I feel those shadow wings again, as though I’m truly the Raven, a creature of blood and darkness. The room is silent. Stefan drops Sophie, advancing on me. In a flash Deryck is there, helping her out of the room. Thank darkness. I cannot let my relief show, though. This game isn’t over. I can almost feel it in my hand, like a puzzle with different pieces. Whichever one I pick next will change how this goes, so I need to choose wisely. I cannot call for Bertrand, even though Stefan looms over me, too close for comfort. Joaquin is a dark presence at my side. The room crackles with power, everyone watching wide-eyed. I refuse to back down.
‘Is there a problem?’
Stefan sniffs, deliberately. ‘Just the stench of all that anti-feed you’re wearing. In the old days, you wouldn’t be permitted to exist.’
‘Stefan!’ Satin Skirt rises, grabbing his arm and trying to tug him away. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she says, glancing at me wide-eyed. ‘I think one of the dancers earlier had something extra added. He’s not himself.’
‘In the old days, I’d have had your throat ripped out for talking to me like that,’ I drawl. Joaquin’s hand comes to the small of my back, as though he knows my legs are shaking.
‘It could still be arranged,’ he murmurs, his dark gaze sharp on Stefan.
Stefan snarls, lunging at me. Joaquin moves quickly; before I know where I am, I’m behind him. And he has Stefan by the throat.
Everyone else is frozen. Stefan pushes against Joaquin’s grip, clawing at his fingers. Joaquin squeezes. Stefan chokes, his legs buckling. Holy shit. I place my hand on Joaquin’s arm.
‘Let him go. Jennie will never forgive us if we ruin her cushions.’ I keep my tone light, but I’m freaking out.
Joaquin snorts. ‘As you wish. We’re in Raven territory, after all. Something he would do well to remember.’ He shoots Stefan a fierce glare as he releases him with a shove, leaving all of us in no doubt how things would be if we were in Jaguar territory. Stefan staggers back, his hand to his throat. Black bruises bloom there, already healing.
‘I’ll tell my father!’ he shouts, his voice raw.
‘Oh, do,’ I say, not hiding my scorn. ‘And then I’ll let him know how you brutalised one of my friends and disrespected me. This palace is not a hunting ground; I’m sure Jennie won’t be happy to hear what you’ve been up to, either.’
‘You wouldn’t.’
‘I’m not the one who needs to run to Daddy.’
There’s another giggle, hastily muffled, from the girl in bloodstained satin. Stefan goes to lunge at me again, but Joaquin stops him, holding up his hand. He shakes his head, tutting.
‘You do not touch her. She is your heir and should be respected as such.’ There’s a growl in his voice and something dark in me responds.
Oh, he could be just what I need.
ChapterTwenty-Four
HOMEWARD BOUND
Less than a night later we’re on our way home.
Sophie is resting in my bed, one of the Raven guards driving. I leave her and head downstairs, the coach swaying as we turn out of the huge palace gates. My parents are on the sofa while Varin reclines on a chaise, reading, a faint candle lamp the only light.
‘How is she?’ My mother reaches out to me. I go and sit next to her.
‘She’s okay. Deryck healed her wounds, when he took her out of the room. Mentally, though…’
I’m still furious about the incident with Stefan. He finally left the room, perhaps encouraged by Selene returning with several more of Joaquin’s people, none of whom seemed particularly impressed by what he’d done. None of his friends left with him.
I went straight to Sophie as soon as he was gone, Joaquin at my side. ‘I’m so sorry,’ I sobbed, over and over, finally giving into the emotion I’d been holding back.
Bertrand, meanwhile, went to find my parents. They returned a few minutes later in a flash of colour and cool air, Varin and Jennie close behind. Stefan’s father, a tall vampire with the same dark hair and sneering expression as his son, arrived not long after.
‘Why was she outside, Emelia?’ My mother touches my hand. ‘Has she told you any more of what she was doing?’
This is the part I don’t quite understand. Versailles is bound by deep forest, only the roads leading to the palace cleared. Yet Stefan, when interrogated by his furious and embarrassed father, insisted he’d found her near the front gates.
‘I just wanted to see, Emelia,’ she sobbed, as we clung together in the aftermath. ‘It was my fault.’
‘It wasn’t your fault! Nothing about this is your fault. You should be able to go where you want without being attacked!’
