Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 85552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
This place was vast, round, and full of a tightly packed mass of people swirling around in an intoxicating swirl of sensuality. Most held glasses of blood wine. Others swayed back and forth to the melody of a singing woman on a small stage.
She played an odd-looking guitar. The song’s tempo was irregular, but the woman’s voice was low and full of sensual passion. It carried over the crowds with ease, entrancing and caressing the senses.
For some reason, my heartbeats picked up.
Is she doing some sort of magic?
She is a song spinner.
Then, she is a mage?
Not pure blood, yet she has mage blood within her.
The woman’s singing crescendoed higher, catching me up in the spell of the lyrics, so powerful that I felt them deep in my soul, coursing through my veins like an all-consuming drug. With every note, I felt an electric thrill that threatened to overwhelm me.
I clung to Xander’s hand, desperate for the safety he offered as we moved deeper into the hypnotic space.
The collection of people swayed back and forth with their eyes closed.
Near the walls, a few vampires had their fangs sunk into the necks of priestesses, human women in amber gowns, who served the sun goddess Ressi.
These priestesses believed their entire life’s purpose was to feed vampires with their blood.
We left that space, and my heartbeats returned to normal.
This room was smaller than all the others. Mirrors lined the walls.
In each corner, there were large vases in the shape of women.
Further in, I spotted a violinist rubbing his bow across the musical strings so fast his arm blurred at times. A female vampire played on a piano behind him, dressed in a blood-red lace gown and matching large hat that swooped down and hid part of her face.
Long candles rested in colorful glass holders on end tables, the piano, and some even hung from a silver chandelier. The room sparkled with light. Even more candles stood in the back of the room on a tiny stage and surrounded a silver throne with carved snakes coiling around the arms.
On that throne, Princess Octavia sat, bored and alone. It made me sad to watch her.
Xander leaned my way. “And there is my lovely sister.”
Chapter 24
The Life of a Vampire Princess
Camille
I studied Princess Octavia—Xander’s sister.
On that throne, her eyes continued to be heavy with pure boredom. Her mouth was a thin, tight line.
I frowned. “Why does she look so gloomy when she’s among all of her friends?”
“None of these people are her friends. If she were dying from starvation, they wouldn’t give her a drop of blood.”
“Then why does she have the parties?”
“I’ve been asking her that for the past ten years since she first started hosting these gatherings.” Xander let out a long breath. “These parties are dangerous. The Quiet King forbids them and says they incite fights, murder, and unlawful behavior.”
“But he allows blood spirit bars where the same outcomes occur.”
“Of course.” Xander rolled his eyes. “All of those bars’ money goes straight to the kingdom, which means into his pockets.”
“So, vampires can’t enjoy themselves unless the King is getting some reward in return?”
Xander nodded.
“Then maybe providing a party is Octavia’s way of promoting resistance against the King.” I nudged his arm. “You Path Finders can’t have all the fun.”
Frowning, Xander said nothing for a while as if thinking it over in his head.
“Blasted woman,” Xander finally said. His body stiffened. His frown deepened.
“What?”
“I think you may be right.” He shook his head. “It never occurred to me, but this may be the only way she could go against our father without getting herself instantly killed.”
We stood there for a few seconds as the violin music shifted to a piano solo.
“Now I feel bad for being so hard on her,” Xander admitted. “I’ve just been so aggravated with her and our mother for plotting to turn me into a king.”
“Well, they did get us together,” I reminded him, even though I’d been trying to run away from him recently.
Now I knew that it had been stupid to even think I could walk away from Xander.
No man triggered as much passion inside me as he did.
I bit my lip.
I had been thinking I would leave him and begin to discover who I truly was. However, now I was starting to see that the answer to me would be in those moments where I walked on the paths that I chose myself. Maybe the great mystery of me would be solved as I further explored these feelings that lingered between us.
“Maybe.” He kissed my cheek and guided us to the stage.
I smirked. “Stop reading my thoughts.”
“I will try, but I must say. . .your self-reflection is quite delicious.”
I sighed.
We arrived at the stage.
Octavia didn’t even turn our way when we approached. Her eyes concentrated on something far off in the distance, something no one but her could see.