Page 53 of The Witch in the Dead of Night

“Deepest apologies, Genevieve,” he purred, taking the vampiress’s hand and bringing it to his lips. “I had my hands full with my charge. You understand.”

She scowled at me. “Clearly. But you’re done now, yes?”

“Yes,” he replied.

“Good,” she said. “Take me away from this awful cold.”

He offered his arm. “It would be my pleasure.”

“Don’t worry about me,” I muttered. He ignored me, the pair of them disappearing into the night.

I returned to the castle alone, intent on finding Mordric to take my mind off things again. To my surprise, I instead stumbled upon a silver-haired vampiress I recognized from the solstice. She dawdled in the great hall, as if waiting for someone.

“Vesper!” I called, waving a hand.

She beamed at me. “Lady Witch.”

“What brings you to Valnar Castle?” I asked.

“I was searching for you,” she replied. “The King promised to let me borrow you for the night. Tea, remember?”

“How generous of him,” I said, winking at her. “Are we going somewhere?”

“I would have loved to invite you to my home just over the bridge, but King Mordric mentioned you’ve been awfully tired from all your training.”

“Oh,” I replied. “Another time, perhaps. It seems like ages since I’ve been outside the castle grounds.”

“Another time,” she agreed, looping her arm through mine. “The Eilkan Parlor will have to do.”

We set off toward the western edge of the castle, passing throngs of nobles as we did. The castle was nearly always teeming with new faces: dinner guests, dignitaries from foreign lands, citizens of Valnar come to petition their king. A pair of ladies, one vampire and one human, put their heads together as we passed. The vampiress giggled, her companion whispering into her ear as she looked Vesper up and down. My brow creased in disapproval, but Vesper appeared not to notice the gossipers.

The Eilkan Parlor looked out onto the royal gardens, which were admittedly difficult for me to see in the dark. I’d been assigned to clean the parlor once or twice, though, and so I knew the view was quite lovely in the daytime. The roof was made of glass, making it appear almost as if we sat within a crystal cage. The room was decorated in brilliant shades of midnight blue, the tapestries hanging on the walls gilded with whorls of silver.

We settled in a pair of matching armchairs, a round table between us that had already been set with matching crystal glasses and a tray of canapés. A note lay on the table, our names scrawled across it in cursive.

“How thoughtful,” said Vesper, flipping the note between her fingers. “Things are going well with the King, I presume.”

I flushed, thinking about the previous evening. “Very well, actually.”

A knowing smile played on her lips. “It’s quite unlike him to take a consort, you know. He must truly care for you.”

A consort, I thought. Is that what I am?

“And the training? How are you finding it?”

“Fine,” I replied quickly. Too quickly.

Her brows shot toward her hairline. “Really?”

I sighed. “No. It’s been difficult, in truth.”

“How so?” she asked.

“It’s the prince,” I said. “We tend to, er, butt heads.”

Her laugh was like wind chimes. “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.”

I frowned. “It doesn’t?”