I peer at Misty. She’s the only true friend I’ve ever had.
“You wound me, Desiree,” Vyvyan says. “After all I’ve done for you—taking you in, ensuring you have a roof over your head, money in your pocket, and blood in your belly—this is how you repay my kindness?”
I close my eyes. Her kindness? Vyvyan is more like a dictator than a queen.
“Whoever told you about the cure got their wires crossed,” I say quickly, my voice steady despite the fear swelling inside me like a balloon. I glare at Vane. Did he use his gift to uncover Mom’s plans and tell Vyvyan to fuck with me? “My mom mightbe researching the cure, but it’s not for me.” When no one responds, I add, “Honestly.”
The silence in the room is deafening, disrupted only by the gentle crackle of flames.
“I wouldn’t take it, even if she succeeded,” I insist. “This is where I want to be, and I can prove it to you. I’ll go to Hebe right now. My mom’s working tonight; I’ll ask her to stop.”
Queen Vyvan examines me. “It’s amusing how you believe I’ll allow you to leave after what happened last time.”
“Vyv, I thought we had moved past that.” Vane sighs. “I helped her to help Leigh.”
I chew the inside of my cheek, the taste of copper flooding my mouth. Why is he pretending to help me? Probably because it’ll make Vyvyan less likely to . . . Fucking sadist.
“You would believe her, Vane.” Vyvyan laughs. “The girl’s your little pet, after all.”
My nostrils flare. Misty glances at me, but I focus on the spatting royals. If Vyvyan spills my secret to Misty, life here will be unbearable. Misty is in love with Vane. She has been since she first saw him. She wanted him to Turn her, but he refused. Vane doesn’t Turn other vampires, so I don’t know why he Turned me. Maybe because he enjoys lording over me.
“Vyvyan.” Vane utters her name as a warning. “Don’t.”
Vyvyan grins wickedly. “Don’t tell Misty how you broke your vow never to sire other vampires when you Turned Desiree?”
Misty gasps.
Air rushes from my lungs.Shit.
“Is that true?” Misty asks me. Vyvyan doesn’t hide her smile. “Vane sired you?”
Yes, Vane sired me, but it’s not what she thinks. Vane used me. He toyed with my heart and lured me into his bed so he and Vyvyan could laugh at my expense. Vane messed with the Blade Commander’s daughter. I was merely a joke to him, that’s all.
A joke that went too far.
I face Misty, reaching for her hand, needing her to understand I didn’t lie to hurt her, but she rips her hand from mine. Neon tears mist her eyes. “How could you?”
“You don’t understand?—”
“You lied. After I shared my past with you. My . . .” A sob escapes her.
Misty confided in me that, when she was still a witch, her fiancé had cheated on her with her cousin, whom she regarded as a sister. To make matters worse, they approached her on herweddingdayto inform her that they were running away together. Misty opened her heart to me, but I couldn’t reciprocate because of Vyvyan’s orders.
I look from Vyvyan to Vane, silently pleading with her to set the record straight and admit that theyorderedme to lie.
Neither vampire says a word.
“You made everyone think you couldn’t recall your sire,” Misty says.
I gag at the bitter taste in my mouth. “What can I do to fix this?”
“Nothing.”
The walls close in. I couldn’t have told her. Vyvyan forbade me to. Even now, Vyvyan waits for me to slip up and reveal the truth to Misty. Any sign of disobedience would allow her to kick me out.
“Oh no, Desiree, how could you betray your friend like that?” Vyvyan mocks.
Vane glares at her. “Shut up, Vyvyan. You’re being nasty.”
