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“Please, go,” I pleaded, and he held me close.
“Give me a minute to cool down,” he said, dancing with me in front of the throne. After a few more sways across the room, he stepped back. “I’ll be back soon.”
I watched him speed away, and I twirled on the dance floor, facing an open space. Hurrying toward a passing server, I took a glass of champagne, then looked at the old grandfather clock next to the ice sculpture. I hiccupped after downing half the glass, then smiled lazily in the direction of the sorcerer Azia, who glided around the room with the grace of a panther.
Velda had left with Gwen and Astor during our show, and I couldn’t help but feel glad they saw it. I wanted Astor to know I wasn’t his anymore and for Velda to see that Sebastian could never be hers. Even if he wasn’t mine, she didn’t need to know that.
I could still taste him as I looked at the groups of drunk vampires, laughing, chugging back glasses of champagne. I noticed some had mixed their blood with it and grimaced.
While I knew everything we did was for appearances, my body had betrayed me, wanting him so much I almost let him put his fingers inside of me in front of a room filled with vampires. What the fuck was I thinking? He was using me for his own means, and how many mortal women had he fucked then left? But every time I thought about him, I couldn’t help but flush, unable to push his thick lips, soft strokes, and devilish smile from my thoughts.
“Sweet Olivia,” Kalon said from behind me, his voice sliding over me like ice snapping me from my fantasies. “Care to dance?”
What was he doing here? Sebastian said he was entertaining the princess in her room. I made a move to walk away, to warn Sebastian, but Kalon caught my arm before I could make it a foot. “Let’s not make a scene,” he said, digging his nails into my skin. “The king is watching.”
“I thought you were entertaining your guest?” I asked nonchalantly. “Did she grow bored with your presence?”
He let out a short, clipped laugh, his amber eyes narrowing as he swept me around. “I wanted to make sure I was here for midnight. Sebastian is truly far more gullible when he’s focused on you.”
Every hair on the back of my neck stood on end when he touched me. I opened my barrier to see if his was down, but he blocked me, so I did the same in return. We didn’t look away from each other as we waltzed, a staring competition between cat and mouse.
I slowed as I circled him, then placed my hand on his as he spun me. “Why?”
“All the best things happen after midnight.”
My intuition was right.
He knew something. I tugged my hand away, but he held me still, warning dancing in his eyes. “It’s rude to leave mid-dance.”
My gaze burned with fury. “I want a new partner.”
He kicked my leg until I slipped back like a puppet trapped in a deadly waltz. “I’d rather you stayed.”
I glanced at the door, hoping Sebastian had already found Draven and had returned, but he was nowhere to be seen. I looked up at the throne. Sargon’s crown tilted around his forehead as he enjoyed what could be his hundredth glass, for all I knew.
It was hard not to notice my mom when she stepped behind the throne, standing at the king’s side dressed head to toe in a blue pantsuit, standing out from everyone else in their formal wear. But then, she never did care to fit in.
I opened my mouth, desperate to get her attention, but Kalon pulled me away from their line of sight and into a crowd of thirty-something sangaree. “Let me go.”
His grip tightened. “It’s not long until the main event. I assure you; you don’t want to miss it.”
My eyes widened. “What did you do?”
His thin lips curved up into a sadistic smile. “Nothing more than what you wanted to do to me.”
My nostrils flared. “I’ll tell the king everything.”
“No, you won’t.”
“Where’s Draven?”
He let out a low chuckle. “He was never in danger.”
“What?”
“Oh no.” His shoulders slumped as he forced a regretful expression. “I hope you weren’t looking for him, or worse, you sent Sebastian to the staircase.”
I gritted my teeth. “You slipped that in on purpose. You wanted this.”
