Chapter 8

After Cosette’s correspondence with Oriel, their approaching union felt all too real. Because of her excruciating timidity, never in all her life had she believed she would find herself kneeling at the altar with someone else. But now that it was truly going to happen tomorrow evening, she found herself a jumble of nerves, excitement mingling with anxiety.

“I think I will keep these,” her father said with a wicked grin as he scooped Oriel’s letters into his hands. “Luca would die to see them.”

“No!” she cried, lunging for the papers, but her father held them just out of reach. “Give them back! So help me, if you show them to Luca…”

She jumped for them again, but her finger only grazed the edge of one letter before her father held it higher over his head. One of her slippers fell off on her way down, and she angrily pulled it back on and crossed her arms while glaring at him.

“What do you want, Papa?”

Her father grinned mischievously. “I have been doing everything in my creative power to get you and Oriel into the same room without his knowledge. You have fancied him for many years, but you have yet to hold a real conversation with the fellow. Choosing a mate is a very big decision, Cosette, and I want you to make sure this is what you want.”

Her heart pounded as she eyed the letters in his hands, trying to devise a plan to steal them back before he had his chance to make known his demands. But her father was eight hundred years older than her. He was much stronger and faster too.

He continued, “Nicolae Covaci is holding a ball tonight on the eve of your union. You will attend.”

Panic caused her heart to thrum, and her gaze darted toward the door. She didn’t know what she wanted more—Lord Covaci’s letters in hand and away from prying eyes, or to avoid getting trapped in a social situation where she would likely flounder like a complete idiot.

Her father used the letters to fan his face as if trying to bring her attention away from her escape. “Oriel is a gentleman of the finest sort, and it will not be difficult for Nicolae to convince him to dance with you without revealing you are his fiancée. I want you to take this time to truly make sure this is what you want.”

Tears sprang to her eyes. The idea of dancing with Lord Covaci terrified her, let alone being in the same room with him.

“And if I don’t?” Her voice quavered, and it took all her willpower to keep her hands from trembling.

“You and Luca have a tight-knit relationship. What would he think if he learns you have been keeping this secret from him?”

She groaned, hiding her face in her hands. Anyone but Luca. Her brother would never let her hear the end of it if he found out about her arranged union. He would tease her until the day she died.

“Fine!” she snapped, snatching the letters from her father’s hands. “But if this fails, I am blaming you.”

She stormed out of the room, stalked to her bedroom, and slammed the door behind her. But then she sighed and reopened the door, closing it quietly as if the action could remedy her outburst. The idea of attending the ball petrified her, but she knew she must. This was her last day as an unmated female, and her father was right. She needed to know with assurance if this was the right path for her.

Night fell, and she found herself wringing a white glove between her hands and smoothing layers of blue skirts down. Her nervous fidgeting moved from her gloves to her hair where she wrapped one of the dark curls around her finger. She took deep breaths as she stood outside an unused door of the ballroom. Torchlight flickered across the walls, guiding her eye to the light beneath the door. Intimidating, yet beckoning. She had been standing there for fifteen minutes already, searching for the courage to walk through. Courage evaded her, and she found herself torn between the opportunity to dance with Lord Covaci and fleeing in the opposite direction.

She gasped in surprise as the door opened and her mother’s head popped out. She smiled gently and held her hand out to her. “You will miss your opportunity if you don’t come in soon. Nicolae informed me that Oriel keeps trying to leave the ball, but he continues to create excuses for him to stay. Nicolae doesn’t know how many more excuses he can come up with.”

“He will hate me,” Cosette whispered, ignoring her mother’s offered hand and continuing to wring her glove.

“Oh, sweetheart,” her mother said, pulling her into an embrace and gently caressing her hair. “It’s not possible. You are sweet, beautiful, and you have the kindest heart I have ever known. I don’t doubt Oriel will adore you.”

“Do you truly think so?”

She placed a kiss on the top of her head. “I truly do. Now come on. It’s time to officially meet your fiancé.” Leaning in conspiratorially, she whispered, “Besides, don’t you think it’s a little bit fun that he won’t know it’s you until you kneel across the altar from him?”

To her own surprise, she laughed, imagining the scene playing out in her head. “I admit, I look forward to his reaction.”

Finally, she adorned her glove, took her mother’s offered hand, and followed her into the ballroom, feeling a thousand times lighter than she had minutes before.

At least until she blinked against the light radiating from the fancy chandelier overhead. The sea of dancing couples nearly overwhelmed her enough for her to bolt. But she held herself steady, emboldened by her mother standing beside her.

Her eyes scanned the crowd and the many vampires in attendance. Colorful skirts ranging from red to blue to yellow circled around fancy black dress clothes. Her father conversed with her brother, Luca, in what looked to be yet another argument. They were always at odds with one another.

She spotted her other siblings dancing with their mates on the dance floor, and she continued to scan the guests before her heart jolted as if struck by lightning.

Lord Covaci stood on the opposite end of the ballroom wearing black dress clothes and a red neck cloth. Blond hair curled at his ears and the nape of his neck. He had always looked handsome, but tonight, the sight of him robbed her of breath. He tapped his foot impatiently as Nicolae conversed with him. He looked anxious to leave, and more than once, she caught him glancing toward the door.

Nicolae leaned his head closer and said something to him, and in the next moment, he glanced across the room and met her gaze. Immediately, her blood turned to ice as panic overcame her. She wanted to bolt. She wanted to flee. But she stood frozen. Even a dragon couldn’t move her from where her feet remained nailed to the white and gray marble floor.

Lord Covaci’s anxious foot stopped tapping while he looked at her, and she quickly found herself blushing as she lowered her gaze to the ground.

“He’s coming this way,” her mother whispered. Her heart picked up, and her head spun. For a moment, she thought she might faint. Her gaze remained fixed to the floor, and she could not raise it no matter how hard she tried.

“Lady Bridgette Dragomir,” Lord Covaci greeted, and from the corner of her eye, Cosette saw him bow. “And who might this lovely female be?”

Her mother returned his bow with a curtsy. “Lord Covaci, this is my daughter, Lady Dragomir.” She couldn’t help but notice the way her mother left her first name out of the introduction.

“I’m glad to meet your acquaintance,” he said, also bowing to her. “Might I bother you for a dance?”

Cosette couldn’t move, couldn’t even lift her gaze to look at him. As she had anticipated, this was going horribly wrong.

“She would be delighted,” her mother answered for her, taking Cosette’s hand and placing it into his. Excitement tingled where their hands touched, and the tingle turned into a churning stomach. Her breath hitched as she involuntarily lifted her gaze to look him in the eye. From there, her breath fled from her completely. He looked more handsome than she remembered. She longed to gaze into the depth of his blue eyes all night long. She wanted to sift her fingers through his large curls to find out if they were as soft as they looked. And his lips…

She clenched her jaw, surprised by the thoughts rolling through her mind. Heat rose to her cheeks, and hard as she might, she couldn’t hold his gaze for long, especially when he looked at her like he just got his first taste of moonlight.

Lord Covaci cleared his throat, and she couldn’t mistake the flush that climbed to his ears. “Right. Dancing.” He pulled her onto the dance floor, and a tremor of terror moved through her when he turned to face her, placing his free hand on her waist. He took a step forward and…

And she was too paralyzed to move. He narrowly avoided stepping on her toes.

Her hands began trembling. She lowered her gaze, both frightened and humiliated at the same time. Things could not get any worse.

To her complete shock, he started chuckling. “It seems as if I have forgotten how to dance,” he said with a wink. “I think I prefer the kind of dancing that doesn’t make me move much.” Instead of trying to take a step forward again, he rocked slowly back and forth, keeping a firm grasp on her trembling hand. Her heart relentlessly pounded against her ribcage, but she could neither speak nor retract her hand from his grip.

As if oblivious to her fear, he said, “I have never been one to enjoy balls, but my sister drags me to every…single…one. I have never seen you before at a ball. I assume you avoid them as much as I wished I did.”

Cosette couldn’t help her mouth from twitching at his sense of humor, and the deliberate but easy way he put a safe cushion around her heart. Her hands ceased their trembling, and she finally drew a breath. This vampire would be her mate for the rest of her life. She needed to speak, lest she make him dislike her before the union even happened.

“You seem anxious to leave,” she said in a barely audible whisper, but she knew even his keen vampire ears would be able to hear it.

“Very,” he agreed, effortlessly turning her to steer them away from an oncoming dancing couple. “You see, I made plans with Laurel and Zachariah. My sister and brother-in-law. A celebration for a party of three.”

She knew very well what the celebration might be about, and her already prominent blush became more noticeable. “What are you celebrating?” Her voice escaped quietly, and he paused as if trying to piece together her words. But as soon as he did, a smile blossomed across his face.

“Can you keep a secret?”

She nodded. At least her neck wasn’t paralyzed with fear.

“My union day is tomorrow, and I don’t think I have ever been this happy before. Reckon, I am sixty percent sure I will be left at the altar, but I don’t think I have ever hoped for something this much in my entire life.” Her face blushed crimson, and he burst into hearty laughter, though he quickly covered his mouth with his hand. “Please forgive me. You would think I’m Dracula with my loose lips tonight. I wasn’t supposed to say anything. I am just excited and full of hope.”

She nearly fainted.

But guilt quickly replaced her faintness. Sixty percent! Did he really think she would leave him at the altar?

“And what of the forty percent?” she dared to ask.

He smiled softly, and the look he gave her stole her breath away, though she was sure he was thinking of the vampire he was corresponding with rather than the one standing right in front of him. “I dare not voice those thoughts. I have had enough bad luck in my life to hex myself now.”

Did he truly look forward to their union tomorrow this much? Of course, he had sounded eager in his letters, but what he showed her tonight was unrestrained enthusiasm. There was little room for doubt that he wanted a union with her perhaps as much as she wanted it.

The thought made her smile.

“Where are my manners?” he asked, shaking his head disappointedly at himself. “I am far too flustered to think straight. I don’t know a single thing about you. You live in the castle?”

Cosette nodded, and she noticed he didn’t keep his eyes off her for long. She hoped in the deepest recesses of her heart he felt the same attraction for her as she did for him.

He looked away as if thinking of another question, but he quickly returned his gaze, staring into her eyes. “I know most everyone in the castle. Goodness, I even know most of the people living in Ichor Knell. I’m quite sure I would have remembered seeing you before. Did you know who I am before tonight?”

Again, she nodded, unable to find her voice. If only he knew.

“Huh…” he said thoughtfully, spinning her out of the way of yet another dancing couple. It was clear he didn’t simply forget how to dance. Rather, he was quite skilled at it. “I am completely baffled. I am convinced you have a talent for avoiding people. Though, I’m not sure what I did wrong to deserve your disdain.”

Her lips twitched again as she fought back a smile. Somehow, he had salvaged their meeting and even their dance. And he had done it effortlessly. She hadn’t fled. She hadn’t cried. Instead, she found herself closer to smiling than tearing up.

“Something about you seems familiar.” His gaze flitted over her features as if searching for something. “Are you sure we have not met before?”

She didn’t get the chance to reply because the song ended too soon, and to her horror, she noticed her father trying to convince the musicians to continue the number as if to drag on the dance. But even as they struck up the song where they left off, it was too late. Lord Covaci wouldn’t dance two songs with her, obviously not when he was engaged, though he didn’t know he was engaged to her.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Lady Dragomir,” he said and kissed her gloved hand.

Somehow, she managed a curtsy even though her shaking legs wanted to collapse on her. “A pleasure,” she whispered.

She thought she might either collapse with relief or shout with joy, but neither could she do in Lord Covaci’s presence. She turned and quickly made her way to the door for a timely exit, but her father intercepted her.

“So?” he asked quietly, glancing over his shoulder. “What will you choose?”

Cosette turned, surprised to find Lord Covaci gazing back at her, but he quickly averted his eyes and hurried in the opposite direction.

A smile tugged on her lips as she watched him go, a feeling of relief flooding through her. He was more amazing than she remembered.

“Yes,” she breathed. “I accept him to become my mate.”