Page 20 of The Vampire Court

“It’s wonderful to see you after all this time, my darling girl.”

There’s a flash of red, followed by stinging pain on my neck as she heals the cut. I jerk back as if I’ve been slapped. She releases me without protest.

“You’re dead,” I snap. A million thoughts race through my head.

Mother is alive. She’s been alive this entire time…and a vampire.Pressure builds behind my eyes, blurring my vision. Kitty, Father, and I mourned her.She could have returned, but she didn’t.She had been our mother. Though she was never overly affectionate, she seemed to love us.

But you don’t abandon the ones you love.

The betrayal stings. My throat is thick with a myriad of emotions threatening to choke me.

She takes a step closer.

“Stay back,” I say.

Mother tips her head to the side and smirks. It makes me feel like a child throwing a fit over something small. “Come now, Darling. We can be together again. Everything will be all right.”

“No. We thought you were dead. Everyone thought you were dead. But you’ve been here the whole time.” I shake my head. “Why would you become one of them?”

“Honestly, Darling, why dwell on the past when you can see I am alive? Let’s just be happy and—”

I shake my head.How can she act as though she’s only been gone for a few hours?

“That’s not how this works. Father destroyed himself drinking after you were taken. Losing you nearly killed him. Our lives were ruined. He gambled away all our money and—”

She grabs my shoulders and gives me a gentle shake, cutting off any further words. “It’s all over now. You and I are both here. Kitty is married.”

“How could you possibly know that?” I ask.

“I know more than you realize.”

I wait for more, but it seems that’s all she’s willing to give me.

I look past her to where Oliver stands. His mouth hangs open. I send him a pleading look, but he seems to be stuck looking back and forth between the two of us.

“Youweremy mother,” I manage to whisper.

She sighs. “I amstillyour mother.”

“No, you’re not. If you were, you would have been there to protect us. Instead, you were alive this whole time, but you never cared enough to come back.” I shrug off her hands and spin on my heel, walking back to the masquerade.

“Just give her time,” I hear Oliver say as I turn the corner.

I don’t need time.I don’t need her in my life.

If she wanted a relationship, then she should have returned years ago. It’s too late now. She seemed to know enough about us as if she’s been watching us all these years, but she didn’t care enough to help Kitty and me.

As far as I’m concerned, she can go back to whatever hole she crawled out of.

The din of the ballroom seems louder now, voices mingling and mixing with the music to make an ugly sound.

As I reach halfway across the room along the back wall, Alaric leaves his place at the queen’s side and strides toward me. His smile warms my heart, and I don’t care about the reason for this sudden shift in his demeanor. I only want to be by his side.

He halts before me. His smile falls, taking my heart with it, but when he holds out his hand, I don’t hesitate.

Alaric leads me onto the dance floor. We meld into the throng of other dancers seamlessly, mid-song. His posture is stiff, and he doesn’t speak a single word.

I want to tell him what happened. I want to ask if he has any idea about my mother and who she is, but I keep my mouth shut.