“The car will be here soon. Shall I help you dress?”
“Absolutely not.” I shoo him out the door and spend a while wrestling with the outfit. I’m frustrated by the end of it, realizing it’s impossible to do up the laces myself and hemusthave known that.
“Of course his had the cinches in the front,” I grumble. “Bastard…”
I fix it up as best as I can on my own, quickly do some basic makeup, and head out. Claude hurries me straight into a waiting limousine too quickly for me to even consider asking about my laces. The moment the door shuts behind us, the car starts moving. Unprepared, I nearly topple off my seat, but Claude holds me steady with a gentle hand on my shoulder.
“God,” I huff, anxiously patting down my hair and smoothing my dress as his hand recedes. “What’s the rush?”
“We’re late,” Claude says.
“What? Why didn’t you warn me earlier?”
“It was a last-minute decision to attend.”
I think about his mood yesterday andalmostbring myself to inquire about it. But Claude has been pointedly avoiding saying anything about it, pretending everything is normal, and I don’t want to be the one to ruin his good mood.
“Is it a Vulpe party?” I ask instead.
For a moment I swear Claude winces, but a second later it’s covered by an affected wrinkling of his nose, like he finds the idea distasteful. “No, and count yourself lucky. Camelia parties are far more entertaining.”
“Camelia,” I murmur to myself, remembering Benjamin’s explanation and the glimpses I got of glamorous vampires at the Valentine’s Day Ball. The court of beauty with their rose-and-dagger icon. Part of me worries I’ll never fit in with such a crowd, but then again, I’m unlikely to ever be in the spotlight when surrounded by such peacocking.
“Lady Viktoria de Camelia is hosting. She’s a friend of mine.”
My eyes widen. Iknowthat name, that face, just likeeveryoneknows her and her famous valentine, Jonah.
Claude’s look turns sly. “Ahh. Not going to be starstruck, are we? I didn’t take you for a fan.”
“I’m not afan,” I protest. “Everyone knows who they are. They’re so luxurious and… and beautiful.”
Claude’s eyes narrow as he notes the color rising in my cheeks. “And I am not?”
I huff a laugh, look away.
“Well, don’t go saying that kind of thing in front of them,” he says. “You’ll only stroke their already insufferable egos.” A pause. “Feel free to compliment me, though.”
I studiously inspect my nails.
“Very well,” Claude says, his tone further stiffening. “May I drink from you, at least?”
I look up at him, sighing. “Now?Afterwe dress for the party?”
He presses a hand to his heart, mock-wounded. “Nora! When have I ever spilled a drop? Even my bedsheets were spotless, and I was in a wretched state last night.”
I grit my teeth and will myself not to flush at the reminder. “Yeah, fine.” I hold out my wrist. Instead of biting in to drink directly from me, he grabs a wineglass from a nearby shelf and carefully holds it under my wrist after he bites me.
It stings more than usual, but he’s careful as always, and seals the puncture wounds with a quick kiss. Then he produces a bottle of sweet red wine and pours a generous portion into the glass before drinking. His eyes close with a hum of pleasure. Only when he opens them again and glances at me does he hold out the wine bottle in offering.
“I just had breakfast,” I say. And then, belatedly, “This isyourbreakfast.”
“We’re going to a party,” he says. When I still stare, he shrugs. “Suit yourself.”
I watch, arms folded across my chest, as he makes his way through one bottle of wine, and a second, tapping the bottle against the rim of his glass to make sure he gets every last drop. He always tops off his drink without fully draining it, ensuring that each glass contains my blood. Each one must be progressively less blood and more wine, but it seems it’s still enough for him to drink it comfortably… a fact he must have gleaned from doing this many, many times before, I gather.
As he opens a third bottle, he glances at the dregs in his cup before glancing at me over the rim. “May I have a little more?”
I sigh. “Are you sure you should be drinking this much before we even arrive?”
