Page 4 of The Ballad of the Vampire Prince

She clasps her hands to her mouth, her eyebrows crinkling in surprise. “Seven dresses? What am I going to do with them?”

“Now you can wear a different one each day of the week,” Han says with a wide grin playing on his face, exposing his sharp-pointed fangs.

For a peasant from a poor village, even a single dress is considered an opulence and unheard of. Her hand trembles as she runs her hand on the pearls and beads embroidered into the gown.

“This is too much,” she whispers with a shaky breath. Her lover passes his next gift into her hand to draw her attention back to him. “A book I bought from the next town.”

The girl looks at them with a smitten expression, completely overwhelmed by their affection. Everything is new and a delight to her eyes. I suppose there is a certain charm to the girl. I can see why Bas would fall for her.

“Wait until you see the shoes to pair with the dresses.” Han exclaims, refusing to be outdone.

A strange warm feeling spreads in my chest seeing the wide smile on their faces as they attempt to outdo each other’s gifts to win the girl’s heart.

This memory makes me realize pain isn’t the only thing I’ve known during those times. It’s just all that I remember.

The candle on the mantel burns to nearly half of its length by the time they retire. Han lays dormant at the foot of the bed, as still as a statue—a state of rest we take instead of going to sleep.

Bas remains awake with the girl leaning on his chest. He is whispering sweet dreams and secrets, describing each of the places she points on the map.

Fear grips me to the bone.

“She’s here.” I tell them.

All of us go silent.

Han has his hand clasped on Gwyn’s mouth.

I wish I had caught their scent sooner. They must have masked their presence this time. But we are well prepared for emergencies like this. Bas turns to his girl. “You need to leave now, my darling.”

The girl nods without question as they head to the small escape route behind the bookshelf. It will lead straight to the river where a raft awaits.

He strokes her hair gently and kisses her temple. “Just like we practiced. Stay safe, Gwyn.”

One would consider twice before crawling into a dark and narrow tunnel. But the girl is brave.

She hugs him and creeps carefully into the pitch-black pathway like a little mouse. Han is already throwing every trace of her into the fireplace with inhuman speed. The dresses, the shoes, the book, everything. I spill the lantern oil around the room to mask any lingering human scent.

The anticipation is gnawing in my chest, pounding my pulse into a chaotic rhythm. I close my eyes briefly to sense them again. The intruders pass the first ward on the gates, then the second on the entrance. They should arrive at the doorany second now. A pit of dread forms in my gut over their approaching presence.

The mammoth door bursts open and a blonde-haired woman in a red dress steps in.

Bas and Han tense, glaring at her. Petite, lovely, and deadly. She may take a different form in one of her new heirs, but this is definitely her.

Lilith.

“Hello, my boys,” she greets, her voice carries a musical lilt to it. “Have you been good while I was gone?”

Not one of us answers her.

Only the devil knows why she has come here. Last we saw her was a year ago, before she left in search of some magical book.

She moves to the shelves at the back wall, humming a merry tune. Her movements around the room are familiar, as if this is her second home.

“Do you need the report on the success of our raids?” Bas asks politely, but I recognize the prickling alarm in his voice.

The enchantress can easily summon us whenever she desires. Lilith doesn’t show up unless there is something she wants from us.

She juts her chin with a childish pout. “You don’t write, you don’t visit. I was beginning to think you’ve forgotten me.”