“Don’t be absurd.” Alaric recoils. “The blue would clash with my eyes. It is yours, Arabella. It belongs with you.”
“This certainly calls into question the integrity of Édouard’s mystery seller.” Gideon takes the box. “Allow me.”
Gideon’s fingers sizzle against my skin as he drapes the jewels around my neck, carefully fastening them. “So Dora’s vision did come true.”
As soon as their weight drapes across my skin, it’s as if they never left. As if my neck was made for them.
I run to a mirror on the wall and study them from every angle. I can’t stop running my hands over them. Mine. Mine again. Gideon comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my neck, trailing his lips along the place where jewels and skin meet.
“I always knew you were a goddess,” he whispers. “Now the world will know it.”
I touch the tip of my finger to the scarab, listening to the hum of magic in my veins. All those years I believed my luck had left me, but instead, real magic had been close. Real magic in the form of a grieving, bloodthirsty vampire willing us together again.
Looking at Gideon’s cobalt eyes, I believe it. I believe even the gods bend the rules for this man.
I didn’t get lucky because of magical jewels. I’m lucky because I am loved, fiercely and imperfectly, by this man.
“How do they feel?” Gideon asks, a golden curl flopping over his eye.
“Like they’ve come home,” I say as I pull him to me, and kiss the infuriating smirk from his lips.
55
Arabella
Dora:I know it’s a week early, but I’ve already finished packing my bag. Do you think we can go to Paris tonight? Say, just before the village variety show is due to begin?
IT’S STANDING ROOM ONLYin Sanctus Club. Vampires and humans mingle awkwardly. It will take more than a party in a fancy club to convince the villagers to accept Sanctus Estate, but the free-flowing cocktails (with or without blood) will go a long way to help.
I nod to Lilac, who’s behind the bar mixing perfect blood cocktails for the Upyr guests. She nods back. She may come from the same court as my evil sire, but so far, all she’s used her magic for is to repair my beautiful skin after the damage from Astor’s blade – therefore, she is worthy of knighthood.
“Is this really what La Petite Mort was like?” Winnie asks as she spins in a slow circle, taking in the crowded booths, the twinkling lamps, the sumptuous velvet and gold everywhere. Thankfully, Sinead hadn’t made much progress on redecorating Sanctus Club, and Gideon was quickly able to restore it to its original, superior design.
“The music was much better,” I yell over the pounding bass. Gideon insisted that our patrons wouldn’t be interested in the music I used to play, and needled me until I signed over total control of the playlist. I let him have it because men need to win sometimes.
Actually, that’s a lie. I snuck on some of my favourite dancing tracks when he wasn’t looking. I will make them all appreciatedecentmusic, for I am correct on all matters of taste.
Make that, all matters, full stop.
“Thank you for inviting us into your world.” Mina’s eyes cloud over with happy tears as she hugs Celeste close to her. “Both of you.”
Celeste beams at me. Our friendship has deepened since I discovered what she is. We aren’t hiding our true selves from each other or our friends. It’s scary, but the good kind of scary, like the first time you pat a snake and she gives you thatlook.
Speaking of snakes, Cleo VII is in her element tonight – draped over my shoulders, wearing her bling and surveying her domain. To say thank you for saving my life, Gideon gifted her with a matching scarab collarandadded another floor to her enclosure. He’s now her new favourite Upyr.
“And thank you for taking us all on a trip to Paris!” Maisie cries, squeezing James Pond so hard in her excitement that he beaks her in the face. “I can’t believe we leave next weekend for four whole days. I’m so excited to see your favourite places, eat your favourite foods, go to all your favourite shops and watch you try on fabulous clothes I’d never in a million years pull off. All that art. All that cheese…”
“Dairy is awful for gut health,” Beth scolds her. “I’ll be packing extra mushroom smoothie sachets, and I think we should each have one every morning—”
“No!” Isis, Dora, Maisie, Mina, Celeste, Komal, and Winnie cry in unison.
I smirk. No matter what, my friends will always be a source of frustration and delight.
“Are you sure you don’t want us to pay even a portion?” Winnie frowns at me. “That hotel you booked looks more like a castle. It can’t be cheap—”
“Only the best for Arabella Lestrange and her friends. This ismytreat, to say thank you for knowing me well, despite my best efforts. We should have done it years ago.”
“It’s wonderful to see you with a smile on your face.” Dora throws her arm around me, careful to avoid touching Cleo VII, but her eyes are focused on the empty stage. She’s trembling. Mike, thankfully, is nowhere in sight.
