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“And leave me all by myself?” she asked with an exaggerated pout. “Maybe you don’t take your job very seriously.”

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be dancing with you,” I reminded her with a fake smile.

She let out a tsk of annoyance, but it was more teasing in nature than actual dissatisfaction.

“Very terribly at that,” she said, and twirled us both. “Do humans not do this or something?”

The song was bleeding into the next, the band no doubt seeing how much the princess was enjoying herself and wanting to keep the light mood going. Or maybe they also enjoyed the little bit of scandal they were witnessing firsthand.

“Richhumans do,” I replied, looking down at her with a smile. “Unfortunately, my humble upbringing didn’t get me invited to these things.”

“No,” she said before leaning in, dropping her voice low. “But they sure taught you how to handle a sword, didn’t they?”

“Among other things,” I murmured, finally letting my eyes wander the ballroom.

That was until, on our third circle of the ballroom, I met her fiancé’s eyes. He was standing next to a vampire who was talking his ear off, but his attention was on us. Though, if I were being honest, I wasn’t sure it ever left. His gaze was narrowed, his jaw tight. If he held his glass any tighter, it would be on the floor, shattered.

Only second to his was her father’s gaze. But his wasn’t one of anger. He was too poised for that. His anger lay hidden there, behind his reddening eyes.

We are embarrassing him.

Maybe one song would have been fine, but I was hogging her, and people were noticing.

Cedar was the next person I saw. She was back in our original position, and when our gazes met, she gave me a quick nod.

Is that some kind of signal? Are we safe?

But seeing how the other high-ranking vampires looked at me, it only felt like I had put us in more danger.

“Was it worth it?” she asked in a whisper. “The disdain of both my fiancé and my father?”

I swallowed thickly before looking down at her with the sweetest smile I could maintain.

“To keep you safe?” I asked. “I would give my life for yours, princess. Shouldn’t you know that by now?”

If the princess could blush, her cheeks would have been burning.I take it as another win.

Aurelia

At first, it would seem that nothing was off about the room.

The bed was perfectly made.

The cart of blood had been replenished.

There was a light smell of lavender from the maid’s cleaning supplies, but that wasn’t out of the ordinary.

Nothing should have tipped me off. But there was a certain aura around the place. I felt it as I walked down the hallway, like it was calling to me. Warning me that I was about to experience something horrific.

I’ve come to recognize the aura. After years of encountering the same thing, I no longer had to guess who would’ve been inside. I had come to expect something like this. Especially when I had been a bit too outspoken.

And then I saw it. The birdcage that I had so carefully placed near the window had its cover torn off. The cage was empty. The door had been left open, but there was no mistaking what happened.

The blood and feathers left behind told me what they had done.

Mine. She not only took what was mine but showed me exactly what she would do to me if I wasn’t careful.

Stepmother had always been creative with her cruelty. Sure, she never shied away from putting a hand on me, but she knew other ways to inflict pain. Pain that would linger. Bruises and cuts healed, but the cruelty of her mind games remained, the painful memories popping up every single time we crossed paths.