‘I saw you, Girly,’ a voice sneered from the bottom of the stairs – Kaspar. All pity that I might have reserved for him after learning of his mother’s fate evaporated with his tone of voice and I groaned. ‘Don’t be rude. Come down.’
Reluctantly, I edged back around the corner of the wall and teetered on the top step, folding my arms around my middle. First to look up was Fabian, who smiled. In a flash, twenty other vampires were staring up at me.
They were mostly men, but there were a few women too, Charity amongst them, shooting me murderous looks. They were a mix of ages, some looking as young as Kaspar, some looking like they should be lying in a coffin.
There was a wolf-whistle from the bottom of the stairs and I looked down, searching for the source of the sound. Leaning against the bottom step was a man, his tussled blond hair cut short, a little stubble on his chin and his skin an odd pale orange in colour. He looked up casually at me, not bothering to hide the fact that he was staring at my breasts.
‘Well, who’s this then, Kaspar?’ He had an American accent – a complete contrast to the Varns’ upper-class British voices.
‘Who’s the leech?’ I muttered, not intending for them to hear, but of course they did.
‘The human?’ The man’s voice filled with glee as he quizzed Kaspar, who nodded. ‘Well, come on down then. I’m sure Kaspar won’t mind sharing.’
I wasn’t going to move but Kaspar’s glare made me think otherwise. I didn’t have to hang around long until his glare turned into a weapon as his eyes scanned the writing on my – well, Lyla’s – T-shirt:
‘SORRY, I DON’T DO SPARKLES. BUT I WOULD TAP VAN HELSING ANY DAY!’
‘Kitchen. Now,’ Kaspar growled. He pointed towards the living-room door and followed me through, rounding on me as soon as we reached the counter.
‘What the hell?’ He pointed at my T-shirt.
‘It’s Lyla’s!’ I protested.
He rested against the countertop and ran a hand down the side of his face. ‘That’s half the council out there and you had to wear it today! God, you are more trouble than you are worth.’
‘Vampires have councils?’
‘Plainly; you were just looking at it,’ Kaspar retorted. ‘Go, just go. But you’re to be down for dinner later. Wear something nicer than that.’ He gestured at my clothes and motioned for me to leave at the same time.
I gave a disinterested humph, and left, climbing the stairs. But as I climbed the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I was compelled to glance behind me. Someone was watching. Sure enough, a young man in the far corner of the room was studying my back with unwavering concentration. He had long silver hair, tied back, and an extremely angular face, with prominent cheek bones. He was not plain, quite handsome in fact, but there was something that made him repulsive. Perhaps it was his stance, looking up at me through his slit-like eyes, expression cold. Or maybe it was his crimson cloak, the same colour as blood. I turned away and sped up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
I crashed on my bed, thumping the mattress in frustration. Dinner with a vampire. Joy.
The clock was nearing six and, reluctantly, I slipped off the bed, sleepy after my afternoon doze. I hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but I was paying for the early mornings. Lyla had already laid a short, dark brown dress out, which I changed into, disgruntled by how low the cut of the lace neckline was.
It wasn’t long after when there was a knock at the door. Thinking it must be Fabian, I got up to answer. But when I opened it, I did a double-take as I saw who was outside.
It was the vampire from the far corner of the entrance hall. His dark blue eyes were wider now, warmer, and a smile adorned his face. He wore a black suit with a red tie and his long hair was loose.
‘Forgive me, Miss Lee, but I have been sent to escort you to dinner,’ he said in a smooth voice. I blushed.
‘Right.’ I nodded, trying to remember what to say. ‘Err, just give me two minutes, I’m nearly ready,’ I said, backing away and darting back into the wardrobe.
‘Of course,’ he called after me. I ran back in and scrabbled around, searching out a pair of shoes.
‘So who are you?’ I called from the wardrobe.
‘I am the Honourable Ilta Crimson, second son of Lord Valerian Crimson, the Earl of Wallachia.’
I sprung up as I heard his voice right behind me.
‘Do not be scared, Miss Lee. I will not hurt you.’ He reached out and took my hands in his. ‘I am simply inquisitive about your most intriguing future.’ He smiled, a little too nicely, revealing his sharp fangs, which I could have sworn were far longer and pointier than any of the Varns’ or their friends’ fangs.
At that moment, Fabian appeared in the doorway, surprise then anger covering his face. ‘What are you doing here?’ he demanded, turning to Ilta. I glanced at our hands, still joined, and wrenched them away.
‘I am here because I was sent by the King to escort her to dinner,’ said Ilta.
Fabian arched an eyebrow. ‘Well, Kaspar sent me, too. Are you all right?’ he asked me, shooting me a look as if I should be shaken.
I nodded, ‘Lead the way, I guess.’
SIXTEEN
Violet
I walked into the dining room, Ilta leading me, Fabian just behind. Candles flickered in their holders on the walls, bathing the room in a soft light. Red drapes were closed over the windows, and in the centre of the room was an extremely long table, covered with a deep red tablecloth and laid with elaborate cutlery – and just a single plate of the china must have cost the earth.
Ilta led me to the middle of the table, where he pulled out my chair for me. I sat down and in a blink he was opposite me, pulling his own chair out. Other vampires filed in after us, taking their seats. Sat next door to me on the left was the American and to my right was Fabian.
After a few minutes everyone was seated and a dull chatter filled the room. I turned to Fabian. ‘Why am I here?’ I whispered, trying to keep my voice as low as possible.
‘Well, as the council are discussing what to do with you in the morning, they wanted to actually meet you.’
‘Why are they discussing me?’ I answered in alarm.
‘There have been … developments.’ He twiddled with one of the many knives and, catching my ever-so-slightly horrified expression in the gleaming blade, he placed it down. ‘Oh, don’t look so worried. You won’t be shot of my wonderful company that easily.’
I wasn’t worried about that. I was worried about the ‘developments’.
‘What sort of developments?’
‘It’s worth more than my inheritance to tell you that. Anyway—’ He glanced towards the door before hooking an arm under my elbow and hoisting me up onto my feet. ‘The show is on the road.’
The door opened and the King entered. Everybody hushed, shifting as they stood, waiting as the chair at the far end of the table was pulled away a fraction and then pushed back in once the King had sat down; only once he was seated did the other thirty guests – including the Varn children – sit down.
I leaned forward, absorbing his presence, noticing that both he and Kaspar wore the same suit, embroidered with the coat of arms. The only real difference between father and son was the arrogant smile that Kaspar wore as he winked at Charity, who giggled, twirling her hair and returning the gesture. As I stared at him, his gaze flickered my way. His smirk widened, but he was distracted as a waiter poured him a glass of blood.
A waiter appeared at my side too, offering me wine. I accepted and he returned within seconds – after only a minute or two, they had filled every glass and they moved to the side of the room, where they retrieved large platters of food. It didn’t look very substantial – there were small canapés and tiny bowls of soup, one of which I took, staring down at the assortment of knives, forks and spoons laid out in front of me, unsure of which to use. I glanced to my right for help, but Fabian and Ilta were already engaged in conversation with those sat on their other sides.
‘Work from the outside in,’ a soft American voice whispered from my left. I looked up, startled to see the vampire I didn’t know talking to me.
‘Thanks,’ I hissed back, taking up the spoon at the very edge. The vampire dipped a spoon into his soup, scooping away from him. I copied his actions, watching how he ate exactly. I grimaced as I took my first mouthful. Asparagus. Yuck.
He smiled a little, amused. ‘I’m Alex,’ he said.
‘Violet,’ I replied, returning his smile.
‘Oh, I know,’ he chuckled.
I raised my eyebrows, displeased that everyone knew my name, but he just laughed once more.
‘So, tell me, Violet, what do you think of the royal family?’ he asked. ‘Honestly,’ he added.
My face fell. ‘They’re all right, they haven’t done anything to me, but Kaspar is …’ I trailed off. He looked taken aback. ‘What?’ I asked.
‘Kaspar and I are friends.’
Oops. ‘Oh,’ I breathed, awkward. ‘Well, I guess he is kind of—’
‘It’s fine, you are entitled to an opinion.’ He smiled, but it looked forced. We fell into silence for a while, then Alex began to start talking animatedly to Fabian, across me. Guess they are friends too. Small world.
I was saved from my solitary vigil by the arrival of the main meal. The vampires all had steak, cooked so rare that blood still oozed from the tender meat. A plate was placed onto the table in front of me and I was surprised to see something vegetarian-looking, which I poked at with my fork, not too sure about it. The room became quiet for a while, as everyone ate. I watched others eat, and I had to admit, it was really quite weird watching vampires eat human food with knives and forks. Very civilized.
‘I hear, Violet, that you were accepted at university. Do tell us what you were planning to study?’ Ilta asked, his slick voice breaking through the stillness.
‘O-oh,’ I began with a nervous stutter, aware that most of the vampires were now looking at me, interested. ‘I was going to study politics, philosophy and economics actually,’ I gushed, knowing it wouldn’t go down too well – it was obvious that meant I was going to follow in my father’s footsteps.
A black box rattled deep within my mind and I frowned a little, trying to lock away what I suspected about my father.
‘Ah, I see,’ Ilta replied. I looked at the floor, embarrassed.
‘You must be an intelligent student,’ Fabian intervened.
‘I guess …’
‘Who are you kidding? Anyone can get into university these days!’ Charity cut in with disdain.
Kaspar raised his glass and I was sure I heard him mumble ‘you couldn’t, Charity’ into it.
‘Indeed. Education is no longer simply for the elite,’ an old man said. His wispy white hair was tied in a long ponytail, his beard flicked over his shoulders. He spoke to Charity, but watched me with an increasingly pensive stare.
Fabian noticed the man’s stare and shifted. ‘Violet, this is Eaglen. He is the vampire I told you about the other night. The old one,’ he mouthed. The man, Eaglen, smiled.
‘Yes, the old one,’ he echoed, finishing off the last drop in his glass, which was hastily refilled. He chuckled and turned away, seemingly satisfied. I arched an eyebrow at Fabian, who shared my puzzled expression.
‘He’s like that sometimes,’ he muttered.
Glasses continued to be filled at the King’s order, but as the waiters moved forward, bottles now empty, they paused, staring at me – the next nearest blood source. I saw Alex and Kaspar exchange worried looks and Fabian did the same whilst discretely shuffling his chair closer to mine. Conversation died away and the room rippled into hush.
‘Violet, go,’ Ilta said, as Fabian pushed my chair back. ‘Quickly.’
I didn’t need telling twice. I scrabbled out of my chair and backed to the wall, feeling my way across the room, too scared to turn my back on any of them. Every bloodthirsty pair of eyes followed me until I reached the door and fell out, slamming it behind me.
I leaned against the wall of the corridor, breathing heavily. A couple of tears escaped my sore eyes and I wished for nothing more than my bed, at home, where it was safe. A knot of homesickness formed in my stomach once more. At that moment, the door opened and Kaspar slipped out. I wiped the tears away before he noticed I was crying.
‘You okay?’ he asked, stiffly. I shrugged, trying to act offhand.
‘They won’t attack you, you know,’ he said. I looked up at him disbelievingly. ‘If they kill you, there could be an all-out war. Believe it or not, we don’t want that,’ he replied, glumly.
‘This meeting is about me and that is why the council has assembled,’ I replied, equally as sullen. He nodded mutely. ‘Why now?’
Sighing, he leaned up against the wall beside me. ‘Because we have been informed that the slayers have made a truce with a group of rogue vampires. They plan to attack us, take you, and God knows what else.’
‘I—’
‘Don’t bother, no slayer will set foot here,’ Kaspar interjected. He stared blankly at the opposite wall, deep in thought.
‘Life is so crap sometimes,’ I mumbled to myself.
‘Tell me about it,’ I heard him say, ever so softly. I turned to him, surprised. He felt my gaze and turned too.
‘I won’t be safe here any more, will I?’ In an instant, he was right in front of me, breathing on my neck, his chest rising and falling in time to mine. My heartbeat quickened.
‘You were never safe here, Violet Lee.’
He lowered his head to my neck, his hands settling themselves on my hips. I backed as far into the wall as I could, but he just pushed himself further into me. I was shaking and my hands clenched into fists, my body tensing, waiting for the onslaught of pain. I tried pushing him away, but he didn’t move – I doubt he even felt me trying to escape. His fangs met my neck, grazing the skin. I whimpered and turned away. He took a deep breath, inhaling my scent. His mouth opened wider and I prepared for the bite.
‘Don’t. Please.’ A single tear rolled down my cheek, as I resorted to begging. ‘Kaspar,’ I whispered. To my surprise, he pulled away, his eyes opening. Another tear slid down my cheek and he caught it with the back of his thumb, wiping it away.
‘I don’t understand why you don’t get it.’ His hand ran down the length of my neck and side, until it came to rest on my hip once more. ‘We lust for you and your blood and your body. You want it too. I can see it in your eyes and feel it in your heartbeat.’
My eyes searched for the floor, but I could only see him.
‘You don’t get that right now I could snap you in half and suck you dry. You don’t get that you are food and that we struggle to see you as a living creature. An equal. Because you’re not.’
‘And you don’t get that I am a person with feelings,’ I breathed.
He backed away a little, taking his hands off me, searching my face with his eyes. ‘No, I don’t,’ he murmured back. ‘You are never safe here, Violet Lee. Remember that. Never.’
He turned his back to me and I could hear him breathing; see his hands balling into fists, fighting the urge to bite. He turned back, placing his hands against the wall either side of my head. ‘Stay away from Ilta Crimson,’ he said, his eyes burning and menace fuelling his words.
‘Why?’ I asked, surprised at his complete change of tone.
‘Because I don’t trust him,’ he growled.
‘You don’t trust him?’ I mouthed, surprised. ‘In case you didn’t notice, he wasn’t trying to bite my head off back there. He is the least of my worries.’
‘Goddamn it, Girly! Why don’t you just listen to me? Just trust me!’ he yelled back, all softness in his nature gone, disappearing so quickly I flinched and hit the back of my head on the wall.
‘Trust you?’ I squealed. ‘Why would I trust you? You kidnapped me! You constantly try to suck my blood! I’d much rather trust Ilta than you!’
‘But you don’t know him
! You don’t know what he is capable of!’ Kaspar roared back, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me like a ragdoll.
‘No. You’re right. I don’t know him,’ I replied, more calmly, taking deep breaths. His hands unsnapped from my shoulders like my skin was made of hot coals. I sidestepped away from him. ‘But I’ll take the risk, thanks,’ I spat.
His face lit up with anger, his eyes turning pure black. I turned and walked away, fuming.
‘Where the hell are you going?’ he shouted down the corridor after me.
‘To my room!’ I screamed back, spinning to face him. Our eyes met, and I glared at him for a full minute.
‘On your own head be it, Girly. Don’t say I didn’t warn you,’ he snarled.
I turned on my heel and stormed up the hall, towards the stairs. But as I reached the end, I couldn’t resist having the last word. I spun around to see Kaspar staring at me, anger still evident in his face.
‘You know what, Kaspar? I wish you had just killed me back in London! Just ended it there. Then I wouldn’t have to suffer this. Why didn’t you? Why?’ I shrieked, and ran, but not before I caught his expression, which spoke a thousand words.
He didn’t know why.
SEVENTEEN
Kaspar
Council meetings really are the best fun one can have, I thought bitterly, staring out the window at freedom. I sat at the far end of the table, hardly listening as my father debated with Ilta Crimson over something or other. His whole family were swindlers. They thought the sun revolved around them, but Ilta was the worst. Quiet, calm and controlled, he was always the charmer. It wasn’t hard to see how Girly was fooled by him. He was a snake. He would slither in, hiss at you until you were lulled and then he would rise up and bite you. Especially if you were much younger and female.
I suppressed my thoughts as the meeting progressed. My only consolation was the firm grasp on my leg, which came from Charity, who sat next to me. She looked up at me with adoring eyes, batting her eyelids, giving me the occasional seductive wink.