I catch the woman’s hand as it snakes up to my fiancé's shoulder. “That won’t be necessary. My prince prefers his knots be untied in private.”
Before Kai’s surprise begins to register, I cup the back of his neck and kiss him. I press against his strong lips until they yield, just long enough to put heat and a bit of tongue into our exchange, but not so long that it would be considered obscene. Then I back away, pretending to give an embarrassed blush. “Oh so sorry, I forget myself when you are near, sl—sweet muffin.” Even I hear how ridiculous the endearment sounds in my deadpan voice. At least I caught myself before I called him a slut.
“Not at all, my punk rock princess.” Kai sounds a little out of breath and looks a little too pleased.
The disappointment of the crowd around me ripples palpably. My appearance is oddly inspiring them all to disappear one by one.
What a pity.
The Midnight fairy who’d been attempting to feel up my man barely restrains a hiss in my direction before she wanders off. I briefly think of trying to set her up with a certain demonic cat as they both have the same behavioral traits.
It’s not long before we are alone. Kai’s cold mass fills the space next to me, giving me the strangest sense of comfort and protection.
“Enjoying yourself, my raging beauty?”
There are few times he’s not glued to my side, and I have to admit his presence affects me in a way I’ve never known. In the way only a massive pumpkin spice latte can usually achieve.
An alarm goes off in the back of my head.
Don’t get used to this.
“I love the gardens,” I admit with true sincerity.
My heart expands in Midnight in a way I’d almost forgotten.
The silver rays of the moon stretch so bright over the lush green lands and the brine of the ocean from the cliff sides mingle with the fragrant flowers that grow here.
“It makes me want to paint,” I breathe the words even as my hands itch to wrap around a paintbrush.
“You should,” he says, a sudden intensity focused on me. Yet again he holds a glass of champagne instead of blood. It’s not even tinged with pink to indicate drops of blood present.
The vampire who hates drinking blood.
He’s insane.
“Maybe later I’ll sneak away to see if there are any supplies left in my father’s studio. If it’s even still there, that is.”
l also need to spend more time searching for the Ember of Midnight.
“You seem tired,” he says, softly.
Guess my concealer isn’t cutting it when it comes to hiding the little baggies dragging down my eyes.
“Yeah well, between shifts at the Poison Apple and then coming back to a full social schedule at Midnight there hasn’t been much time for sleep. This placedoes nothave enough pumpkin spice lattes for me to keep up. Not to mention, when I’m here I have to subsist on old packets of ramen and stale bread and cheeses.”
My eyes catch on the human servants milling about. Are they trapped inside their minds? Are they blissfully unaware of what they are doing?
Kaison frowns and I think he’s about to say something when he’s interrupted.
“Lords and ladies,” the King's reverberating voice cuts through the tittering crowd. “I'd like to take a moment to address the future of our families.”
“What is he talking about?” I mutter to Charming as my fingers flex around my empty glass.
“I have no idea,” Kaison says darkly.
Apparently, he doesn’t think Daddy Dearest has good intentions either.
“Our two families were once entwined and after Byung-He's death, I fear to say we fell out of touch,” The King's voice drips with regret, but his eyes sparkle with undisguised triumph as they find me in the crowd.
