Chapter 10

Throughout the room, people are gathered in groups, many of them wearing clothes in matching colours. I try to count the number of different houses I can spot, but I lose track with everyone moving around.

The townspeople are in the centre of the room, several of them looking around and seeming more nervous than before. I see a few faces I recognise, but there are many more I don't. Perhaps some of them have come from towns other than my own. Or my town is bigger than I thought it was.

I suppose it isn't mine any longer, it's just the place I used to live. Not for the first time since arriving back in the ballroom, I find myself wishing that Pip was with me. She's a comfort beyond what I can imagine, and I'm worried about her sitting in my new room. What if one of the Fallmartins decides she's not supposed to be here after all?

I take a deep breath. I need to stay calm. This whole evening has been a lot to take in, and I'm not really sure how to deal with any of it, but I know that the ballroom, surrounded by vampires I don't know, isn't the place for me to let my true emotions show.

A hush falls over the room as a man appears on the balcony at the far end. I can't tell much about him from this distance, but I have to assume he's important. A woman stands on his left side, and another man on his right, though that one is somewhat familiar. It takes me a moment to realise that this must be Marcus, and that it probably means the other two vampires are his parents.

The royal family. Though there's no sign of the brother he mentioned.

"Good evening," the King says in a deep rich voice. "And welcome to the Golden Moon ball."

A cheer goes up around the room and several people raise their goblets.

I tighten my grip around my own.

"Do any of the Noble Houses wish to present new heirs to the court?" the King calls.

Lord Fallmartin steps forward with his head held high. "I wish to present my heir, Bastian Fallmartin," he says, gesturing to my brother.

I want to sink back against the wall so he doesn't draw the same amount of attention as Bastian is getting.

Eliza catches my attention. "Don't worry, he won't call on you, you're just a girl."

I manage a small nod. There's some comfort in that. Marcus' words ring through my mind about Lord Fallmartin leaving most of his dhampirs to die. Would that have been me if not for my brother? Bastian did say that he'd made a deal for us.

"Welcome, Bastian Fallmartin, recognised heir to House Rothorne," the King says, raising his goblet.

Bella scowls at my brother, clearly unimpressed. I'm not sure I understand where much of her animosity is coming from. As far as I can tell, she wouldn't have been the one in Bastian's position if he were not here.

Several of the other houses come forward and announce new heirs, each of which the king acknowledges in turn. I'm sure that if I knew more about the way things worked here, I'd understand what was going on better, but there's an understandable but huge gap in my knowledge.

One that I'm going to have to rectify so I don't end up in a situation like this again. Somehow, I feel even more powerless standing in this room in a dress that probably cost more than Bastian and I could make in a year, than I ever did in our home with the leaking roof and the lingering smell of vegetable stew.

Maybe it's because the danger is greater here, but I can't work out precisely where it's coming from. Maybe it's Bella's glares I should be worrying about the most, or Bastian's threats. Or simply the way Lord Fallmartin is walking around with an air of superiority.

I'm out of my depth and I know it.

I keep my eyes trained on whoever is speaking, trying to commit the Houses to memory along with who their new heir is. I don't know how the information might be useful to me, but considering these people are potentially in the same position as I am, they could be potential friends.

I glance down at the goblet in my hand, realising that even considering this kind of thing suggests that I've decided to stay, though to some extent, what choice do I have? Several people have told me I'll die tomorrow if I leave the castle as I am. Presumably, the only way to go back to my life from before is to figure out how to revert to my half-vampire, half-human state, and that might not even be possible.

The hall falls silent, and everyone looks around as if to check whether there are any more dhampirs to be announced. When no one says anything, the king steps forward again. His presence is commanding, even as far removed from his subjects as he is up on his balcony. Even from here, I can tell he's not a man I want to cross, and I'm going to endeavour to stay out of his way.

"And now, to the feast," the King announces.

A cheer goes up from the nobility.

"The feast?" I ask Eliza. "But the food is already out."

She gives me a pitying look just as the first scream fills the air.

It's followed by a surprisingly sweet smell that makes my mouth water and doesn't seem dissimilar to what's in my goblet.

Blood .

The realisation sinks in and I search the room for the source of it.

My gaze latches onto where the townspeople are gathered to see a man being pulled away by a vampire in a deep purple dress. He's still screaming as the woman sinks her teeth into his neck.

I can't tear my eyes away as the scene in front of me intensifies. The man stops struggling and falls limply into the woman's arms, only for her to push him to the ground and step over him as she goes to get a different kind of drink.

My stomach churns but I find myself rooted to the spot, not able to help, completely unable to do anything other than watch the horror unfold.

"You should partake," Lord Fallmartin says.

For a moment, I think he's talking to me, but his attention is fully directed at Bastian. I suppose what Eliza told me earlier is true, I'm a girl and can be ignored.

Which is looking perfectly fine right now.

Bastian steps forward and a horrible feeling grips hold of me, squeezing my heart. I want to reach out and tell him no, but there's a large part of me that knows the horrible truth of it. I have no sway over Bastian. And my brother isn't who I thought he was. Either he brought us here foolishly not realising what he was getting us into, or he's well aware and chose to do it anyway.

I'm not sure which option is better.

Neither of my cousins move as Bastian descends to the middle of the room, looking for his perfect prey. Eliza's face is neutral, but Bella's disgust is clear, though I don't know if it's for what's happening, or if it's because of the preferential treatment Bastian is getting after so little time here.

Bastian approaches a woman and holds out his hand to her, saying a few words. For one brief moment, I think he's going to do something to save here, even though I know it's unlikely he'd be successful. Instead, he pulls her close before sinking his teeth into her neck.

A rivulet of blood runs down the woman's neck, pooling at the neckline of her dress and seeping into the fabric there.

Horror fills me as I watch the humanity drain out of my brother even faster than he drains his victim's blood.

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes and my stomach churns beyond anything I think I've ever experienced. The blood in the goblet I'm holding feels like it's taunting me, telling me that this is my life now and it's what I have to accept, even if I don't want it to be.

"I'm going to be sick," I murmur.

"Not here you won't be," Lord Fallmartin says.

I startle, not having realised how close he's standing to me.

"Go outside if you must." He gives a dismissive wave in the direction of the doors.

I nod, grateful that I'm being given permission to leave the room rather than having to endure, even if the reason has nothing to do with me and everything to do with how our House appears.

I stumble away, half-dropping the goblet onto a table as I hurry by, trying not to think about everything I've just seen. The other vampires are bad enough, but Bastian? That image is going to be seared into my memory for years to come.

And I'm never going to be able to look at my brother the same way again.