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I scrambled to hide farther back in my cell, picking up the electric weapon I had thrown there, and I found a good space to kneel down in.

All my muscles tensed, ready for a fight I couldn’t win.

“What the hell is this?” A loud voice boomed as the group came across the unconscious guard. And then, to my utter relief, twohumanguards showed themselves right outside my cell. It was the way their skin gleamed in the dim light. The way their uniforms fit them.

Fuck Cedar and her mind games.She must have known that they were human, that would have been the only reason why she would have chanced doing what she did.

I waved the weapon at them.

“Sorry,” I said with a smile. “He just got a little annoying.”

One of them let out a string of curses and put his hands on his hips. I almost expected him to start stomping his feet with how childish he was acting.This is their head guard?

“Move her! Obviously, she’s gotten too comfortable for a prisoner.”

“Waiting to be proven right actu?—”

I was cut off by the now-conscious guard coughing fit. It only earned me another glare, but at least I would be leaving the magic-coated cell.

Aurelia

The bells were ringing.

Church bells from the next town over. The same ones they used for funerals. Normally, they were quiet on wedding days so as not to disturb the vampire palace so close to them. After all, the ringing was annoying after a while to our super hearing.

But that day, they went all out. Rung them all. Three, I counted. Every hour for almost a full thirty seconds.

They were celebrating with us.

The humans, who had once cowered in fear of us. Had shunned us. Had hunted us because of our monster status.

They were now celebratingmygetting married to some ruthless vampire prince they probably didn’t even recognize.

Maybe they were celebrating my departure,a bitter voice said in the back of my mind.

Maybe they were actually happy that I would be leaving. Or maybe they had heard rumors of the cruel fate that awaited me, and they were rejoicing that the spoiled vampire princess who caused so much fear wasfinallygetting what she deserved.

I much preferred the latter. The hate was easier to digest.

I leaned my head against the cool window in my bedroom. The smell of rose petals was strong on my skin and tickled my nose. For hours, I had handmaidens in my bathroom, scrubbing me from head to toe with scented lotions and soaps. They spent even longer on my hair, making sure it was silky smooth and carefully curled.

They didn’t care how much I protested, citing that it had been an order from my father.

Of course.Even if he knew what awaited me, he still couldn’t pass up the chance to make a statement. A pampered princess on her wedding day. Everything would need to be perfect.I would need to be perfect.

The longer I stayed against the window, the more it began to warm from the shining sun. For a moment, I let myself pretend it was the little mouse.

My delusion told me Vesper wouldn’t have abandoned me.

Not after what she said.

I never wanted to kill you, Aurelia. Never.

But even then, wouldn’t this be something she would want to see? Or maybe even a last chance to come put an end to my misery for good?

I had been so stuck in my own pity party that I didn’t even think of the one final thing I could have asked her.

Ask me anything else.