Page 174 of Claimed By Fangs and Darkness

Why would Aster think I might choose to sacrifice my own comfort or safety in the name of justice? When he’d never sacrificed his own comfort a day in his life?

I hadn’t even been paying attention to whatever Aster said that caused me to laugh. It was as if I was on autopilot, the only mode in which I could reasonably operate without setting everyone in this castle on fire.

“Where’s the book you wanted to show Miss Evie?” Aster asked Juliette.

“In my room,” she said, her face lighting up. “I’ll go fetch it.”

“I’d love to see your room,” I said casually as I sipped my drink.

Juliette looked from Aster to me and back again. “Okay!”

I started to rise, my sheathed dagger heating in anticipation.

But Aster held up a hand. “Ah-ah. Evie can see your princess chambers after tea,” he said.

Juliette didn’t bat an eye, only nodding her head in subservience before bouncing out of the room.

Shit. Not exactly who I’d meant to end up alone with, but alas, the night was still young.

“How are things?” Aster asked when Juliette was gone, moving to sit closer to me in the adjacent cushioned chair.

I cleared my throat softly. “Not great. I’m almost ready to leave the protection of the turned,” I said. “I just have to gather some of my belongings and make sure people I care about are safe.”

Aster’s eyes flashed. He inched closer, too close now. His blood red aura crept toward me like a parasite. “How can I help?”

“You must swear to me that you’re really trying to improve mortals’ lives.” I played up the internal conflict for additional believability. “The witch hunt needs to end. You’ve been burning books that could help witches likeme.These policies have harmed the innocent. The turned vampires say you and Conrad support the slave trade. Is that true?”

Sipping tea in a puddle of tulle, I made myself look like the most naive, unaware girl in the world.

Aster’s eyes softened as he lied to me. “No, pretty girl. As I’ve told you, I am vehemently against slavery in all its forms. I do not believe in the cheapening of love and sex. I stand for old-fashioned chivalry. A male vampire’s purpose is to protect and provide, not harm. I vow to you, Evie, our love story has been written in the stars. I have only ever sought to protect mortals, including from witches who have lost their way and who sow bloodshed. But if you believe our tactics unjust, we willlisten. The lords have always listened to our vulnerable, mortal constituents.”

I gazed down at the pretty food and sighed. He spoke such beautiful bullshit.

Aster leaned forward again. He moved a blonde strand behind my ear. “I’ve wanted to do this since the moment I saw you were alive.”

55

EVIE

No. I had less than two seconds to think, to figure out a way to dodge without breaking character.

Aster’s lips met mine. They were too soft, too demanding, too blood-stained.

I wanted to die. Tears threatened to well in my eyes, but I swallowed them down. Instead, I gently pulled away.

“Sorry, did I misread?” Aster asked.

“No,” I whispered. “I’m just feeling emotional. I’ve had such a difficult few months. Or perhaps a difficult life.” I smiled sadly. “The promise of a safe home sounds too good to be true.”

At this, Aster’s lips curved. His eyes welled with a strangely genuine emotion for a vampire. As if he really did see himself as virtuous and noble—a white knight for all wayward, abused girls.

Or maybe he merely found our wounded nature attractive.

He touched a hand to my face, and I feared he was about to kiss me again when Juliette saved me.

“Oh,” she squeaked at the door.

Aster’s hand moved to stroke my hair in a way that made me want to slit his throat. I slowly turned my head.