“Which friend was this?” He began lacing me into the heavy garment.
I opened my mouth to reply, just to tilt my head as an insistent voice sounded outside my room. “Please, I want to see her!” Someone tried the doorknob into my quarters, jiggling it in frustration.
“Speak of the vampiress,” I said dryly. “You may as well let her in.”
Zane finished tying me into my dress first. Then, he went to open the door for Felicity. She came inside immediately, and Finn trailed behind her with a cart full of food, already chewing on a buttered sourdough roll. He popped the rest in his mouth and wiped his hands on his pants.
Sorry. She wouldn’t take no for an answer,he signed behind the noble vampiress’s back.
Tears pricked Felicity’s eyes from the moment they landed on me. “Ilya! Where have you been? You are the absolute talk of the entire coven! And you didn’t think to”—she flapped her hands by her sides—“I don’t know, come by and sayhelloafter the Flask of Dominion passed judgment on you? Or maybe pen me a little letter saying everything was okay after the Lord Regent stole you away in such a gauche fashion?”
“I’m the talk of the coven?” I echoed dubiously. That was a level of attention I definitely didn’t want. “I’m okay. The Flask just told me to bind Finn into my Devotion tomorrow, and all will be forgiven. I’ve passed the first trial.”
“Oh, praise Lady Eona, a proper Devotion at last!” She looked between Zane and Finn, nodding her approval. “I’m glad to see you before the show. Razira’s been worried too, and I just know Emmeline is going to have a hundred questions for you.” She spoke like a twittering bird, complete with a fluttery little laugh. “A lot of us do, fair warning. No one’s managed to charm the king-in-waiting, but…”
Finn picked up a turkey leg from the cart, licking his lips as it dripped grease.
“Oh, is that what this is about?” Zane’s low tone was unlike him, an edge hidden just under his words. “Our courtship is none of your business.”
“Wait,” I beseeched quietly. He’d jumped to a conclusion, assuming Felicity’s intentions. But he didn’t know her yet, not like I did.
She’d just warned us of a serious issue brewing. Maybe my friend would accept a brusque answer, but if the whole of Sanguine was wondering about “King” Zane and me, we would only arouse suspicions without a decent explanation.
Think.What would a vampiress do to win over a powerful devotee?
I willed Zane through a meaningful glance to play along. “Zane and I have been courting for a while. With his shadow magic, he can easily come and go as he pleases.” Nothing I said was technically a lie. “He will be my devotee because he believes I will make a strong queen, especially with his support. We share ideological goals.”
Zane’s lips pressed into a whitened line. Behind Felicity, Finn put down the turkey leg and signed,I deal…lodge owl…ghouls?with a puzzled squint, then lifted his hands in a questioning gesture.
She nodded, showing one of her fangs in a half smile. “You’re sly, Ilya. I knew you’d be a great ally. Well, I’ll leave you to get ready. See you soon,” she said, exiting my quarters.
The three of us sagged as soon as the door closed behind her and Finn flipped the lock.
“I hate how we’re seen in vampire society. As if we’re expendable because we’re men,” Zane said to Finn. He signed as he spoke, and mostly accurately. Finn nodded while also showing him the correct sign for “expendable.”
We A-L-W-A-Y-S will be. Might as well get used to it,Finn replied.
“No. We’re going to change it,” I said, also signing. “When I’m queen…”
I thought the idea was that by the time you are queen, all Sanguine vampires will be…Instead of signingdead, Finn drew a bladed hand over his throat and sagged to the side, tongue lolling.
I giggled despite myself. “Extinction is a form of change, Finn.”
My gaze caught on the pair of letters waiting forme on the cushion of one of the armchairs. I took them and unsheathed the dagger hidden in my skirts to open the envelopes. The motion of their hands drew my attention.
Is she okay?Finn asked.
Really stressed, I think,Zane signed back.
The understatement of this millennia, eh?
Zane tilted his head, a line appearing between his brows. He probably didn’t understand half of that comment. Finn repeated it out loud in a whisper, signing slower and more deliberately to teach the hand motions to Zane.
Why so much food?I signed, looking at the mound of cheese, meats, and vegetables.
Perk of being a soon-to-be-devotee.He crunched into a carrot with clear satisfaction.
Glad to see real food, I took a plate of food and had a seat in the armchair, angling my body away and nibbling as I read the letters. The first one was to the point.
