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The vampire lord releases me so fast I stumble. He backs away with a deep bow, murmuring apologies that I can barely hear over the roaring in my ears. Hendery stands between us, close enough that unnatural coldness radiates from his body and prickles my skin.
Then he walks away.
No explanation. No possessive declaration. He simply turns and disappears into the crowd, leaving me alone in the center of the dance floor. Dozens of masked faces turn to stare at the human liaison who just got publicly dismissed by her lover.
Heat floods my face.
I spend the next hour trying to approach him. Every time I get within ten feet, he moves to another corner of the room. When I head toward the throne, he's suddenly deep in conversation with a council member near the windows. When I try to intercept him by the refreshment table, he's already speaking with the Captain of the Guard.
The pattern becomes clear. He's avoiding me.
My anger builds with each rejection until my fingers tremble and my ribs constrict.
"You look lost, little human."
Lady Vespera appears beside me like smoke given form. She's stunning in a gown of pure silver that makes her look like living moonlight. Her hair falls in pale waves down her back, and her smile is all predatory grace.
"I'm perfectly fine, thank you." I keep my voice level, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing me rattled.
"Are you?" Vespera plucks a glass of wine from a passing servant's tray and takes a delicate sip. "How long do you think he'll keep playing house with you, little human? We both know Hendery always returns to his own kind eventually."
The words sink into my chest like knives. "I'm sure you'd know all about that."
"I do." Her smile sharpens. "I was his for a century before you were even born. Do you really think six months with a mortal pet will compare?"
I want to argue, to defend what Hendery and I have. But the words die in my throat because I don't know what we have anymore. Maybe we never did.
Vespera's gaze flicks over my shoulder, and her smile turns triumphant. "He's watching you right now, you know. Wondering if you'll break."
I refuse to turn around. Refuse to give her the satisfaction.
She leans in close enough that her breath tickles my ear. "He'll drain you dry one day, little human. It's what we do."
Then she glides away, leaving me standing alone with my heart hammering against my ribs.
I find Hendery across the room speaking with High Council members, three ancient vampires whose names I can never remember. His face is carved from marble, utterly blank, while they discuss politics I'm not privy to. He glances at me once, and the coldness in his expression steals the breath from my lungs.
The decision crystallizes in my chest. I dump him tonight. No more doubts.
I drain a glass of wine in three swallows and march directly toward the throne.
The crowd parts for me like water. Whispers follow in my wake, but I ignore them all. Hendery stands when I approach, his expression shifting into something carefully neutral.
"You look agitated, Ivy." His voice is flat and dismissive, loud enough for the nearby courtiers to hear. "Retire if you must."
The public humiliation lands like a slap. My fury spikes hot and sharp.
"We need to talk." The words come out low and deadly. "Now."
Hendery's obsidian eyes narrow. Something unreadable flickers across his face before it's gone. He hesitates for just a heartbeat, then gestures toward the balcony doors with one elegant hand.
"Do not look at him," he murmurs as we turn. His fingers brush my elbow with possessive pressure. "Your eyes belong to me."
The whispers grow louder while we cross the ballroom in tense silence. The orchestra shifts to something ominous, all minor chords and discordant strings that make my skin prickle.
A clock somewhere in the castle chimes ten times.
Two hours until midnight.
We step onto the balcony, and the cold night air hits my face like a physical blow. The sounds of the party become muffled behind us. Hendery closes the doors, sealing us in privacy, then turns to face me with his expression still carefully blank.
"Before you say anything, Ivy, I need you to know that everything I've done has been to keep you alive."