. I jogged to catch up and looked up at his eyes. Their usual emerald green was tainted with grey and each watched me coldly. ‘What did your father mean about the fire?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Yes, you do know. Why else would you leave like that?’
He closed his eyes and forced a breath through his gritted teeth. ‘Look, Girly. Maybe I do know. But either way, I’m not going to tell you.’ He marched away but I caught up with him again and touched his arm.
‘What?’
I paused, uncertain. ‘You owned up.’
‘Yes, I did,’ he grunted, pushing my hand away and turning on his heel.
‘But why?’ I questioned, talking to the back of his head. He didn’t answer and when he disappeared around the corner, I slouched against the wall, defeated. Why were vampires so bewildering?
The fire flickered lazily in the hearth, the warmth burning my legs. The long red-and-black drapes were pulled across the windows and whistling could be heard outside as a faint chime on the wind. The moon was at half, dully lighting the pond at the edge of the grounds.
I walked away from the window where I had been peeking through the curtains, watching as yet more clouds rolled in. I had never known an August like it, weather-wise. Storm after storm seemed to persist in ruining the summer and any thoughts of hot days had been given up long ago. Not that the vampires minded. I collapsed into the squashy armchair by the fire, the only person in the room to realize just how much heat it was throwing out.
I listened as Cain, Charlie, Felix and Declan played poker in the corner, occasional exclamations of ‘Cheat!’ breaking through the quiet. Lyla lay with her phone on the sofa, her fingers darting over the screen, smiling to herself. Kaspar sat in the darkest corner, aimlessly plucking strings on his guitar and averting his gaze whenever his name was called.
I looked back to the fire, seeking solace from the tongues lapping at the grate. Mesmerized, I gazed at it for a minute before I sensed someone watching me. Fabian, sat in the chair opposite me, stared at me through curious eyes, as though he was trying to decipher something.
‘You haven’t had a very good birthday, have you?’ he asked, keeping his voice low.
‘How do you know that?’ My mind was guarded, wasn’t it?
He smiled, his eyes twinkling with mischief. ‘Looked you up online.’
I slumped back into the chair, which moulded to my back. ‘As you ask, no, I haven’t.’
The grin remained. ‘I think I might know what will cheer you up.’
I raised an eyebrow. ‘It’s not dinner, is it?’
He chuckled. ‘No, nothing like that. There’s a royal ball coming up in a couple of weeks’ time. Humans can go if they are invited,’ he gushed. I narrowed my eyes, having a sneaking suspicion of where this was going. ‘It’s good fun and there is dancing and all sorts of music and it will cheer you up; maybe you’ll even see a different side to us and the Kingdom. Anyway, I was wondering if you would maybe like to go? Possibly?’ he finished.
I raised an eyebrow again. ‘Do you mean go with you?’ I asked.
‘Well … yeah.’
I grimaced. ‘Well, I have a very busy schedule of avoiding being sucked dry, so I will have to check my diary. But I can pencil it in, if you like?’
A huge beam spread from ear to ear on his face and he laughed, getting to his feet, pulling me onto mine too. The four boys had stopped playing poker to watch and Lyla peered over her phone, her lips parted a little in surprise. Even Kaspar looked out from his dark corner, studying me with his piercing gaze.
‘I would like that … I would like …’ He swept down into a bow and took my hand, planting a kiss on my knuckles. My eyes widened in embarrassment. ‘I would like you, Miss Violet Lee, to do I, Lord Fabian Marl Ariani, Earl of Ariani, the honour of accompanying me to the ball? Glass slippers and all?’
There was a pause as I digested his overkill. ‘If I must,’ I replied, rolling my eyes. His smile became wider and he jumped up. I glanced over at the others, who were all smiling, save for Kaspar and Lyla, whose faces were totally blank.
My heart fluttered for a moment, both in fear, disbelief and a little in excitement. ‘There is only one slight problem,’ I said.
‘What’s that?’ Fabian asked.
‘I don’t know how to dance.’
Fabian smirked, his eyes twinkling with mischief once more. ‘Oh, we can fix that.’
TWENTY
Violet
‘What do you mean you’re going to give me dance lessons?’ I screeched, head whipping around from one vampire to another.
‘It means exactly that. Dance lessons. Would you like me to spell it out for you?’ Kaspar leered.
‘I am perfectly capable of spelling it, thank you very much. I am sure I am far more intelligent than you anyway,’ I replied.
‘Sure thing, Girly,’ he retorted, laughter curling his lips into a lopsided smile. ‘I have years on you. Now come on, I don’t have all day.’ He grabbed me by the elbow and marched down the corridor. I glanced over my shoulder, looking for some pity from Fabian and Declan, but both just shrugged and followed.
‘You are a total jerk, you know that, don’t you?’ I told Kaspar, not bothering to hide the disdain from my voice.
‘Yes. But you will thank me one day,’ he replied, his characteristic smirk forming on his blood red lips.
We arrived outside the music room and stepping inside I saw Sky, Jag and Lyla stood beside a jet-black grand piano, placed at the edge of a square of varnished floor.
‘Here, put these on,’ Lyla said, throwing a pair of super-high, shocking-red heels at me and, fearing impalement from the stilettos, I let them fall to the ground. I glanced at them and then back at my flat shoes. I caught Lyla’s glare, however, and decided it would be best to do as she said. I slipped them on, the thin straps digging into my skin. Straightening up, I glanced at the ground, noting that it was a lot further down than usual.
Sky sat at the piano and Fabian grabbed my hand, pulling me onto the dance floor. I teetered on the spot, grabbing him for balance. I blushed wildly and an apologetic look formed on my face.
‘Violet, have you done any dancing before, other than this grounding?’ Sky called from the piano, where he sat playing scales up and down the piano, not paying the slightest bit of attention to his hands but never missing a note.
‘Grinding,’ Kaspar, Fabian and I corrected in unison.
‘Well, whatever it is called, it is merely a filthy excuse to procreate in public. Young people these days … He trailed off, his voice full of disgust. A stifled snigger escaped my mouth and I saw Fabian’s lips twitch. ‘I will take that as a no, you have not danced before. Well, Violet, listen carefully. I am an impatient teacher. I will not wait for you to fall over.’ I sobered up, smile wiped from my face. ‘We will start with the box step for a waltz. Now, stop slouching and imagine there is a box on the floor. You are starting at the bottom left-hand corner. On beat one, step forward to the top left-hand corner … yes, like that,’ he said as I took a step forward. ‘On beat two, step to the top right corner with your right foot and on beat three the left foot follows.’ I did as he instructed. ‘And yes, bring them together! Good! Now, step back with your right foot and take your left foot back to your original position, the right foot following, and thus, you have completed your box. Good, now, try again …’
Over and over I did this, Sky barking orders as the others watched from the sidelines, occasionally correcting a step. After a while, he told me to start rising and falling and whirling, which left my feet in a tangle but once ‘Box, remember the box!’ had been shouted at me a few times, they seemed to find their way and I was sweeping across the floor without any trouble.
He stopped all of a sudden. ‘I think you are ready to try it with a partner, don’t you? Fabian, if you will.’
I froze. This was the bit I was scared about. Fabian stepped forward, taking my right hand in his left. He placed my other hand just below his shoulder and his hand snaked around my waist, resting just above my hip. I tensed up as soon as he touched me, afraid of the contact.
‘Relax,’ he mouthed, eyes full of warmth. As he breathed, I felt his cold breath stirring my hair and I was aware that we were close, very close – so close that I blushed again.