Chapter 41 CHAPTER 41

Chapter 41 CHAPTER 41
Sera

Oh dearest Goddess.

I froze, staring at the three kings, their hands outstretched. I didn't get any information on what to do when this happened.

What should I do? What should I do?

I only have two hands, I can't even select all three of them. The crowd behind me is silent, causing my heart to race even harder than before. Before I could say anything, Lucian and Caspian stepped forward.

They angled their hands towards me, a silent compromise. I can pick both of them, but what about…

My eyes met Dante’s gaze. What would happen to him, if I picked the other two?

“Go on,” a voice suddenly whispered in my head. I looked at him, my heart cracking. “You don't need to choose, Sera,” Dante assured me, his tone calm. “All three of us are here, so you don't need to choose.”

Oh.

“I'll be right behind you,” he finished. I nodded my head softly, and wrapped my two hands in-between Lucian and Caspian’s.

The minute I did, they both moved. I matched their pace, keeping my head up, my eyes straight as we entered the ballroom. The crowd parts the minute we step inside, whispers going up in the air with every step, murmurs echoing through the people.

And for the first time this evening, my heart is steady.

Here, my hands threaded between the cold king, his eyes forward, his aura calm and the mad king, a raging fire by my side, and finally, the liar, whom I know there was nothing more true in this world than how solid he was behind me, protecting me.

I had never felt safer in my life.

They lead me down a long stretch of a red carpet and the crowd dissipates when we are close, making way for their kings to move through them. Finally, the center of the ball room was within my sight, and on the raised platform, a single gold throne, one higher than I had ever seen in the castle, rested there.

The three men led me towards the steps. I climbed them slowly, careful of the long drape of my gown. Once we get to the top, Lucian and Caspian let go of me.

“Sit down,” Dante’s voice appeared in my mind again. I bit my lip for a brief moment, and then, I sat down slowly on the soft cushion, facing the crowd.

The three kings immediately reposition themselves, almost like they were carrying out a ritual. Caspian moved to my right, while Lucian stood behind my throne. Dante is in front of me, and I glanced up at him. His face was straight, giving nothing away.

What were they doing? I am tempted to speak, but I stayed calm, choosing instead to stare at Dante’s face.

Before I knew it, they blurred, changing positions one more time. Caspian was still at my right, but now, Lucian was at my left side, while Dante stood in front of me. They moved so fluidly, like it was some sort of ceremonial dance.

The entire hall is silent, all eyes on us. The three kings dropped to their knees in a fluid motion. Caspian reaches for my right hand softly as Lucian mimics his movements. Dante stretches his hands, holding my waist.

I couldn't breathe. All three of them, kneeling down, touching me like I was some precious porcelain.

I looked back at Dante, and his eyes were darker than I had ever seen them before. He was staring at me with so much beat, and unfortunately, my body betrayed me, heat spiking through me, curling up in places I wished never got woken up.

“Don't panic,” Dante’s voice slips in my mind again. What was there not to panic about? Why did he say—

Underneath Dante’s eyes, black veins suddenly crept up slowly, his fangs descending in a loud hiss. I heard two similar hisses by my side, and before I could react, their fangs sunk into my flesh.

I sucked in a gasp of surprise, my eyes growing wide. They drank from my hands, and I relaxed. The bites did not hurt at all, and they took slow, controlled sips.

When they were done, the two of them guided my wrists to the front, presenting it like a gift to Dante.

I watched him grab my hands softly, then he kissed the bites briefly, before his fangs dug in, drinking my blood on slow measured sips again.

My entire body flamed. The ballroom was so quiet, even the dead had never been this quiet, yet as I sat down, watching this king drink from me, my blood grew hotter, my mouth dry and I needed…more.

Dante extracted his fangs slowly from my wrist, silver blood sparkling on them. He pulled me up as he rose, careful enough to not bruise my new bite marks. Caspian and Lucian rose alongside us.

The three of them stood in front of me, and for a moment, staring at their faces, I forgot where we were.

“This is Sera Elowen D'Arvelle,” Althea pronounced from the front of the crowd. Her voice was so clear, travelling through the ballroom effortlessly. “the fifth catalyst.”

The room was still silent. I stared at Dante, watching the black veins slowly disappear from his face. “This ball is being thrown in her honour. We welcome her formally into the Vampire society. Sera is the first catalyst that is under the protection of all three kings.”

Wait, what? Dante’s lips curve up in a smirk at my shocked expression. “Any harm directed towards her,” Althea continued, “will be seen as a direct offense against all our kings. This is an introduction and a warning,” her voice dropped low.

“No one should dare cross the boundaries set by the kings and expect mercy,” Althea warned. “And the kings will decide your fate, if you do try them.”

“Now,” she faced us, and clapped her hands. Immediately, the spell breaks. Music floods the room again, the sounds of violins and whispers mixing. Everyone starts talking and moving amongst themselves and all eyes are away from me.

I sighed. “That was horrid,” I muttered as Caspian and Lucian helped me down the platforms. Lucian leaned closer to me, his breath brushing against my ear.

“Enjoy the evening Sera,” he whispered, “but don't let your guard down.”

“What—”

He dropped my hand and walked away, while I stood there, my mouth open in shock. Dante stood next to me a bit, before he walked away, both blending so easily among the crowd of obscene wealth.

Caspian led me slowly to the center of the room. People part, a small smile across their lips and finally, his hand falls down my waist, and we begin to dance.

I followed his movement, wary of the crowd. “Lucian has a flair for sounding ominous,” Caspian said, his breath tickling my ear, “ but I don't think you need to worry,” he continued.

I rolled my eyes internally. “Though it might be right to still remain cautious,” he continued. “Some vampires, especially the younglings tend to get a little over excited.”

“Geez thanks for the reassurance,” I scoffed. Caspian chuckled against me, the vibrations sending thrills through me.

“Just relax Sera,” he continued, unaware of his effect. “Enjoy the evening.”

I started to answer when an amused voice interrupted. “Well isn't it nice to see the king of the East in touch with reality again?”

Caspian paused, closing his eyes briefly, before spinning us around to face the owner of the voice. “Well, hello,” he said, a stiff smile on his face.

The man in question was a short, bald man. He wore a small black robe, gold cufflinks at the end and a huge grin was stretched across his face. “My king,” he bowed his head softly.

“May I introduce you to Lady Sera?” Caspian said, turning to me. “Sera, this is Lord Theron, Dante’s chief advisor.”

He took my hand, pressing a kiss against it. “A pleasure.”

I bent down low, keeping my head down as I curtsied. “The pleasure is mine, my Lord,” I muttered.

“Wow, she is well cultured,” Theron commented, his eyes lightening up. He looked like he was in his forties, but his eyes were so bright, wisdom brimming from them. “Thank—”

A sharp sound echoed in the hall, like glass being hit. I turned around with the crowd, staring up at the platform we had just descended from.

Lady Viora stood there, a champagne glass in her hand. She tapped it again with a spoon, a small composed smile on her face. Her hair was in a small braid, wrapped around her face like a crown and the blue dress she wore made her skin glow under the attention of everyone.

Under different circumstances, I would have loved to be her friend.

“Everyone please,” she smiles, her glass raises. “I would love to say a few words.”

And with those hard blue eyes, she found me. “A small toast,” she said, raising her glass towards me. “To the catalyst now I am here.”