Her shoulders tense. “I tried to protect both of us.”
“Phoenix—”
“But here we are anyway.” Her laugh is bitter. “Married. Exactly what he wanted.”
“I know you always dreamed of going back to school,” I say, wanting to give her something. Anything. It let out a small whistle. “A Ph.D. in Ancient Religions. That’s wow. I’m so proud of you for making that happen.”
When I look at her, she’s turned away again. But I can see her back rise and fall like she’s trying to control her breathing.
“Phoenix?” I take a step forward. “You okay?”
“Fine.” But her voice comes out strangled. She moves toward the door, not quite stomping but close. “Let’s go. Breakfast will be ready, and if we’re late, Vlad will have something to say about it.”
She reaches for the doorknob, then pauses. But doesn’t turn around.
“Thank you,” she says quietly. “For not making this harder than it has to be.”
Before I can respond, she’s out the door.
I stand there alone in our wedding suite, still buttoning my shirt. Still hungry.
But maybe—just maybe—not quite as hopeless as I was yesterday.
FIFTEEN
LAYDEN
Breakfast at Vlad’scompound means a big meal with my whole family who are still gathered here. We all came for sanctuary, and they stayed on once Vlad tricked my brother into the blood oath that meant I had to marry Phoenix. Our castle back home had been destroyed so everyone might as well stay for the wedding since they were already here.
But any time my whole family gathers, it means chaos. We can’t help it. Being at Vlad’s compound has everyone more on edge than usual.
A bigger breakfast table had to be brought in, considering usually it’s only Phoenix that eats actual food. As soon as the nuptials were announced—or should I say,decreed—Vlad was suddenly more than happy to make accommodations for the rest of us. He had his minions clear out a storage room as a dining room—one of the few rooms in the compound with rows of windows.
The morning light streams through those windows in golden shafts, illuminating dust motes in the air. It’s beautiful in a waythat feels almost mocking, given the darkness that permeates the rest of this place.
It’s not that Vlad and his family can’t go out in sunlight like all the legends about vampires say; they just greatly prefer not to. Something about how it pains their eyes and gives them headaches. Plus they see much better at night, like most nocturnal creatures.
In spite of the fact that he doesn’t eat normal food, Vlad insists on joining us for breakfast every morning. He sits at the head of the table and just keeps the two windows nearest to him heavily shaded so he can stay comfortable.
As soon as Phoenix and I appear, he claps his hands and stands up with a smile on his face. It is not a pleasant sight when Vlad Tepes smiles. The few times I’ve seen him flash his teeth at me, his fangs only slightly more apparent than the rest, I always got the impression that he’s about a millisecond from ripping my throat out.
I know a savage predator when I see one.
Apparently so does Ksenia and Kharon’s baby, Luna, who starts to cry at the other end of the table.Good instincts, kid.
I look away from Vlad toward the rest of my family. Apparently, we’re late to the show. Everyone else is already seated. Abaddon and his wife, Hannah, sit nearest Vlad with their toddler, Raven, between them. Her black wings flutter behind her, but she remains seated for now as she plays with the silverware in front of her.
Then there’s Ksenia and Kharon with their baby girl.
And finally, my conjoined twin brothers Remus and Romulus—it appears Romulus is awake and in control of their shared head at the moment—with their consort Lauren.
The two seats on either side of Vlad remain open. How nice. He’s given Phoenix and me pride of place. Or no one else wanted to sit beside him. Likely the latter.
I also don’t miss that Vlad has several of Phoenix’s so-called “uncles” stationed around the shadowed corners of the room. He never enters a room without them. They’re ostensibly his guards, but he just likes to keep them around as creepy reminders that he’s always in control.
Phoenix takes her chair first. As I move to sit between her and my brother Kharon, her hand brushes mine briefly—an accident, maybe, but I feel it like a spark of electricity. She pulls back quickly, not meeting my eyes.
Vlad lifts his hand and makes a gesture with his wrist. Women dressed in barely decent thigh-high red robes come in, each carrying a steaming breakfast plate for all the “eaters” at the table. In a synchronized motion, they set the plates down in front of us.
