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Sigrid granted me a scathing glare in response.
But the mischievous twins were undeterred by her scolding, their antics escalating, much to my delight. Hilda began twirling in her dress, sending ripples through the pristine fabric, while Hazel attempted an impromptu dance routine, complete with exaggerated gestures and wiggles.
Torn between amusement and a desire to save the children from their grandmother’s wrath, I hesitated to step in and assist. “Girls, please, you don’t want to give your grandma gray hair.”
But my words fell on deaf ears as Hazel, with a burst of energy, decided it was the perfect time for a game of hide-and-seek. Darting behind furniture and popping out from unexpected places, she laughed at her grandmother’s exasperated frown, relishing in her own cleverness.
Meanwhile, Hilda, eager to add to the chaos, found a tray of canapes and began offering them to Sigrid, who recoiled from the human food like her granddaughter had just offered her a platter of dirt.
“Well, it looks like you have everything under control here.” I tried my best to keep the smug tone out of my voice, but I couldn’t fight the smirk as I backed toward the door. “I should go join Jordan. I’ll come fetch you when it’s time to present them.”
Sigrid’s eyes bulged in her head while the twins continued their escapades and I felt a twinge of sympathy for the woman.
With a combination of persistence and a touch of bribery, I managed to corral the twins, their faces flushed with excitement. I straightened their dresses one last time.
“Now, my little troublemakers, it’s time to behave.” I demonstrated a firm, but affectionate tone, hoping to leave Sigrid with something useful. “Tonight is a very important event, and we must make your Aunty Jordan proud.”
I exited the room with a quick wave to Sigrid, leaving Hazel fiddling with her dress and Hilda picking her nose.
Downstairs, the grand hall of the manor shimmered with candlelight, the air charged with an ethereal energy that only supernatural beings could bring. The room buzzed with anticipation as the guests, all vampires of noble lineage, mingled and whispered amongst one another. In the middle of the crowded gathering and caught in conversation with an ancient-looking immortal, I found Jordan.
“Sky!” She looked relieved to see me, ditching the other vampire and clinging tightly to my arm, “There you are, I was looking for you. You needed my help with—that thing?”
“There was a thing?” I asked, and winced when Jordan’s grip on my arm tightened. “Oh yes! That thing. We need your help right away.”
Gratefully, Jordan gave me a peck on the cheek, apologizing to her confused companion and dragging me away before I could catch their name.
“Thank you,” she murmured, guiding me toward a quieter spot. “They’ve been going on for ages, I think I’ve lost thirty years of my life standing there.”
“Happy to help.” I nudged her shoulder. “Aren’t you meant to be getting this ceremony started now?”
“I’d love to.” Jordan rolled her eyes. “But first there are greetings to be made, drinks to be poured, music, entertainment and general highborn snobbery to slog through before we get to the actual ceremony.”
“Thrilling stuff, I’m sure.” I followed her to the front of the gathering, Jordan raising her hand to catch everyone’s attention.
Regal and poised, she wore a gown of golden silk that hugged her curvy frame. Her porcelain skin glowed under the soft radiance of the chandeliers, and her eyes, that mesmerizing shade of green, held a mix of anticipation and gratitude. She took my hand in hers, our fingers intertwining like a tether.
A hush fell over the crowd as Sigrid made an appearance, gliding down the stairs like a ghost in her waifish white gown. She addressed the assembly, her voice ringing out across the hall.
“Tonight, we gather to witness the ascension of a new ruler, a beacon of hope and strength,” she announced, her eyes alighting on Jordan who nodded regally.
I stuck to a small wave, which seemed to rub Sigrid the wrong way.
Her lip curled in my direction before she continued, “Our beloved Jordan, whose heart has bridged the divide between our people, shall now assume her rightful place as the ruler of the Leyore Coven.”
Applause erupted, thunderous and reverberating through the hall. Jordan’s face glowed with a mixture of humility and determination. I stood by her side, awkward and uncomfortable at all of the attention on us. But I would have to get used to the attention, considering what I had planned next. Jordan caught my eye, and her brow raised in question at my sly smile.
Jordan stepped forward to add her own two cents, and I quietly slipped away to fetch something from down the hall—something I had stowed away before the ceremony began. By the time I got back, the crowd had broken out into applause again and Jordan stood proud before her people.
She cocked her head to the side when I emerged from the hall, hiding the sleek black case behind my back. She knew I was up to something, meaning it was far too late to back out now.
As the applause died down, I stamped out my anxiety and stepped forward. The crowd hushed as I made my way over to Jordan. By the time I made it to the foot of the stairs, staring up at her, my knees were quaking.
Slowly, displaying what I hoped was a mysterious grace, I removed the violin from its case and balanced it on my shoulder. With my eyes on Jordan, the rest of the world disappeared, and I was no longer standing before a crowd of highborn vampires.
I was standing before the woman I loved, and nothing else mattered anymore.
With a gentle sweep of the bow, I began to play. The notes, delicate and haunting, drifted around the otherwise silent hall. I had prepared a piece specifically for this moment, an ode to the woman I had come to care for so deeply.
