Chapter Eight

T he ball, held by the Earl and Countess of March, was heralded a wild success, one of those events that would be talked about probably until the next Season and the one following. It was not because they had served the best food or prepared the best entertainment. Rather, it was for the simple reason that the ball was the only party that the esteemed Marquis of Lunare had chosen to attend.

Every unmarried female in the ball had their adoring gazes glued to him while their matchmaking mamas schemed of ways to lure him into a marriage trap. But first they had to get him alone, and that did not seem possible at all, with the marquis seemingly disinclined to leave the Orphelines’ side.

Granted, they were of a good family, and the eldest daughter, Soleil, was a diamond of the first water but, it must also be said, the matrons privately ranted, that Charles was a mere baron. Surely the marquis would wish for someone with bluer blood or perhaps a greater fortune?

And so they continued to vent their frustrations, but none of them were able to find the courage to approach the marquis. He looked too cold, too aloof, too...noble. It would be horrible, so very horrible, if the marquis gave any of them the cut direct!

“Good evening again, milord,” Fleur greeted the marquis as she took the vacant seat next to him.

“Good evening, milady.”

Following his gaze, she saw that the marquis was scowling at the way her eldest sister held court at the opposite side of the ball. It was a familiar sight for her, but she was guessing it was the marquis’ first time to witness just how many faithful swains Soleil held entranced.

“Jealous?” she asked mischievously.

The marquis turned to her. “You do know who you are talking to, yes?” An elegant brow lifted.

“My sister’s overly possessive betrothed?” she guessed.

Ilie ignored that. “Tell me. Have you noticed anything strange about her?” Something about Soleil had been bugging the hell out of him, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly.

Frowning, Fleur considered the question seriously, knowing that the marquis wasn’t the type to idly ask questions. “Well, she has become nicer than usual.”

Yes, that was it, he realized. Soleil had been nicer, but only someone like Fleur, who had known his heartkeeper her entire life, would have recognized it right away.

If only , he thought, he had known of her ten years ago.

But he had not, and he would not have those ten years back, no matter what he did. That missing decade would have Ilie bitter and furious if not for the fact that he had at least the rest of eternity to look forward to with his heartkeeper.

“This morning I heard her tell Aurora,” Fleur was confiding, “that she could finally read those books.”

Ilie knew what that those books were, but even so, he was puzzled. “Why does Aurora not just read them if she wants to?” It wasn’t like Aurora wasn’t of age yet.

Fleur was looking at him like he was crazy. “Because Soleil told us not to, and we would not have survived this long if we didn’t follow her word.”

Ah.

“And you know, she’s also agreed to finally give me free rein with my allowance. I have nagged her endlessly about it, but she always told me I had too many frivolous wants to be trusted—-” Pausing, Fleur gazed at him calculatingly. “Has anything different happened between the two of you last night? Something that could have made my already sweet sister turn insanely sweeter?”

He thought about Soleil with his cock in her mouth and coughed.

“Aha! I knew it! No doubt it has something to do with someone going down—-”

Ilie choked. What the fuck? Could Soleil have told her baby sister that?

“—-on bended knee,” Fleur finished triumphantly.

Ah. He cleared his throat in relief, realizing that Fleur didn’t know the truth after all. “That did not happen last night, but I had already let her know my intentions.”

“So you did go down—-”

Wincing, he cut her off, saying, “No, I did not propose to her in such a manner.”

Fleur leaned back against her seat in disappointment. “How disgustingly pragmatic. I told you, right? She’s a hopeless romantic. No wonder she’s still against your suit.”

“She is not.”

“She is.”

“She gave me her approval,” he said stiffly, “about tonight’s formal announcement of our engagement.”

Fleur shrugged. “So? It doesn’t mean she said yes to being your heartkeeper.”

It was almost the exact same thing Soleil had said last night, he realized. These sisters were too much alike it was uncanny.

“Oh, my,” the younger girl suddenly exclaimed. “The way my sister’s looking at the gentleman she’s dancing with—-”

He turned abruptly towards where he had last seen Soleil just in time to witness her placing one gloved hand over the baron’s arm.

Her father.

Beside her, Fleur said smugly, “I told you, milord. You’re jealous , and only people who are in love feel that way, don’t you think?”

EVEN IN HIS ADVANCED age, the baron was still a good dancer, and he expertly whirled his daughter across the floor.

“You are still too good,” she told him laughingly.

“Of course.”

She smiled up at him. “Papa, did I ever thank you?”

“For what?”

“For taking care of me, of us. For always being there—-”

His gaze narrowing, he asked warily, “Is this your way of buttering me up before you ask me for something?”

She grinned. “That has never been my style, Papa, and you know it. Besides, we all know you’re all bark. You never deny us anything.” Stopping mid-dance, she tiptoed to kiss him on the cheek. “I love you, Papa.”

When she drew back, the marquis had appeared beside them, surprising both father and daughter.

You deliberately shocked me, she accused him.

His gaze laughed at hers before he turned to the baron, asking formally, “May I have the next dance with your daughter, milord?”

“Is this an omen?” the baron grumbled. “I’m beginning to dislike the idea of having to relinquish my daughter to you.” But his smile belied his words and he was already stepping back as he spoke.

For a long time, neither of them spoke, not out loud, not in their minds. They were simply content to dance, teasing each other with stolen gazes and secret smiles, seducing each other as they whirled and dipped about—-

His fingers on her waist, her breasts against his chest-—

“This is the most scandalous dance,” she couldn’t help telling him breathlessly. It was true, but even so, she wanted more.

He smiled rakishly down at her. “Just the first of many.”

Her heart squeezed at the words, and she pressed her breasts harder against his chest.

His eyes widened.

Her smile naughty, Soleil said, “So you would not always think you can guess my every move.”

The marquis grunted. “When did I ever think that? From the moment I knew of you, you never did anything you should.”

“But you know almost my every thought,” she grumbled back, “and it’s hateful.”

His rock-hard shoulders lifting in a careless shrug, he teased, “Do not blame me for your inability to hide your thoughts.”

Her dimples flashed. “Such arrogance.” And he was, too arrogant. Because she wasn’t as bad as he thought.

They danced a second time, and it was wonderful. They danced a third time, and by then it was official, their engagement good as announced. Such was the way things were in their world.

When the music ended, Ilie cupped her face and lowering his head, he kissed her in front of everyone. Her toes curled, and even though she was very much aware of how scandalous they were being, she couldn’t help kissing him back.

When he raised his head, both of them heard the audible sigh that went through the crowd.

They grinned at each other.

“Was that romantic enough for you, milady?” he teased.

She scowled. “Fleur told you about that, didn’t she?”

Instead of answering, he told her, “You enchant me.”

Ah. He really did have the most amazing way with words. Swallowing, she managed to ask in a lighthearted voice, “Enchanting enough to fall in love with me?”

His lips twitched. “You won’t get those words that easily from me, milady.”

Ah.

Her heart started to break.

But she told herself it was not his fault – or hers.

It was just the way things were meant to be.

When she excused herself to go to the powder room, the marquis automatically offered, “Let me accompany you—-”

Soleil shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Thank you, milord, but no. Stop treating me like a damsel in distress—-”

“How about,” he said under his breath, “I turn you into a damsel in acute arousal—-”

“Milord!”

He let out a low sigh. “I shall wait here then.”

“You may wait for a long time,” she warned. “I need to fix my hair a bit. All those whirls and twirls...”

Ilie frowned. “It looks fine to me.”

“Oh, but you’re a gentleman and so you do not know better.” She curtsied to him and made her way to the powder room.

Inside, she waited for the other ladies to leave before locking the door.

She looked around her and almost laughed. The powder room...was decorated in shades of blue. Her gaze fell on the mantel clock above the fireplace.

Five minutes before midnight.

Soleil closed her eyes.

She saw her life flash before her eyes. Every precious moment with her Papa and her sisters, but oh, how curious, she thought. Every once in a while, Ilie’s image would drift across her mind, like he meant more to her than everything – even if she knew they were only together for a short while.

And then she felt it—-

Something inside of her starting to crack, like a monster about to come into the world and its sole purpose was to devour her.

Slowly, Soleil fell to the carpet.

She closed her eyes just as she heard the door behind her crash open.

Her sister’s screams—-

Her Papa bellowing for help—-

And then she felt him.

The marquis.

Ilie.

Outside, wolves began to howl, a cacophonous sound of despair.

The marquis had dragged her into his lap, shaking her. “What the fuck’s wrong with her? Tell me!”

“She’s cursed,” Fleur was crying.

Oh, Fleur. Always too impetuous for her own good.

“She needs a heartkeeper or she’ll die,” Aurora said in a rush, tears choking her voice.

And of course, Aurora, always thinking she needed to save the world just because she happened to be smarter than most.

“Open your eyes, damn you.”

He shook her, again and again, and still she wouldn’t have given in if she had not heard him speak again—-

“Damn you. Open them for me, please. ” His voice broke.

Ilie’s chest exploded in painful relief as he saw Soleil’s eyes flutter open. The permanent wound over his heart blazed, his brothers in blood asking him what was wrong.

In the distance, the clock chimed.

Three minutes until midnight.

“Damn you,” he raged down at her. “Be my heartkeeper now.”

She smiled, and the sight broke his heart because it was like she was saying goodbye to him.

And now he remembered what Fleur kept telling him—-

Almost like God sending a damn message—-

A hopeless romantic.

Soleil was a foolishly hopeless romantic.

He whispered rawly, “You bloody fool.”

“Your w-words, m-milord.” She laughed then choked, and coldness wrapped around his heart when he saw that she had choked out blood without knowing it.

“Who the fuck cares?” he hissed. “Because it’s goddamn true. You’re a bloody fool, and you’re bloody selfish, to curse me like you’re cursed—-”

“N-no—-”

More blood.

“Yes,” he snarled. “You’ve cursed me.”

She was crying inside of her, but she was unable to make a sound because it was already as if the monster inside of her had taken control.

“I d-didn’t—-”

A tear slipped from the corner of Soleil’s eye, together with a drop of blood.

“Stop it,” Fleur screamed. “Stop making her—-”

The clock chimed.

Two minutes.

“If you go, then you’re cursing me to an eternity without happiness and love,” Ilie said harshly. “I’m half-demon, Soleil. Do you fucking know what that means? I’m a half-demon, and so the words that you want to hear will not come easy—-”

Tears and blood continued to mingle.

God. He could feel her life seeping out of her, and outside, the wolves in the kingdom went berserk at the pain Ilie was feeling.

I think...I could have made you say the words...if I had more time.

The words seemed to take everything from her, and Soleil’s eyes drifted closed.

No.

NO!

He shouted in his mind, Listen to me, goddamn you. You don’t need more time because you already have it.

And it was true.

Now, he knew it was true.

I would never admit it if this didn’t happen—-

And maybe that was why you had to be cursed—-

Why God, who fucking knows everything—-

He knew it was the only way I would know.

Ilie drew her up.

The clock chimed.

One minute.

He pulled her tightly to him. She felt lifeless, but he refused to believe she would leave him. Be my heartkeeper, ma lisse.

Take my heart.

Share your soul.

Spend eternity with me.

He rocked her in his arms, and he, too, bled tears of blood.

I love you, Soleil.

Be my heartkeeper.

Seconds away from midnight—-

The monster’s jaws snapped open.

Soleil choked out, Yes. I will be your heartkeeper.

The clock struck twelve.

And pain engulfed both of them.