He shrugs one muscled shoulder. ‘Sure.’ He smiles. ‘Like, right now, if I was to kiss you, and young Deryck here wanted to join in, it would be fine.’
‘What about what I want?’ My mouth is dry. I resist the urge to lick my lips. My God.
‘And what is that, Emelia?’ His finger is under my jaw, tilting my head. ‘Tell me.’
A scream shatters the moment. We all turn. There’s a rustle of fabric, the light pad of several sets of feet as a small group of vampires enters the room, all young, a mix of males and females. Some of them are laughing. But there’s blood on one of the girls’ gowns, droplets on the pale satin skirt.
Joaquin puts his arm across me, the muscles tense. I don’t know how to handle this. Bertrand is nearby, though not in the room. However, the second I call his name I know he’ll be here.
‘Deryck! There you are. We were looking for you.’ A young woman sits down, her peach silk dress slipping from one freckled pale shoulder. She giggles. ‘Stefan is teaching us to hunt.’
‘To hunt?’ Deryck glances at me. I keep my face expressionless.
‘My father was complaining the other day, about how we’re losing our skills.’ The young woman in bloodstained satin flops down next to her friend, rolling her eyes. ‘I guess he told Stefan’s father, who told Stefan, because now he’s dragging us through the palace, looking for prey.’ She rubs at one of the droplets on her full skirts.
‘Prey?’ Joaquin’s voice is almost a growl. ‘Are you hunting blood dancers, then? This does not seem like sport.’
‘Stefan says it’s important to know how to hunt,’ Peach Silk says. ‘To remember who we are.’
Stefan.The name rings a bell. Then I remember his father, bending to kiss my ring. Ravenko. My only surprise is that it’s not Ravenna.
‘Why? It’s not like we need to do it anymore.’ Satin girl shrugs. ‘Our parents are worried about nothing.’
‘Please, no!’ The cry, anguished, comes from beyond the open doors. A strapping young vampire appears, his fangs dropped, dressed in a velvet suit the colour of chocolate. He’s dragging a struggling human behind him, a young woman in dark trousers and a white tank top, scratches on her pale skin, her red hair breaking free of the long braid.
I jump to my feet, Joaquin’s restraining hand the only thing stopping me from running forward.
It’s Sophie.
ChapterTwenty-Three
AS YOU WISH
‘Look what I found, wandering around the grounds. It’s like she was asking for it.’ Stefan grins, pulling Sophie around in front of him. ‘I think it’s hot when humans want to be hunted.’
‘Let her go!’ I put the might of Raven into it, every shred of my borrowed power. How the fuck is this happening?
Everyone turns to look at me. Peach Silk’s mouth is a perfect ‘o’, her blue eyes wide.
Stefan huffs out a laugh. ‘The Raven heir. I should have known. Is this one of yours?’
‘Let. Her. Go.Now.’ Rage rises. Bertrand is a moment away. But this is a test. What kind of ruler will I be? One who calls on her guards every time there’s a problem, who has to rely on others for protection? But I have no idea what the norm is in this situation. My only interactions with vampires my age have been carefully managed, or born from my own misadventure. None of them have been good.
‘Or what?’ Stefan sneers, his hand twisting in Sophie’s hair. She cries out, tears running down her face.
My rage becomes cold fury. The only thing I can do is what feels right to me. I have nothing else to go on. I have to save Sophie. One wrong move, and she’s dead.
‘She is one of mine. Which is why I’m asking you to release her.’ I make my way between the cushions, sending a silent apology to Sophie, whose gaze is fixed on me. I tamp down my feelings, the way I spent years doing before Kyle helped me change my world. It’s one thing I can do well. No one needs to know how scared I am.
I smile at Stefan, as though he doesn’t have my friend by the hair. As though I don’t want to tear his head from his shoulders. ‘And I am indeed the heir to Raven. Your father kissed my ring. I doubt he’d be happy to hear of this.’
‘You’re a human.’
‘Am I? Gosh, thanks so much for pointing that out. I’d never have known, otherwise.’ There’s a giggle from Peach Silk. ‘I am human. So fucking what?’ I throw the question down, like a challenge.
‘Humans are prey.’
‘If that’s all you think humans are, ask yourself who it was that built this palace.’ I wave my hand. ‘Who painted all this gorgeous artwork, designed all these glorious rooms. Because it sure as fuck wasn’t vampires.’ I smile, sweetly, but there’s ice in my tone. ‘You couldn’t survive without humans. Yet I think humans would survive quite well without you.’
