“And then I can become a knight like you?”
I looked into her innocent eyes. “Maybe when you’re older, the world will no longer need knights.”
Callan reached us and the girl curtsied before racing back inside.
“I was wondering where you’d wandered off to,” he said. “Made a friend, did you?”
I returned to a standing position. “Wherever I go. How was your dance?”
“Adequate. Princess Louise doesn’t suffer from a lack of confidence, I’ll say that much.” His gaze swept the courtyard. “I’ve never seen trees like these before. They smell wonderful.”
“They do.”
Music drifted into the courtyard.
Callan held out a hand. “I believe you owe me a dance.”
“Do I?”
“Why not? Away from prying eyes. It would be a nice change.”
I eased into his arms. I felt strangely comfortable and was acutely aware of the beating of my heart.
“Why do you think House Peyton would prefer a match with House Duncan when Lewis is their neighbor?”
He clasped my hand in his and we swayed as one. “Are you referring to what Louise said? I wouldn’t give it another thought. A manipulation tactic. Nothing more. She wants me to feel more special than Maeron.”
“Did it work?”
He grinned. “Does it matter?”
“Learn anything useful about stones or berserkers?”
Callan leaned back and looked me in the eye. “All work and no play makes London a very dull knight.”
“Some of us will die without work.”
“And many of you die during work.” He scowled. “I don’t like it.”
“What?”
He tightened his hold on my waist. “The thought of you dying.”
Well, that was not the response I expected. Then I remembered the lime trees and it occurred to me that a courtyard of lime trees was the last place someone with secrets like mine should be.
I cleared my throat. “We should return to the ballroom before we’re missed.”
He leaned closer. “What’s the rush?” His breath was warm on my ear and an involuntary shiver escaped me. Callan seemed to misinterpret my reaction because he said, “You have no reason to fear me. I would never hurt you.”
I had to get out of the courtyard before I said something I’d regret. I disentangled myself and hurried inside without another word.
The gala was still going strong and I was captivated by the number of couples dancing. Two men swirled past me and I jumped back to avoid a collision.
Callan was beside me again. His handsome features were etched with concern. “Did I say something to upset you?”
“No.” I cast a wary glance in the direction of the courtyard. We had to be away from its sphere of influence now. “I’m sorry. I’m tired from the journey and all the excitement.”
His mouth twitched. “Liar.”
“I don’t look tired to you?”
“I’m not sure. It’s hard to see past all that beauty.”
I frowned. Maybe the effect of the lime trees extended farther than I thought.
He edged closer so that the sides of our hands were touching. “Would it be so shocking to learn that I’m attracted to you?”
My breath caught in my throat.
“Callan, there you are,” Louise’s voice interjected. “Father and Mother are here now and they’d like to see us dance.” She eyed him like he was raw meat and she was a starving lioness.
“Did they miss it the first three times?”
Her smile evaporated. “You would decline the invitation of your host? What would Queen Imogen say about your manners?” Clucking her tongue, she extended a hand. “Come now. Don’t humiliate me in front of our guests. You’re the talk of the gala.”
His eyes locked on mine as though requesting my approval. It was an unexpected gesture.
“Enjoy yourselves,” I said. “I’m heading back to the tower. I’ll see you in the morning, Your Highness.”
Callan fixed me with those piercing green eyes. “Allow me to accompany you.”
I held up a hand to keep him at bay. “No, you stay. Enjoy the spotlight.” I noticed dozens of young women clamoring for his attention aside from the princess. I couldn’t decide whether they were sizing him up for a husband or sizing me up for a late night snack. Possibly both.
Princess Louise dragged him away by the hand and he disappeared into the crowd without another word.
I hurried from the castle, relieved to put distance between myself and the five hundred vampires at the gala. A quick glance at the silver glow of my hands and I knew I’d waited too long. The moment I was alone in my room, I needed to release a little magic.
I crossed the grounds toward the tower, cutting through the mist that rose from the earth. I glanced over my shoulder at the castle in the distance. Between the mist and the candlelight emanating from the windows, the castle appeared dreamlike, as though it existed between two realities. My head felt much the same. The evening with Callan had thrown me off-kilter and I was relieved that we’d be on the train back to the city tomorrow. Back to the real world where I wore magical armor and didn’t dance with vampires in a courtyard of lime trees. The faster I put physical distance between us, the faster I could recover my senses and sensibilities.
I arrived at the tower and opened the rounded wooden door. No guards, thank the gods. I wanted nothing more than to go straight to my room and fall asleep. My body felt heavy with need—for rest. Only for rest. I shook all thoughts of the prince from my mind. It was the strangeness of the trip messing with my emotions. It had to be. I never should’ve agreed to let him accompany me, not that I’d had much choice. He was a vampire prince and I was…not.
I entered my room and came to a halt. Icy fingernails dragged down my spine and my body shifted to high alert.
Someone was in the room.
A shadow lunged at me and I formed an X with my arms to block my assailant. Sharp nails scraped down my skin and drew blood. A second silhouette sprang from the shadows. I didn’t have time to reach for the dagger I had hidden beneath my dress. I did the only thing available to me.
I connected to my magic.
I looked at the candlelight flickering on the bedside table and expanded the flame. Light revealed two vampires dressed in green and white—the colors of House Peyton.
I coaxed the fire toward me while also trying to keep my assailants at bay.
“You like fire so much,” the thinner vampire said. “Let’s see how it looks on you.” He snatched the candlestick from the bedside table and tossed it at me.
I stopped the flames in midair and forced them back toward the vampires. Fire thinned and stretched across the room until it encircled the vampires. They were too dumbfounded to continue their attack and retreated from the flames until their backs were touching.
“What kind of witch are you?” the more muscular vampire asked. His face looked as though it had been used as a punching bag one too many times.
“I’m asking the questions in this room.” I sauntered closer to them, thickening the lasso of flames. “Why are you here?”
“To kill you,” the second vampire said. “Why else?”