She wanted to make me nervous—that was for sure. Selene had mentioned that she had many cousins, some of whom were not happy with her taking the title of Marchioness, was this one such cousin?
“I don’t know who you are, and yet you seem to know about me—and you’ve interrupted me,” I told her.
I shouldn’t be speaking to a noble like that. Other than Selene and Heidi, I still didn’t have much experience with other nobles. But I didn’t like the way this woman was playing with me. If she was dangerous—if she thought me the weak point through which to attack Selene—I would show her she was mistaken.
“Oh, feisty. I think I am beginning to understand why she likes you so much,” she responded.
“Who are you?” I tried again.
“I’m Lady Adamantia of House Ardens. Has Selene not mentioned me at all? And here I thought I was her favourite aunt,” she told me.
Aunt? Selene had never mentioned an aunt.
“I can tell by your face that you have no idea who I am. Poor child, to be kept so in the dark about your lover’s affairs.”
“No, she hasn’t mentioned you. Aunt or whatever—you can’t be that important,” I said, standing.
My heart hammered in my chest, my lungs felt tight. I had just been so incredibly rude to a pureblood noble vampire who would probably eat me as punishment, and Selene was going to be so upset with me. And—
My internal worrying was cut off by Adamantia's laughter. “You are gutsy for such a little blood slave.”
I turned from her to leave, to flee back to the safety of the mansion—find Selene—but then I would be interrupting her meeting. No, I’d go back to our rooms and wait for her. I was stopped by a cool hand wrapping around my wrist.
“Sit back down, girl,” Adamantia demanded, and with one forceful tug, I was back on the stone bench.
“Don’t run away so quickly—not when you’re playing brave. It spoils the impression you’re trying to make,” she said, and I felt like I was being corrected by a school teacher.
“Now, why is my niece’s favourite snack outside in this weather?” she turned to theMan at Workstatue, “Are you admiring the finer details of this wor?. Arae had such a liking for the male appendage,” she continued, and turned to look at me with a predatory smile.
“But I don’t get the impression that you share such a liking. No, you prefer the fairer of the sexes,” she told me. I looked away, embarrassed by the conversation’s twist. Her hand turned my face back to her.
“Do not be shy about it. There is no shame. I like my partners strictly of the female variety also,” she confessed.
I found it odd that this older woman would so openly share such a detail about herself, but mostly I didn’t like the way she continued to hold my jaw.
“I wondered about Selene for a while, but she could never make up her mind. My niece enjoys the variety of all types.” Her hand gripped my jaw tighter, as if testing what I could handle.
“Let me go,” I demanded, moving my head back. How dare she speak of Selene in such a crude way. Selene didn’t like anyone other than me. She said so. Or maybe not in those words exactly, but she said it enough. Who did this woman think she was talking about? In that moment I felt something, a tickle at the back of my spine, almost like I was being watched. I glanced toward the mansion, but there was no one. Her hand, thankfully, fell from my jaw. I knew there was nothing I could do to stop her if she chose to keep hold of me—nothing I could do to stop her if she decided to rip my jaw off.
“Strike a nerve, did I?” she asked humorously. “Do you think you’re special?” she continued. I clenched my teeth. I was special to Selene. Not that I could say so or why aloud. But it was true. “Oh, you do think so. Perhaps you are. Her revenge on Valen did seem more personal than that of quarrelling family really deserves.”
“Quarrelling family? That’s what you call abetting in the murder of the Queen and planning to murder Selene to take the throne?” I asked, outraged.
“Families as old as ours tend to foster treachery in every generation. Jealousy fuels so much drama,” she replied nonchalantly. “But if his plan cut a little too close to the heart—say, including the abduction and molestation of a particularly cherished little blood slave—well, perhaps he went too far, even for an Ardens. There are limits.”
“What? Murdering her mother wasn’t too far?” I raised my voice and stood up again.
“Vasilios killed Arae, sibling rivalry is to be expected. Selene should and would have let it go, I’m sure of that, but she wouldn’t let you go. No. She took you back and punished Valen, made an example of him for a reason. Was her purpose to warn others not to touch her crown or her slave? One sets a tone the other creates a martyr. How far would she go for you? How much blood would she spill, how many lands and titles would she steal?” she asked.
“I freed myself. I escaped Vouna,” I told her, some part of me needing to show this woman that I wasn’t a weak little slave, that I was capable. But I was reminded once again of all the people who had died because of me, and my voice wavered, showing my weakness.
“Did you?” she asked and smiled in a way that said she already knew the story of what took place last summer, and my response had told her something about myself I shouldn’t have revealed.
“I’m leaving now,” I replied and turned from the infuriating woman, only for her to fall into step beside me as I made my way across the front lawn towards the entrance. I walked faster.
“Where are you going?” she asked. I stopped and turned to face her angrily.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, breathing hard.
