Page 65 of A Vow of Shadow and Blood

The presence of a female catches my attention as she weaves her way down the entwined staircase all the way to where we’re standing. Like all born vampires, she’s beautiful to look at. Her wavy brown hair falls just past her ears, bouncing lightly as she moves toward us. I’m surprised to find her dark eyes bright with wonder as her mouth curves up into a smile.

“Karius! You’re back!” She beams, running up to him and jumping into his arms. He rolls his eyes, but it doesn’t stop his arms from curling round her. I’m not sure why, but the exchange makes me slightly uncomfortable. I watch in silence, feeling like I’m intruding on a moment I shouldn’t be.

Suddenly remembering my presence, she pushes away from him and turns to face me, her smile bright.

“And you brought back a friend.”

Both of us scoff.

“She’s a human,” he says as if that is answer enough for why we could never be friends. For once, I agree. A vampire will never be more than a monster I get to kill.

Ignoring him completely, she holds out her hand to me.

“I’m Piper.”

I stare at her hand, and Karius snickers from behind her. She pulls away awkwardly, throwing a disapproving look over her shoulder.

“I’m Karius’s cousin,” she tells me.

“I’m the only living pureblood he left alive after slaughtering an entire room full and then taking me prisoner.”

Her eyes widen before she turns toward him.

“Tell me that’s not true?” She seems genuinely concerned, but I know I must be imagining it, as I’ve never met a single vampire who gave a damn about a human’s life.

“I’ll explain later.”

I roll my eyes.As if explaining changes what you did.

“Actually, I’m glad you’re here. I have some business to attend to, but I haven’t quite finished my introductions with the human,” he says as his eyes sweep down the length of me. I scowl back at him, but he doesn’t even pay me any attention. “Get her settled into one of the rooms in the east wing and then have her ready for dinner in two hours.”

Without waiting for her answer, he spins to leave.Rude.

She turns to face me and bites her bottom lip. I’ve never met such a nervous-looking vampire.What is wrong with her?

I don’t know, but I imagine she will be easy to kill.

Likely.

“Ok. Let’s go. Do you have any preference for your room?” she asks.

“You mean my cell?” I deadpan.

“No, of course not.”

She looks at me, but I say nothing, which clearly unsettles her. She turns and begins up the stairs, and I follow quietly, my eyes tracing the intricate carvings on the walls. They are floral style patterns that look to have been hand-carved by the finest of artists. My stomach twists at what it must have been like to be allowed to express such talent freely.

After the war, humans were no longer allowed to do things simply for pleasure. To remain alive, we must serve a purpose. And a human’s options for work are limited. Being born with potent blood of any kind makes you a pureblood, bred to feed the vampires of the court, but to be born without any potency brands you a laborer, your life dedicated to manual labor that serves the court and its vampires. And having too much potency means that you are forced to give birth to more purebloods like my mother and father. There is no freedom in this world for my kind.

The palace is a labyrinth of stone hallways and sconces filled with starlight. I wonder how much shadow our prince trades in order to get this amount from the Court of Starlight. The human areas have very little access to starlight, but the vampires seem to have it in abundance. I take a pause when we finally stop in front of a door and pull my bag up my shoulder, the ache of it biting into my skin.

Piper swings the door open, and I suppress a gasp. A large room decorated in dark grays and reds comes into focus. A huge bed, far too big for one person, dominates the center of the room, while a massive arched window stretches across the far wall. It’s far more beautiful than anything I’ve ever experienced. I think of my small room back at the bloodhouse and know that it could easily fit in here at least four times.

I move forward, surprised to find carpeted floor beneath my shoes, the dark tufts shifting as I walk. My eyes are drawn to thewindow. I’m at least three floors up, which doesn’t bode well for my plan, but the view is exquisite, giving way to rolling hills and trees that seem to stretch on for miles.

“You like it?” Piper’s voice is soft and gentle, and despite myself, an odd guilt settles at the thought of being rude again.

“It’s nice,” I offer, and she smiles. Why does my approval seem so important to her? Perhaps it’s just a game she is playing to lure me into a false sense of safety before the prince takes his kill. I turn to face her fully.