“Execute you?” he said, his tone too quiet. “What makes you think I would kill you?”
I swallowed hard and dug my nails into the palms of my hands, tucked away out of his sight. The sharp pain kept me focused and stopped the swell of emotions from boiling over. Flicking my eyes upward, I dared to meet his. “Melanie.”
Lord Vaughn didn’t move. Not even to blink.
The sound of her name flicked a barb of pain through my gut. Pricking at a wound that hadn’t … would never … heal.
The stunned look on my father’s face melted away and his cold smile returned, though less wide than before. He retook his seat and calmly steepled his spidery hands together. “Ah, yes. Well, as you’ve already pointed out, I am dependent upon you to produce the heir to House Vaughn. So, despite your involvement in Melanie’s disgrace and the shameful way you acted during your previous betrothal, I have little choice but to offer you one more chance to fulfill your obligation to this family.”
In some odd way, having the possibility of death off the table made me more nervous. I braced myself, already knowing what was coming next.
“I have summoned you home with the full intent on restoring your position at Court. You will marry a lord and take your rightful place. I will give you a territory as a wedding gift and see to it that you have everything you need to produce a bornling.”
“Just what every little vampire dreams of,” I said, my voice tart. “And if I don’t want to be a pawn in your little game?”
Leaning forward, his eyes narrowed. “You can be whatever piece you wish, but you will play the game to completion. I can assure you, if you are to be exiled again, it won’t involve sandy beaches and beauty pageants.”
Heat scorched every inch of my skin. I wanted to scream, to curse, to throw things, or flash my fangs at him.
Calmly, he sat back in his chair and depressed a button on the corner of his desk. Half a second later, the door of the study opened and the guard lumbered back into the room. I hadn’t even registered him leaving.
“Lady Vaughn would like to retire to her room,” Lord Vaughn said, his voice false and cheery. “She’s had a long day of travel and needs to rest up for the gala tonight.”
“Gala?” I repeated, craning back around to look at my father.
He smiled again, all of his gleaming teeth on display. “Oh, did I forget to mention it? We’re having a little homecoming party in your honor. Everyone from the Court will be in attendance. They’re all dying to hear my special announcement.”
The guard reached for my elbow and I rose, jerking it away.
“Jerrod will see you safely to your quarters,” my father replied, apparently not about to call off his goon.
“I know the way,” I bit back. “I don’t need an escort.”
“Humor me,” he replied, nodding at the guard.
A vise-like grip encircled my elbow. The guard stared at me, menace in his eyes.
“I’m not going anywhere until your goon stops manhandling me!” I growled.
My father flashed his teeth, his fangs weren’t extended, but the gleaming canines were on purposeful display. His eyes darkened as he glared up at me. “Lacey, consider this your official—and only—warning. If even one thing goes wrong tonight, not even your mother will be able to protect you.”
With that, he waved his hand and the guard frog-marched me from the room.
Chapter 2
As it turned out, being shown to my quarters actually meant being locked inside them. As the lock clicked into place, all the fury rushing through me surged high enough to burst the dam, releasing a flood of tears. They came hot and fast, each sob wracking my body. I hadn’t let myself cry since the night I found the summoning letter. Stars, I could count on one hand the amount of times I’d cried since leaving the mansion in the middle of the night five years earlier. It wasn’t in my nature to cry. At least, that was what I told myself. It was a hard point to prove with my nose running and my vision blurred.
I swiped at my eyes and blew out a frustrated huff as I took in the room around me. It was the same room I’d occupied since leaving the nursery and looked as though it had been left untouched following my departure. All of the decor and furnishings were my own personal selections, made over a series of years as my taste and style preferences developed. The walls were covered with a luxe damask wallpaper, the midnight blue patterning defined by liquid gold stenciling. Every piece of furniture was ornate and beautiful, the art on the walls subdued. The room used to be my sanctuary, the one place I could express myself without anyone else’s opinion breaking through.
Now, it was to be my gilded cage.
Silver bars blocked off the tall, encased windows, ensuring I couldn’t break free. The solid wood door locked from the outside and if I had to guess, there was likely a guard or two patrolling beyond, just in case I’d learned some lock-picking skills from my time on the run.
Regretfully, I hadn’t. Who knew I would one day wish I’d let Adam, one of my old roommates, talk me into watching Macgyver reruns with him.
The adjoining bathroom was the same way. There were bars on my large picture window over my huge soaking tub, too. Fresh linens were stacked neatly inside the built-in shelving beside the tub, and I retrieved a washcloth and ran it under some cold water. I sucked in a sharp breath as I applied the compress to my face. I couldn’t stand the cold, but it was the best solution to tame my puffy eyes.
“After all,” I quipped to myself in the mirror, “we wouldn’t want the belle of the ball to look like an emotionally unstable wreck, would we?”
A soft knock answered me. “Lacey?”
The quiet voice was a soothing balm and I set aside the cloth and hurried to open the door. Jupiter stood on the other side, a black garment bag draped across one arms. Her face fell when she saw me. “Are you all right?”
I gave a miserable nod. “I will be.”
She held up the bag. “I came to help you get ready.”
“Oh.” I nodded again but then stopped and cocked my head to one side. “How did you even know I needed a formal dress? And where did it come from?”
Jupiter turned away and crossed the room to lay the sheathed gown across the foot of the four-poster bed. She kept her eyes trained down, fussing with the bag.
“Jupe?” I asked, stepping into the bedroom. “What’s going on?”
She raised her hand to tuck away a strand of hair, and her long sleeve slipped down her arm. A breath caught in the back of my throat as a sliver of skin was revealed. Three vines circled her wrist, permanently inked into her skin. The tattoo marked her as property of House Vaughn. “You work here? For … for them?” My head refused to wrap itself around this new piece of information. The idea was unfathomable to me, and yet the evidence was undeniable.
Jupiter tugged her sleeve down to cover the ink and sheepishly looked down at her hands. Slowly, she nodded. “For the past six months.”
“But why?”
She raised her eyes, meeting mine. “I needed the money, Lacey. Jobs are hard to come by and—say what you will about this place—the pay is fair and I have a safe place to sleep at night. A lot has changed since you left.”
I knew Jupiter hadn’t meant the statement as a barb, but it stung all the same. I reached for her arm and held her gaze. “I’m here now. Tell me what’s going on.”
“It’s a long story,” she replied, hesitating. She chewed on the corner of her lip. “The gala will be starting in a little over an hour. You need to be ready or it’ll be both of our hides on the line.”
An argument bubbled up into my throat, but I forced it down. I was the one who’d left. If that meant I had to do some work to regain my friend’s trust, I had to accept that. Smiling slightly, I reached for the garment bag and started unzipping the side. “Please, at least tell me the dress is couture.”
“Of course.” Jupiter’s easy smile returned, though a hint of sadness lingered in her eyes.