Chapter 2 MOURIR

‎Mourir (verb) to die

‎The world around me spun like a top. A sheen of sweat coated my skin, leaving me trembling from more than just the chilly air.

‎I thought the spell on the lace choker would provide a quick death, but apparently, Mama hadn't granted me that kindness.

‎I was going to die at Chateau Corbin, on some Diana-forsaken balcony. Miles away from my family home, where my spirit could be at peace and roam the family graveyard.

‎Tears streamed down my cheeks as I gripped the railing harder. I had so many regrets. Most about my failings as a sister and a daughter, but at least Seraphina wouldn't see me like this.

‎A sharp sound sounded behind me, like a cane against stone.

‎Slowly, I turned to find Bastien Allard mere inches away. Staring at me with those cool blue eyes of his.

‎He was back. Why? Was it the smell of my blood? Had it drawn him to me like a vulture?

‎The vampire made it clear that he never wanted to see me again.

‎Despite that assertion, he was here. And if he were here, maybe I could save myself. Hope bloomed inside of me once again.

‎"What's happening to you?" the prince asked.

‎I might be losing my grip on reality, but I swore I heard a note of concern in his voice.

‎If vampires showed any concern at all.

‎Before I could answer, he grabbed my chin in his cold hand and tilted my head to the side, examining my neck, which caused the searing pain to spread.

‎"Stop! You're hurting me!" I managed to grit out, and he immediately released me.

‎I touched my neck, willing the pain to calm like my sisters could, but it wouldn't. I wasn't a witch. I was just a girl who was bleeding in front of a vampire. Thinking about the blood and my impending death made me dizzy all over again, and I stumbled right into his hard chest.

‎Faster than I thought possible, the vampire prince steadied my shoulder and extracted a dagger from the holster strapped to his chest. Long, skilled fingers slid the cold blade against the thin skin covering my throat.

‎The steel tip came to rest beneath the choker.

‎I gasped when I realized what he was going to do. He meant to cut it off, which wouldn't work. It would only make the pain worse. This wasn't just a scrap of lace, but a magickal object.

‎My eyes went feral.

‎"No!" I said as loudly as I could, and I paid for it with more pain.

‎Everything inside of me hurt. I feared losing my balance again, but the vampire prince's grip on my shoulder kept me upright. His hand stilled, holding the blade against my throat, and his gaze returned to mine.

‎Absently, I wondered if he was the last thing I'd ever see. The last person who would ever hold me.

‎No. I had to fight through the dizziness and the pain. Sera believed in me. Sera was counting ‎on me.

‎I'd live if I could convince him to take me as his sanguine partner.

‎"Why don't you taste it, my lord?" I strained to say around the pain in my throat. "See if you set me aside too hastily."

‎The vampire scoffed as if to say he didn't ‎make rash decisions. But slowly, he did as I asked. Lifting the blade to his parted lips, he dragged it across his tongue, licking the tip. Tasting my flavor like the dagger was coated with raspberry syrup.

‎All the while, his attention never drifted from my face.

‎When he removed the dagger from between ‎his lips, a red stain was left behind, causing another wave of dizziness. He fitted his arm around my waist, pressing my chest against his and holding me upright.

‎Live. Live. Live, my heartbeat sang with each pulse.

‎I fought through the haze. Trying to remain present through the pain and the nausea. "Am I to your liking, my lord?"

‎I hated how desperate I sounded. How I was relying on this creature I despised to save my life.

‎His brows pinched together, and he shoved the blade back in its holster. I waited for what ‎he might say, barely able to breathe as red ‎tears leaked down the front of my dress and onto the fabric of his shirt.

‎"Your blood is tainted with magick," he said ‎in a raspy growl. "This necklace is cursed. Did you know that?"

‎He'd pieced together that magick was at play.

‎Did that mean he was suspicious of me? I couldn't be sure.

‎All I knew was that he sounded...angry.

‎I didn't dare answer.

‎"How foolish could you be?" the vampire ‎continued. His voice was dark, and his expression irritated. "Magick isn't something to meddle with."

‎As if he cared. It's not like vampires cared ‎if humans got tangled up in magick, even ‎though it was their promise as our rulers to keep the balance of power.

‎"Please," I pleaded, knowing this was my last chance. "Say you'll take me."

‎The request didn't soften him. No. It pushed him from irritated to irate.

‎Before me, I watched the prince transform ‎from a beautiful man into a creature. The shadows around his eyes darkened, and his incisors lengthened into sharp points that peeked out from beneath his top lip.

‎The monster awakening.

‎Fear sharpened all my senses, and I struggled ‎to escape his grip, but Bastien's hold on me ‎was absolute. His fists were like manacles around my arms.

‎"Who are you?" he demanded.

‎Before I could think of a response, the door to ‎the balcony was thrown open, and the High ‎Prince of the Conquered Territories loomed behind us.

‎Prince Marius's seat was Chateau Corbin, and ‎he was rumored to be the most fearsome of our vampire overlords.

‎And now I was alone with two vampires.

‎Like Bastien, he was in his monstrous state.

‎His eyes were coal black and shadowed, and his fangs were bared.

‎Bastien released his crushing hold on me, and ‎I fell to my knees. Weak from the pain and sick with fear. I scraped my palms catching myself on the rough stone floor, and I didn't dare look at them.

‎I crawled away, needing to put space between myself and the two brothers, who looked like they wanted to tear each other apart.

‎"I know you don't want to be here, Bastien, but how dare you feed from a girl without a contract? In the middle of your sanguination ball?" He pointed a long finger at me. "You know what the consequences are!"

‎Of course. He'd tasted my blood. Vampires weren't allowed to do that.

‎"I have done no such thing," Bastien snapped back. Turning to glare at me with murder in his eyes. "This girl is bewitched-"

‎I wasn't technically bewitched, but I didn't think revealing that would help.

‎Instead, I said a silent prayer to Diana to protect me. If they knew I was sent from the Proctor Family as a spy, I'd be thankful the collar would kill me before they tortured me into providing them information.

‎"Don't test me, brother," Marius cut in, ‎silencing Bastien. "The proof is in front of me. Her blood is on your lips, and the law dictates death for a vampire who feeds without contract."

‎Death? No. If Bastien died, I would too. And this would all be for naught.

‎"I know the law. And I did not break it," Bastien refuted. "I tasted her blood to confirm ‎the presence of magick."

‎Marius snarled at his brother. "I don't have time for your excuses. I've quelled the outrage of the nobility by announcing that you have chosen her as your next sanguine partner and that this was a mutually agreed upon taste testing."

‎The magickal barbs retracted, relieving me of the worst of the pain, and I couldn't believe my luck.

‎Finally, I'd done something right. I pressed my lips together, trying not to smile.

‎As if he could sense my joy, Bastien glared at me, where I sat huddled on the cold stone.

‎"I refuse to take this woman as my sanguine partner." He spread his arms wide as if in invitation. "Go ahead and extract your justice. I'll gladly accept death over suffering her presence in my castle for a year."

‎The smile on my lips wilted. He'd rather die than be around me?

‎The old wounds his statement poked at hurt more than the fresh punctures on my neck.

‎Something must be seriously wrong with me if I could be born without magick and if a murderous vampire would rather die than be around me for a year.

‎I didn't belong anywhere. Not truly.

‎"Stop being dramatic," Marius said dismissively. The shadows around his eyes receded along with his fangs, and a serious look replaced his more threatening one. "I need you in the West, expanding our territory, or here at court, ruling beside me, if you ever see fit to track down your mate."

‎He playfully slapped the side of Bastien's cheek, and the vampire snarled.

‎"I am a warrior, not a politician. And to me, being locked inside this castle is a fate worse than death," Prince Bastien retorted. The courage of his conviction sent a wave of adrenaline through me. "As I already said, I will not take that woman as my sanguine partner. If those are the terms, then you'll have to kill me."

‎I couldn't believe the nerve of this ‎self-righteous vampire.

‎It must be nice to have had such a long, full life that he could throw it away over something this trivial. But my life was still on the line, and I very much wanted to live.

‎I contemplated the vampires, unsure of what to do next.

‎They were a portrait in opposites. Marius, ‎with his short black curls and deeply tanned skin, and Bastien, with his chin-length blonde hair and blue eyes.

‎One was built for parties and courtly appearances, the other for war.

‎Despite their disgusting vampiric nature, they were captivating creatures. Especially Bastien.

‎Against all sense, there was something about him that held my attention. Something I couldn't quite understand, but felt stirring in ‎my belly.

‎Marius moved in front of Bastien, blocking him from my view, and made his way over to where I was cowering on the floor. Slowly, he reached out and offered me his hand.

‎"Come, poppet," Marius prompted.

‎I swallowed hard, trying to beat back the fear ‎as I glanced at his long, spindly fingers before clasping his hand. He helped me to my feet and, stroking my hand like I was a pet, then turned to Bastien.

‎I didn't know what was going on, and I had ‎little hope that the High Prince would make a just decision. But the barbs of the choker were still at bay, which meant I was safe for the moment.

‎Prince Marius cast a look at his brother. "If you choose to obstinately ignore my offer to spare your life, then I will make sure the girl you are rejecting is well cared for. In your castle. As is her right as a sanguine partner." The knot of tension inside of me loosened, and ‎I let out a relieved breath.

‎Justice from a vampire. Finally.

‎"You cannot be serious!" Bastien interjected, stepping forward to glower at me.

"Something is amiss. That necklace of hers is magickal and the source of all this mess."

‎I moved closer to Prince Marius, who draped ‎a protective arm around my shoulders. He'd clearly taken my side.

‎I was leery of what Bastien might do. With his ‎lips and his teeth and his hands and that cane.

‎He was dangerous. A killer. And I had no means to defend myself.

‎"I am very serious," Marius said casually. "If the girl bought a magickal necklace to bleed for you, then all the better. She is willing to do whatever it takes to secure this job."

‎The vampire set his cold hand on the side of ‎my flushed face, speaking softly and low. "We love a willing and dedicated sanguine partner, don't we? Someone desperate to gift us with what we so badly need."

‎I hid my disgust behind a demure smile. This vampire thought me soft and sweet, like a ripe grape, ready to be juiced. He was completely unafraid of me.

‎But he should be very afraid of what a sweet ‎grape like me could learn. Of the things I could ‎whisper to my family. And of the vengeance we planned to take on their beloved dark witches.

‎His ego would be his undoing. These vampires ‎thought everyone was thankful to serve them as our overlords. It made them careless, which was exactly what Mama had taught me. Bastien growled like an animal about to strike.

‎The sound caused a chill to race down my spine.

‎I watched him step into a shard of moonlight, and the glow of Diana's light cascaded over his features. How could the moon goddess, the source of light magick, smile on him at a time ‎like this?

‎Even in his anger, the man was so strikingly handsome that it stole my breath. Terrifying and alluring at the same time.

‎"I don't trust her," said Bastien, striking his cane on the ground. "You can't force me to accept this arrangement."

‎Bastien's glare tingled on my skin, and briefly, I hoped Marius would execute him now and spare me.

‎With Marius promising me care in Bastien's castle, I didn't need Bastien alive to discover the whereabouts of the demonic relics. In fact, if he died, it came with the added benefit of not having to endure the feedings.

‎The puncture wounds the choker left behind throbbed with pain. I could only imagine vampire fangs would be much worse.

‎My hand trembled as it floated to my neck. The memory of the death I narrowly escaped is fresh in my mind. Bastien tracked the ‎movement, his pale blue eyes following like a hunter stalking his prey.

‎My gaze drifted down to the deep red stain on his chest. A reminder of the moment he'd pulled me close. Of the way he'd held me against him, attempting to save me.

‎No, he hadn't come to save me. He'd come to cover his ass.

‎A smirk crested Marius's lips before his hand fell from my face, and he turned to his brother.

‎"You're right. I can't. If you want to die for your crime to appease all the courtiers waiting in the ballroom, then fine. I'll cut off your head. But the girl will live in your castle and drink your wine and live handsomely while your bones rot away in a mausoleum."

‎My jaw dropped, and it took everything in my power to keep my lips pressed together. Marius was just as manipulative as I was, I realized. He didn't want to kill Bastien. Even now.

‎Bastien ran a frustrated hand through his golden hair, mussing it. "I will not allow it."

‎The High Prince merely shrugged. "If you're dead, you won't have a choice."

‎He clapped a hand on Bastien's shoulder. Imploring. "I need you to fight our battles. I need territory. And you are the only one who can give it to me." He shook Bastien once. "Stop being dramatic and do what you've pledged to do."

‎A moment passed. Wind howled through the trees. The torches hanging beside the balcony doors flickered.

‎I didn't want Bastien anywhere near me. I hoped he opted for death. It would mean one less vampire to worry about.

‎But as I thought the words, something inside me balked at the idea. Which made no sense.

‎I waited. Still as a corpse.

‎The creases around Bastien's eyes relaxed, and his shoulders slumped. He'd resigned himself to his fate.

‎But what would that fate be?

‎The blade, or me?

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