Page 57

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

FRANKIE

“This is the dress room.”

Katelin walked in and made a right turn. I followed her but instead of turning I went across the stone floor to the curved wall with open arched windows. I hadn’t realized how far we’d walked to get here but this was definitely the back side of the castle. From the second floor the view of the snow-covered trees and mountains in the distance were breathtaking. And then I remembered where I was. I shivered and wrapped my arms around my waist.

The Land of the Lore was out there somewhere, lurking in the shadows right in front of us and just out of sight.

It was a relief to know it no longer existed. Everest had destroyed it. But that wouldn’t happen for another three hundred years so it would be good for me to remember to stay the hell out of that forest entirely. I still had nightmares about my first trip inside when I hadn’t realized that was Spot who was actually guiding me back to Avolire safely. Hindsight really changed things.

“María?”

I jumped and spun around, pressing my hand to my chest. “ Lo siento. ?Qué has dicho?”

“It is too bad you are not French. I have picked up a decent amount of French.” Katelin smiled. “But they are similar so I might pick up a few words. Que sounds like what in French, did you ask what I said?”

I nodded.

She did a little happy dance like it excited her to have guessed right. Then he gestured to the rest of the room. “I said, this is the dress room. Every female of Avolire must have dresses and gowns, Sweyn demands beauty at all times. We do not get many newcomers but when we do, especially when they are without their own luggage, Sweyn will provide two items from this room. A gown, for she loves to throw a ball for any reason. Then also a linen chemise and boned stay for night-to-night wear. Sweyn goes through cycles of fashion preference though right now she prefers everyone to wear red. So, we do a lot of dying white linen and cotton.”

I blinked. It was strange to be here as a vampire and to see Sweyn from another light. Not that I was confused on the level of monster she was, it was just interesting. She was just going to give me two gowns to wear. That was more than I was expecting. I’d assumed up until now the vampires in Avolire remained here out of fear but perhaps they felt Sweyn treated them well. That would make fighting them a little more difficult.

Katelin held my arms out to the side and eyed my body then with a nod, she turned and walked over to where red dresses were hanging on wooden posts. There had to be hundreds of them in here. I wasn’t a well-versed fashionista but they all looked super fancy. Katelin lifted a red linen gown similar to the one Tegan had given me when I left Eden. Then she grabbed some kind of corset-looking thing that had shoulder straps and laced up the front and back. It was also red. Then she turned and walked over to the fancier looking gowns, ones that seemed to be made of silk or satin. I thought some of those were called brocades but there was a chance I was making that up.

“?Quién confecciona estos vestidos? ?Dónde los consigues? ” I sighed. I was trying to ask where they got these dresses and who made them, because they were far from civilization here, especially knowing what I did about human history of the New World and the colonies.

Katelin cocked her head to the side. “Are you asking me something about the dresses?”

I nodded and made a scissor motion with my fingers then pretended to hand sew. I’d never been great at charades.

“ Oh. Who makes them?” When I nodded with excitement Katelin chuckled. “Well, some of these were bought, and the rest we bought the fabric and I made the dresses out of them.”

My jaw dropped.

My expression apparently made Katelin giggle. “We may live way up north away from everything, but we move fast. Sweyn takes her court down to the colonies every month to buy things. We go to Philadelphia, New York, and Boston mostly, as she does not like to travel to the southern colonies and risk sunlight exposure. Especially now that The Coven has relocated to the southern mountains, we frequent the northern colonies often. That is where we buy fabric and supplies for constructing clothing. And of course, we visit the tailor for these beautiful gowns.”

Wow. I wonder if The Coven was aware Sweyn and her court were out and about.

“Do not worry yourself over money. Sweyn covers all the costs.” I must have made a face because she frowned. “Everyone who resides in Avolire has a job, we work and Sweyn provides us with food, clothing, and safety. It is a fair trade.”

I pointed to her then to the dresses.

“Yes, I made many of these. That is my job here, I am a tailor.” She was searching through the dresses like there was a specific one she wanted. “Sweyn will find a suitable job for you, although, with a face as pretty as yours, there is good chance you will be selected for her court, where your job will be to keep her company.”

I grimaced, which she luckily missed.

“Here we go. This dress will suit you well and shall make Queen Sweyn happy.” She draped a red gown over her arm then waved for me to follow her. “Now I shall show you to your living quarters underground.”

“?Bajo tierra?”

She glanced over her shoulder at me as we left the dress room, so I pointed to the ground. “Underground? Yes. To hide from the sun?”

“ Ah. El sol. Se me había olvidado.”

Katelin paused at the top of a spiral staircase made entirely of stone that looked super creepy with only the flickering of torch flames on the wall. She narrowed her white and red eyes. “How long have you been a vampire, María?”

I opened my mouth then closed it. Everest wasn’t around to answer that question for me, so I had to go with my gut. And my gut told me to be honest. One, because I was likely to mess up being a vampire anyway. But two, I remembered Katelin from the future, and something told me she was one of the vampires Everest’s crew said were against Sweyn.

Katelin stepped closer then glanced left and right. Then she leaned in and whispered, “ Is this new for you? ”

I nodded. “ Hoy. ” I grimaced. That was not an obvious sound for the word today. So, I pointed to the ground.

Her eyes widened. “ Today? ”

I nodded.

She exhaled roughly. “Big day for you.”

I threw my hands up. You have no idea.

“Right. So, we cannot withstand the sunlight. It will burn you to ash in minutes, so our quarters are underground. Now you should know, a vampire’s eye color will tell you a lot about them. If they were born a vampire, they will look like mine—-red and white. I am the youngest born vampire here right now, the rest of them are centuries old and will feel strange to you. They are colder and lack most human-like qualities. When a human is turned into a vampire, they retain their eye color but get a red ring around them.” She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to me then pointed to my eyes. “Yours are a pretty dark green with red, in case you have not seen them yet.”

My eyes widened. I had not seen them yet. The hall was dark underground, with very few torches, but I suspected vampire-heightened sense of vision did not require much light. Unfortunately, I was not given those senses just a superficial disguise. I’d counted the fourth torch when she finally stopped and opened a wooden door. With it standing wide open, she hurried in and lit a couple candles. I stepped inside and was actually relieved to find the room small and quaint, albeit a bit cold. There was a decent sized bed covered with a wool blanket and another fur one. On the other corner sat a set of wooden chairs and a small table where one of the candles sat.

“We do not spend much time in our quarters, save for sleeping during the day. Even then, there is a salon at the end of the hall if you keep walking where many of us like to socialize while the sun is up. At night, we are upstairs or outside.” She pointed to the bed. “Your chamber pot is beneath your bed. The privies are at the end of the hall next to the salon. At sunrise and sundown, a fresh washbowl is brought to your chamber so you can freshen up. For bathing we mostly use the lakes outside as there is only one wooden tub and it is in Sweyn’s chamber. She will invite you in for a bath occasionally but do not count on it.”

My stomach sank. Chamber pots, privies, baths in lakes. Good God. How did people live like this? Some part of my brain registered the fact that I used to live like this in my first life, but I was okay if those memories never returned. Actually, I’d died five centuries ago. I wondered what the bathroom situation was like back then. It had to be much worse. Surely made me grateful for the modern world and indoor plumbing.

I watched as Katelin hung my garments. “Since you are new here, and new to your fangs, may I give you some advice?”

I nodded quickly. “ Por favor.”

“The big men in the fur cloaks are the sentinels, Sweyn’s soldiers. They are brutes, stay away from them. Do not be intimate with one of them, or you’ll have all of them banging on your door. They are feral animals. Only the men in Sweyn’s court will make advances on you, most of them are harmless and you can simply tell them no.” Her face paled. She pressed her hands to her stomach. “Except for Aelric. He has long blond hair and eyes like mine as he was born a vampire.”

“Aelric.” I knew exactly who she was talking about.

“Aelric is a vile, cruel, loathsome, disgusting monster. Do not allow yourself to be alone in a room with him or he will take what you likely do not want to give him.” She intentionally eyed my body.

I shuddered. She didn’t need to tell me that. Aelric tried to rape me not that long ago in my time, had Everest not returned when he did—I shivered again.

Katelin nodded. She reached down and pulled up the hem of her dress all the way up to her knee . . . revealing a small dagger strapped to her calf. She held my stare and arched one blonde eyebrow then dropped her dress. “Most females carry one of these small daggers at all times for the sentinels and Aelric.”

“?Matar?” I grimaced and made a stabbing motion with my hand so she would know I meant kill.

“Yes, kill them if you must to protect yourself. Sweyn will rejoice in your victory and likely throw a ball.” Katelin watched me for a long moment then stepped closer and put her hand on my arm. “Sweyn is not kind nor nice. She is not your friend. She is . . .”

“?Malvados?” She was evil. Question was, did Katelin know that all the way back in 1712.

“Mal . . . that means bad, correct?” When I nodded, she nodded. “Then yes. Very bad.”

“ Then why do you live here? ” I asked in Spanish even though I knew she wouldn’t know.

“The human world is not safe for us. Sweyn protects us, provides for us. To work is a part of life, even the humans work, do they not?” When I nodded, she shrugged. “But also, the vampires have been exiled to Avolire by The Coven. Five centuries ago, Sweyn and the Unseelie fae launched a war against The Coven . . . and lost. The Coven are witches who rule this realm, sent and created by Heaven to defend humans from evil.”

My heart sank. Katelin was not evil. she was merely born into a species that had been.

“ Bruja. ”

“Yes, bruja. I have heard that word before.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, I need to put on my gown. So, I shall leave you to it, when you are ready just retrace our steps.”

“ Gracias. ”

“Oh, and one last thing.” She paused at the door, her hand on the handle. “Sweyn will eventually invite you into her bed, once she trusts you. Try to stall that invitation without making an enemy of yourself.”

I blinked. What a loaded statement.

“Although . . . Lord Everest had his eye on you. I’ve never seen him pay so much attention to a female. Try to get in his bed, Lord Everest is the only person everyone here fears. Do not let his cold exterior scare you away. See you at the ball. Oh, and no shoes.”

And then she was gone.

For fuck’s sake, what have I gotten myself into now? I needed to keep my head in the game. Needed to remember why I was here in the first place. I had to get that missing page out of Sweyn’s throne. Somehow. My stomach tightened into knots. I prayed Everest had some wicked plan for this because my confidence was slipping with every breath.

I made quick work of getting out of my dress, then carefully folded it up and shoved it inside my magic bag so I wouldn’t lose it. Katelin had not given me dressing instructions because she definitely assumed I was from this time period and dressed myself normally. I had to think back to the movies I’d seen set in this time period which was limited. In the end, I decided to wing it. The linen chemise was softer than I expected but not as soft as the cotton one Tegan had given me. The neckline was squared which meant I had to remove my sports bra, which I also shoved into my bag. It took me a bit longer than I expected to get the corset thingy on and once I did, I had to admit it did nice things for the cleavage, even for a girl who didn’t have a lot. The long sleeves were good, better to hide any message from Valathame if I got one.

Once I had that on, I slid on the fancy one. It was definitely silk and beautiful. The center piece in the front had little pearls sewn into it with shimmery gold thread. It had to cost a fortune in this time period. I’d left my stretchy shorts on under though, since the only person who had a chance of seeing those already knew I was from the future. As I headed for the door, I realized I didn’t want Sweyn to notice my magic bag, but I couldn’t leave it unattended. Tegan would have thought of this. I dove for the notebook. It only took me a few moments to find a spell to transform my magic bag into a fancier, smaller bag made of the same silk as my dress with similar embroidery. It had drawstrings that slipped easily onto my wrist. Just to confirm, I opened it up and shoved my arm inside up to my elbow. Still works.

With that, I walked out my door and made a left turn. It was four torches down then up the creepy spiral staircase. When I got to the top I was lost. Nothing looked like it did in the future. It must have been rebuilt sometime between now and then, or partially rebuilt.

“María!”

I sighed with relief at the sound of Katelin’s voice. I turned toward her and smiled. “Katelin. Gracias. ”

“I thought perhaps it was too much. Come, let us celebrate the start of your new life.”

Part of me felt guilty about lying to Katelin, she’d been so nice and seemed to be a good person. But I had no choice, I just needed to make sure I protected her in the future. So, I smiled and nodded as I followed her down the hall. Not for the first time since arriving here tonight I noticed just how opposite things were to the future. Avolire in 2019 the humans wore red and no shoes, yet Avolire 1712 vampires wore red and no shoes. Sucked to be me both times. These stones did nothing to hold warmth and everything to send chills into my body. I should’ve checked if Tegan gave me a spell for warmth.

By the time we entered the ball it was in full swing. Then again, vampires moved fast. And I was the only newbie here who didn’t know where to go or what to do. I had noticed that they’d moved from Sweyn’s throne room to the ballroom. To my surprise, the ballroom was almost identical to the one I knew. It was just stone instead of marble. And instead of glass windows it was just open air. Thankfully, at each open archway there was a fire burning in some kind of can. There were also three torches on either side of her throne, which meant there’d be a source of warmth while I attempted to get to the throne.

A band was set up on the right-side playing music. I had to admit, I hadn’t realized all those instruments existed this long ago but that said a lot about my lack of knowledge of history. Which was embarrassing since I lived before this. I was going to need to brush up on my history, perhaps take a few classes at Edenburg.

I glanced around the space between me at the door and the throne . . . there had to be two hundred vampires in here. It was a sea of red and I had to admit, it looked rather epic. The candles lining the walls added to the ambiance. Evil Vampire Queen, Frankie. Head in the game. Find your man.

Katelin leaned into my side and whispered, “ walk straight to the throne and bow.”

Then she was gone.

I pushed my shoulders back and marched forward. The throne was straight ahead. As I approached, the crowd moved aside for me, and it brought new meaning to ‘parting the Red Sea’ but I couldn’t enjoy my little joke because all of their gazes were locked on me. Outside, I had to keep a straight face. Inside, I was squirming. I was a sheep in wolf’s clothing walking right into the wolf’s den. It was too early to know if the size of this crowd would prevent me from getting to the page or if it would help me. I prayed for the latter because I wanted out of here before I needed to use a privy or a chamber pot.

Sweyn was perched on her throne right in front of me. While her red gown before had been beautiful, the one she wore now was stunning. It was made of red velvet that I had a sudden urge to run my fingers over. The embroidery may as well have been actual gold. Her red eyes flashed when they spotted me. She pursed those red painted lips then slowly gave me a wide grin.

I dropped into a deep bow at her feet. “ Mi reina. ”

“ Reina. I quite like that word. Perhaps I’ll use that as my name on my next visit to Boston.” Sweyn ran her tongue over her top teeth, lingering on one fang for a moment. “Prove yourself a trustworthy companion, María and I shall let you come along.”

“ Gracias. Mi reina.” I peeked up at her but did not move. “ Espero demostrarte rápidamente mi valía y confianza.”

She tapped her tongue on her fang. “Lord Everest, what did she say?”

My pulse quickened. Everest. He’d looked ravishing earlier in his red brocade waistcoat but when he slid up to Sweyn’s side I swooned. He looked like the sexiest pirate I’d ever seen. Or perhaps it was all the red that gave him Captain Hook vibes, but it couldn’t be helped. That deep red velvet coat reached to just below his knees, all but concealing the matching red pants—-that probably had a different name in this century. Luckily Sweyn’s kingdom decided to ignore the fashion trends of weird white wigs and frilly shirts. Even Sweyn wore her gown without her chemise underneath. They were sensual. I looked like a milkmaid.

“She hopes to prove her worth and gain your trust quickly,” he said with a purr, his blue and white eyes locked on my chest . . . right where the girls were pushed up to my chin. When I arched an eyebrow at him, he smirked.

Busted.

“ Good. A pretty face like that always has advantages.” Sweyn chuckled deep in her throat. She lifted her hand and tapped under Everest’s chin. “Why don’t you escort our new pretty face out to dance?”

Everest bowed his head then stepped forward and lowered his hand in front of me. “ M’lady, a dance? ”

My face was on fire. I had to be blushing as red as my dress. And he noticed, the smirk on his face told me so. When I put my hand in his I couldn’t hide the goosebumps that spread across my skin or the way my pulse fluttered. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sweyn’s eyebrows twitch as she tried to hide her laughter. She was enjoying Lord Everest making the new vampire girl blush.

If she only knew.

I let Everest pull me to my feet. His hand held mine as he spun me around and led me onto the dance floor. I kept my eyes on his even while I felt everyone else’s on me. And then the music started and everyone moved in perfect unison, getting into a formation. My pulse skipped. Is there an actual dance with specific moves? Everest moved me into position along with everyone else, the men on one side and the women on the other, our hands palm-to-palm between us. I didn’t hear a countdown or a signal yet at the same time everyone took a step forward then took a step back.

“Turn right, Francelina. Now,” Everest said into my mind.

I turned right until I faced him again, except we’d switched hands, so our right palms now touched. What in the Pride & Prejudice is happening right now? Shit, shit, shit. No one taught me dances like this. Fuck. This is how I get us killed.

“Try not to look panicked, my love,” he said with a chuckle in my mind.

A fire lit my face. He winked then spun me all the way around. His hand pressed to the small of my back, his shoulder brushing against mine as we shuffled forward in a line with everyone else. He took my hand and spun me away from him without letting go of my hand. I felt his fingers run through the long strands of my hair as I turned. He twirled my hair between his fingers then delicately draped it over my chest.

“ Distracted? ” I asked in Spanish.

His grin was a sight to see. It was the only thing keeping me out on this dance floor. I had no Idea what I was doing out here, I’d never done a normal ballroom dance yet somehow I was out here supposed to skip, turn, and stomp in the right order. Why couldn’t it just be the waltz or the tango? I could let him throw me around a bit.

Everest’s eyes flashed. He arched one eyebrow. “ What are you thinking about, my love?” He asked telepathically.

I bit my bottom lip and shook my head. “ I have no idea what I’m doing out here,” I said in Spanish.

He pulled me flushed against his chest in perfect unison as the other dancers, one hand on the small of my back while the other held my right hand out to the side. “ Just keep your eyes on mine, I shall carry you.”

So I did. I locked my gaze on his and held it there as he moved my body around the dance floor. Even when I spun, I snapped my gaze right back to his. For a few minutes we danced and for the first time I understood that scene in Pride & Prejudice when the rest of the room disappeared and Elizabeth only saw Mr. Darcy. I’d seen that movie a hundred times, yet this moment was the one where I understood that scene. Because while there were a hundred eyes on me, I saw only him.

Too soon the music stopped. We were chest to chest. I was breathing heavily. My skin was flushed and hot. Sweat trickled down my spine. His hand on the small of my back was burning a hole through three layers of fabric. His gaze slid down to my chest then up to my throat. I licked my lips, drawing his attention to my mouth.

A new song began.

I must’ve made quite the face because Everest smirked and spun me toward Sweyn’s throne. With his hand on the small of my back still, he escorted me back. I did not miss the way Sweyn’s eyes narrowed on us. I knew she was a bit of a jealous woman and we’d just put on more of a show than we probably should have. But I’d never danced with him like that. Elizabeth Bennet was right: dancing was best for flirting, and my partner was far more than tolerable. When I got home, he was going to teach me these dances. I would teach all of Edenburg.

“ Do you know where the missing page is located? ” Everest asked in my mind.

It caught me by surprise though, so I managed to snag my bare toe on the step that led up to Sweyn’s throne. Pain speared through my toe and into my foot. My balance abandoned me, and I fell forward. Everest caught me with an arm snaked around my waist. He lifted me back to my feet.

“ No tengo gracia, ” I grumbled as he held me still.

To my surprise, Sweyn giggled. “An uncoordinated pretty face. Tell me, tickling, how long have you had your fangs? Everest, what did you see?”

“She is brand new to our way of life, my Queen. She has not yet adjusted.”

She gasped. “A baby tickling. What a present for me. Fear not, pretty María, I shall show the way. Have you had anything to . . . drink yet?”

I shook my head before I realized what she meant. “ Oh. Sí, sí lo he hecho.”

“I shall fetch a glass of wine for our tickling?—”

“No.” Sweyn pushed to her feet. “Katelin, get our new friend a glass of wine. Everest is going to dance with me.”

My heart sank into the deepest pits of my stomach.

Everest stepped aside to let Sweyn walk down the steps in front of her throne and onto the dance floor. He looked to me and smiled. “Sit. Catch your breath before you are dragged back out there.”

“ Thank you. And yes, I know where the page is,” I responded in Spanish. I slowly lowered to sit on the step in front of him, my neck craned back to meet his eyes still. “ Distract her so I can look? ”

He nodded then spun away, hurrying after Sweyn. I’d expected the dance floor to clear so she’d be the only one out there but the opposite happened. Even more people joined them. Hope flared. Is this my chance? I scooted up two more steps so my back was directly in front of that compartment in the arm of her throne. The page was in there. It had to be. Valathame wouldn’t have sent me here if it wasn’t.

As soon as the music started, I was invisible. Not a single person was watching me. Shit, shit, shit. Just do it. Wait, no. Think this through, Frankie. What’s the plan? With everyone’s eyes locked onto each other’s as they danced, they were likely not to see me make subtle movements, but I wasn’t stupid enough to think I could boldly turn and look. First, I needed to make sure I had my magic bag in position to shove it in there. Which meant I had to subtly open the drawstrings. I had to make a show in case someone was watching so I arched my back and stretched my arms then slowly leaned back with my palms on the stone floor behind me. The rough edge of the throne brushed against my fingertips.

My pulse was beating like hummingbird wings. I slowly slid farther back until my fingers found the edge of the compartment door. But I had to wait in case it made a noise. The music would be my best cover so I watched the dancers to try and anticipate when they would clap in unison again. Except my gaze landed on Everest . . . with Sweyn. The anger and nausea that rushed through me were overwhelming. They were doing all of the same dance moves as everyone else around them yet there was something too intimate with the way she touched him. Not that this was a surprise to me. I knew he’d been with her. I’d known that the moment I met her in Avolire the first time, she hadn’t been subtle about it. Everest had taken his first human pet. So Sweyn had to assert her dominance and ensure I understood she’d had him.

The worst part was I wasn’t mad. Yes, I was full of rage but toward her not him. I’d begged him that night, crouched between his legs in the blood-soaked sand to do whatever he had to to survive. I’d given him verbal permission to lay with anyone he wanted. And I’d meant it. Eight hundred years was too long to expect a person to remain celibate. I’d wanted him to use every tool he had in his arsenal to survive, and I wanted him to find slivers of happiness where he could.

But I was mad that we were parted.

Mad that this female was the reason.

I wanted to march over there and stake my claim. He was mine. Somehow knowing that he was my husband for three centuries made me downright territorial. It wasn’t jealousy. He was mine. I wanted to peel her skin off with my teeth. I just prayed I got the chance in the future to kill her and when I did, I wanted her to know it was Celina. I wanted her to know she’d been played by him from the start. I wanted to watch that realization hit her.

The dance floor clapped.

I cursed and pulled at the compartment door. It popped.

“María—”

I gasped and sat up straight, causing the edge of my little purse to catch on the slightly ajar compartment door. “ Lo siento, lo siento ? —”

“Never you mind, it has been a big day for you.” Katelin sat on the step beside me with two glasses of wine. She held one out to me. “Fear not, it is wine.”

My cheeks flushed. “ Gracias. ”

“It takes most newly turned vampires some time to be able to drink blood from a glass.” She winked. “Luckily the wine is delicious.”

I smiled and lifted the glass to my lips. The flavor was rich and potent, much stronger than any wine I’d ever tasted—-not that I was super experienced in that. Katelin chatted along and it was a shame I was here to deceive because I liked her. She was nice. She was explaining the differences in the dances they liked to do—-because some were much older than Katelin assumed I was—-when the song ended.

Katelin cursed and slid down one step.

I grabbed my purse and followed, then glanced over my shoulder to make sure the compartment door was mostly closed. It was. I turned back a split second before Sweyn’s gaze caught mine. She opened her mouth to speak when three males stepped in between us, breaking her attention. They spoke in the vampire language then bowed and held their bow.

Sweyn giggled. “What kind of Queen denies her court?”

The male in the middle stood and held his hand out. When Sweyn placed hers in his, he spun her around and led her onto the dance floor with the other two guys following. Oh, they asked her to dance. Shit, she’s dancing with three guys at once. This has to be my moment. Wait, Katelin is here.

I looked up to Everest and arched one eyebrow. “ Take Katelin to dance. Keep Sweyn on the dance floor.”

“ Are you going for the page? ” he asked telepathically.

I nodded.

His face gave nothing away. He simply turned to Katelin and held his hand out. “Dance with me?”

She gasped and her cheeks flushed. “Yes, thank you.”

The second the music started, I pretended the dancing was closer to me than it was so I needed to move back up a step. I waited a few beats until her back was turned to me then I leaned backwards onto my palms again. When they clapped, I pulled the door open again. Problem was, I was at the wrong angle to reach inside. Every time Sweyn would turn I would scooch over an inch. I had to do this subtly.

“Look what I found . . . sitting here all alone,” a male voice purred in front of me.

I recognized it in an instant, even as my stomach rolled. Aelric. It was just like that night in Everest’s room when he found me in there alone. Those red and white eyes looked me up and down as he licked his lips. His fangs hung far too low for my liking. His blond hair was tied back behind his head, which made his widow’s peak even more pronounced. I sat up straight so I’d be ready to move if I needed to, my purse was still hooked around my wrist.

Aelric pursed his lips. “Does Lady María dance?”

I shook my head.

“Pity.” He grinned—and then suddenly knelt down, lifted my foot off the ground, and sucked my big toe into his mouth.

Muscle memory took over before I could stop it. I kicked him in the face as hard as I could. He wailed and flew backwards, holding his nose as blood splattered onto the stone floor. Before I could react any further, he growled and dove for me. His clammy hand wrapped around my ankle and yanked me toward him. I gasped — black magic coiled around Aelric’s throat and lifted him off the ground. His hold on my ankle vanished so I scurried back until I hit the throne. My pulse was flying. The entire ballroom was staring at us now. The music cut off.

Everest’s eyes were blazing. The muscle in his jaw flexed.

Sweyn appeared in front of me. “Aelric, what did you do to pretty María?”

“ He sucked my toe into his mouth, ” I shouted in Spanish. Then I gagged and shivered. It wasn’t a reaction I had control over.

“Her toe? ” Everest growled.

Aelric struggled against his magic’s grip. “The lady was bleeding. I was doing her a favor?—”

Everest growled.

Sweyn sashayed up to her throne then sat down and held one foot in the air with her toes pointed. “Bring your favors over here, Aelric. Serve your Queen.”

Aelric’s face paled. Everest dropped him to his knees. He crawled up to the throne and stopped right beside me. Those red and white eyes snapped over to me and his lip snarled. I stared back, remembering what it was like when Everest killed him right in front of me. Just you wait. I get you killed. But I couldn’t say anything of the sort, I had to just know it was coming for him. As he lifted Sweyn’s foot to his mouth I knew better than to think she was doing me a favor out of the niceness of her heart. Though, if I had truly been a new vampire here, I might not have seen the red flag waving in front of me.

I knew better.

And I knew she wanted the attention on her at all times.

And she loved a show.

I expected Aelric to take her toes into his mouth as he had done to me, yet when she hooked her leg around his head and dragged his face between her thighs, I also wasn’t surprised. I peeled my gaze off of them before she misinterpreted my reaction as wanting an invitation. I looked to the dance floor. Music started playing again yet it did nothing to drown out the sound of Sweyn’s moans right beside me. In my peripheral vision I could see her body squirming. Everest sat on the other side of me. I looked up at him and tried to scream with my eyes. He reached out to pull a strand of my hair out of my mouth. Sweyn was writhing in pleasure now.

“ Is she looking at us? ” I whispered as softly as possible, even though I knew she didn’t speak Spanish I still had to be careful. My trust issues were shot.

Everest glanced up over my head then subtly shook his head.

“ Squeeze my leg if she looks.”

He frowned but nodded. His hand slid up my shin to rest on my knee, sending little bolts of electricity through my entire leg. Focus, Frankie. I took a breath to clear my thoughts then pulled my magic bag to the edge of the compartment door, all while I kept glancing around at the rest of the ballroom to make sure no one was watching. Once I had my bag in place, I pulled the drawstrings to get it open and ready. Then I cracked the compartment open just wide enough to slip my fingers inside. My fingertips grazed the edge of something cold and sharp. My skin burned to touch it.

Holy shit. That’s it. That has to be it.

Everest’s gaze was locked on Sweyn.

I glanced around again then half turned so I was face-to-face with Everest. I pulled my knees up and leaned forward to block the view of that compartment. The crystal throne flashed. I frowned. The compartment snapped shut. I dove for it again when the ground rumbled beneath me. I grabbed my bag—Everest lifted me off the step, pressing my body to his chest then letting me slide down his chest until my toes hit the stone.

Sweyn’s throne and the entire top step began lowering into the ground.

My jaw dropped.

“Daylight is upon us,” Everest called out to the ballroom. “Take this ball to the salon.”