“I wish your power would grow.” She took out pairs of shoes and boots from the armoire. “Did Logan’s death upset you?”
Heavens. What kind of wanton woman was I? I’d forgotten about him. “Yes, it did.”
“He served the former duke and, like him, enjoyed hurting women. I’m not fond of Ravenhill, but he’s an honourable man. He never hurts women. That’s why I let Fiona feed him. It’s her choice. I wouldn’t allow a revolting vampire’s fangs anywhere near me, but at least Ravenhill doesn’t hurt Fiona.”
Fiona fed Alex? No, I didn’t experience a shot of jealousy. Absolutely not.
She selected a lilac-blue gown. “This should be perfect for you.”
I pressed the gown to my body. “Thank you for everything you do.”
“You deserve a second chance.” Sadness sneaked into her aura with indigo tendrils.
“Why are you sad?” I tried on a pretty plaited hat with pink silk roses matching the gown.
“Nothing. Just bad memories.”
But it wasn’t nothing. Sadness dripped from her aura.
“Tell me.”
“I became a wili when the Civil War ended. I was the daughter of an earl, but my father had fallen deeply into debtduring the war.” Her face tensed, and her aura changed. “He sold me to a foreign prince.”
I lowered the hat. “He didn’t!”
She selected a fine capelet. “That was the first betrayal. The prince treated me like his concubine but promised he wouldn’t hurt me as long as I was loyal and faithful to him. I made a friend in his court, a handsome man who wanted to be my lover. I didn’t want to anger the prince, so I rejected him. Scorned, he told the prince I was unfaithful. That was the second betrayal.” Her aura darkened further. “Angered, the prince forced himself on me before strangling me. That was the third betrayal. While I was dying, I swore I would return to avenge my death. My desire for vengeance was so strong I was born again.”
I squeezed her hand. Her aura turned smoky and dark.
“Don’t pity me. I’m not a victim. I fight back.” Sadness glowed indigo and hung like morning fog around her. “Only you can decide if you are a victim or not.”
“Did revenge bring you peace?”
She faced the armoire and skimmed through the gowns. “Of course it did. I killed all three of them. They can’t hurt me anymore.” Her dark halo shattered into sharp shards. Maybe she was lying, or her sorrow was intense. When she turned towards me, the moment of vulnerability was gone. “It’s your turn now. Your revenge. You’ll be so powerful after you kill Sean, you won’t believe it.”
I wasn’t so sure about that.
The healingand its strong emotions had left me restless, so in the evening, I walked to my papa’s grave.
The hilltop where the cemetery lay offered an unobstructed view of the palace. From there, it looked like an elegant, large house, but with long wings forming the shape of a cross, with a balustrade and turrets. But not as big as it really was.
I paused in front of my papa’s tombstone. His body didn’t lie there. I didn’t have any of his belongings to symbolically bury. But nevertheless, staying here and remembering him gave me some comfort.
“I’m not sure you would be proud of me.” I caressed the smooth, cold stone. “But I want to avenge your death.”
Loud sobs came from behind the hedgerow separating two rows of tombstones. Someone was suffering. I unleashed my power and caught deep pain but not physical. My mood darkened in response as the person’s sorrow sank into me. I blocked the pain not to be influenced by it. Also, I wanted the pleasure from the healing to linger for a bit longer.
I walked around the hedgerow and found Carabosse sitting on a bench, face in her hands. Dark blue dominated her aura—sorrow.
“Cara, what is the matter?”
She straightened and muffled her sobs with her hands. A few tendrils of her black hair had escaped the chignon and fell over her cheeks, highlighting her paleness.
“Did Logan hurt you terribly?” Although I didn’t detect any physical injuries on her neck. The signs of Logan’s attack were gone.
She wiped her face quickly. “A vampire could never hurt me.”
“Then what is it?”
