Alaric could be the one exception. The one vampire that may accurately depict a demon.
Though I could name quite a few humans that could fit into that depiction as well.
And though I couldn’t rid myself of my sympathy, I feared that it would be my ruin. Because it had opened a door, one with an uncrossable threshold, one I’d never make it back from. There was no return from the one guiding me down the hall.
* * *
We entered the dining room. It was almost laughable how tiny the, certainly not tiny, dining table appeared in the center of the enormous room with a towering arched ceiling. Massive paintings with gilded frames adorned the walls. One appeared to have been three Sebastian’s long. The walls and marble floors were white, as was most of the castle I had seen so far. And the dining table, of course, was cloaked in white. Candles in exquisitely ornate candelabras littered the length of the table, along with perfectly arranged golden table settings. I wondered if this was how they dined every night. I supposed it was only fitting for the home of the Queen who ruled over the most powerful kingdom on Dreigo.
Everyone was already seated as we entered. And my eyes immediately landed on the freshly scorned woman. By the look on her face, she was clearly Odette. The one who was supposed to marry Sebastian. The one who was promised the man at my side. Her pouty, pink lips curled into a slight snarl. Her eyes were filled with so muchvenom that if she glared at me any longer, I think I’d succumb to the poison. And she was everything I was not.
And everything my mother wanted me to be.
Cascading, golden locks, bright blue eyes like gleaming sapphires, golden tanned skin that glowed like the rising sun. She was breathtakingly beautiful. She wore a rosy pink dress, just as slinky as mine. Queen Sindri was at the head of the table, and Odette sat to her right.
As we approached the table, Sebastian began swirling his thumb in lazy circles against my skin. I nearly passed out at the sensation. Something so small, so minimal, but the effects left me lightheaded. Tingles sparked beneath my skin and bloomed across my whole body. For a moment I wondered if he was using his ability to calm me. But this felt different. This was just his touch.
We stopped before the only two seats available, right beside the stewing woman.
“I’d like to introduce my betrothed Charlotte Windsor.” He smiled. One of his rare, genuine smiles that stole my breath. Why was he smiling like that?
My inspection was cut short as I felt the searing heat from Odette’s glare. I didn’t think it was possible for her to appear even more angry, but she far surpassed my expectations. She was furious. Though it was neatly wrapped up within her deceptively calm exterior.
He glared at one of the staff who had attempted to pull out my chair for me as he did it himself. I sat down, and he sat beside me, Odette at his left.
“We’re so happy to have you, Charlotte.” Queen Sindri grinned and quickly stole a side glance at Odette. It was so fast yet obvious that I suppressed an inappropriate giggle.
Part of me did feel badly for the woman, and I wondered if I should have scolded Sebastian for breaking the news to her inthis way. The other part of me was oddly jealous, and I wondered if he would marry her once this was all over, once the portal was closed and he was back in his own world. I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful woman. She suited him far more than I did. And my chest ached at the thought. These feelings were becoming far more difficult to control, only breathing deeper at my attempts to smother them.
“And I’d like to introduce you to my betrothed Fela.” Queen Sindri gestured dramatically to the stunning woman at her left. Fela’s tightly coiled hair framed her perfectly sculpted face like a halo. She smiled warmly. Her rich plum dress complimented her beautiful ebony skin.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Fela.” I smiled.
“You as well.” Her voice was deeper, yet soothing, like the howl of the wind through the trees. “We’re so happy to finally see Sebastian with a woman he so clearly admires.” She also gave a quick glance to Odette, and if they kept doing that, I didn’t think I’d be able to contain the inappropriate laughter bubbling up inside me.
Queen Sindri introduced me to everyone else around the table, all noble women and men. And once she got to Odette, I grinned widely hoping it would appear as if I were just excited to meet her, only it was just to suppress the seeping laughter as the awkward glances ping-ponged around the table.
After we managed to get through that painful exchange, lively conversation erupted around the table. A golden plate was set before me with an artful display of roasted chicken, green beans, fluffy mashed potatoes, and a perfectly rounded roll glistening with butter. My crystal chalice was filled with what appeared to be white wine, whereas everyone else’s was red. A clear indication that I was the only human there. And my thoughts drifted to that night. Shadows moving through the dark, broken glass, a falling sconce, fire lapping up the carriage. Horrid growls. The night we had first learned myblood was especially potent. The newborns appeared deranged. They couldn’t control themselves. But none of the vampires here seemed to mind. I was not even a mere indication of distraction.
Maybe it was just like Sebastian had said. The newborns were not of Dreigo. The vampires here had more control.
I was so distracted taking everything in that I hadn’t realized Odette had been speaking to Sebastian. “... the last thing I expected, for you to return with somehuman,” she said it as if the word horrified her. “And from that world. They’ve painted us as demons, the lowliest creatures of the underworld. How you can even stand to be near her is beyond me. Is that really who you want to be with? Her unfortunate plight of being human aside, does she even have a title?” And any guilt I had felt for her quickly dissipated along with my admirations for her exterior beauty.
Queen Sindri and Fela’s side conversation suddenly halted as they both stared at me through the corner of their eyes. The synchronicity they shared was comical, and this time I did not keep the snicker from slipping past my lips. If Odette was not going to be polite, I certainly was not going to be either.
Odette’s glare snapped to me like the unsheathing of a sword. “Is something funny, Charlotte?”
I met her glare with a smile, what I likely would have never been able to do without Sebastian urging me to not shy away from incessant stares. “Yes,” I said simply, returning to my meal.
Queen Sindri and Fela nodded to each other as if in agreement of my response and returned to their own conversation.
But my triumphant smile quickly fell and was replaced by my widened eyes. Sebastian’s hand clamped around my bare thigh underneath the table and squeezed lightly. Perhaps he meant it to be encouraging, but warmth flooded my center, and I found it hard to concentrate on my green beans. His warm, heavy hand remained,and he began to swirl his thumb in slow circles. The longer he touched me, the harder it was becoming to not squirm in my chair.
I also noticed that he hadn’t said a word to Odette. I wondered if his coldness would affect the deal they had with her family. And if that didn’t, him arriving with his betrothed and flaunting it in her face had to. Though he said if we did not continue our fake betrothal then she would likely be all over him, and catching a glimpse of who she was, I didn’t blame him for wanting to keep her at a distance. My thoughts attempting to decipher Sebastian’s plan were flung out of my head as my chair was suddenly yanked closer to his.
My wild eyes met his smirk that turned wicked and amused at my bewildered expression. He wrapped his tree trunk of an arm around my shoulders and drew me in closer to him. All thoughts and reason quickly vacated my mind so that my focus could remain solely on what the hell he was doing.
He leaned in closer to me, and I remained frozen. His lips brushed across my ear as he whispered, “Just go with it.”
