A Valley of Darkness (A Shade of Vampire #52)(17)

I felt many eyes on us, but none burned as hot as Caspian’s, who gazed down at us from the top of the stairs. Emilian, Rowan, Darius, and Farrah were with him, all wearing polite smiles and Spring Ball outfits in silky shades of lavender, pink, green, and soft blue. Caspian resembled a marble Renaissance statue, exquisitely fitted into a dark green suit paired with a sharp white shirt and a gold-thread waistcoat.

I held my breath as his gaze found mine, then gradually darkened as he measured me from head to toe. There was a twinkle I hadn’t seen before, a fleeting softness that went away and was quickly replaced by his usual cold glare.

He descended the stairs, followed by the other Lords and Ladies. Emilian passed in front of him and came to greet us with a bow and a polite smile.

“Thank you for joining us tonight,” he said. “It is a pleasure to have you all here, looking so beautiful. It’s almost as if you’re part of our world.”

“You’re too kind,” Jax replied with a half-smile, his eyes darting through the reception hall. “But I wouldn’t make such a bold statement if I were you. I have a feeling that your guests aren’t all that happy to see us.”

Once Jax pointed it out, I noticed the discrepancy between the fancy dresses and the wariness in the Maras’ eyes. Sure, we’d dazzled them with our outfits and whatnot, but that momentary glow had quickly been replaced by a faint sense of anxiety. They couldn’t see the weapons we’d strapped beneath our ballgowns and suits, but, given our combat training, we couldn’t shake off our military demeanor or our inquisitive stares.

I wasn’t entirely sure if we were intimidating or simply caused an overall feeling of displeasure among the Exiled Maras. We were here to help, but were they keen to have us present in the middle of their springtime celebration?

“Oh, no,” Emilian chuckled, “they’re simply not used to strangers, that is all. These are all good people who have come to enjoy themselves, try out new blood recipes, listen to music, dance, and enjoy the company of others. You shouldn’t worry.”

“Seeing you here just puts them on edge,” Darius cut in, “since you remind them of the people we’ve lost so far, and your mission to find out what happened. Please, do not take it personally.”

I took a deep breath and did my best to avoid looking at Caspian. But it didn’t take more than a few seconds to find my gaze locked with his again. I wished I could read his mind, but the Maras were immune to my sentry abilities.

I needed to keep myself focused on my mission.

He is my mission.

This was going to be an interesting night, to say the least.





Fiona





(Daughter of Benedict & Yelena)





I’d thought Vincent would be by his mother’s side when the Lords came down to greet us, but he wasn’t. I took one of the blood flutes from a waiter’s tray and engaged Rowan in conversation, while the rest of our team did the same with other Maras. Slowly but surely, we were going to use our charms and smiles to keep the Lords busy and not paying attention to Heron and Avril.

“This is a beautiful event, Rowan,” I said with genuine admiration.

She smiled, glowing in her yellowish-green ballgown, as she scanned the entire ballroom.

“Thank you. We put a lot of effort into it every year,” she replied, then took a sip from her blood flute.

“Do you have balls often?”

“Oh, we have one to celebrate each of the four seasons we get here.” She nodded. “Each year, without exception. It’s important to our way of life to mark these little moments and give them value. And our people love dressing up, so it’s always quite the visual spectacle!”

“I can definitely see that.” I smirked, glancing over the sea of stylish up-dos, glimmering gems, and smooth, colorful fabrics.

“Fiona!” Vincent’s voice made me turn my head.

Heat instantly spread through my cheeks when I saw the way he looked at me. His green gaze was dark and intense, lust lighting it on fire as he closed the distance between us. He looked handsome as hell, sporting a champagne-pink suit with a pearl-gray shirt and a white ascot. I didn’t often appreciate any shade of pink on a guy, but I had to admit that Vincent wore it a little too well, as I found myself staring and wondering what it would be like to touch his chest and feel that fabric on my fingertips.

“Vincent.” Rowan snapped me out of my reverie. “Darling, why don’t you join us for a drink?”

She snatched another flute from a passing waiter’s tray and handed it to Vincent. He smiled and gave her a thankful nod, then bowed before me with a seductive smirk. I was used to guys giving me these looks and asking me out and all that dating malarkey, but the way Vincent did it made me blush and flutter my eyelashes like a genuine damsel. I barely recognized myself.

“Thank you, Mother,” he said slowly, then came closer, enough to make me crane my neck a little to look him in the eyes. “You look absolutely stunning, Fiona.”

“You’re too kind.” I smiled and lowered my head, sipping from my flute.

“I’m simply describing what I see,” he replied, then took my glass and discarded it onto a tall nearby table, along with his own. He firmly took my hand, his eyes locked on mine. “Mother, excuse us, but I must dance with this wonderful creature.”