Chapter 17

Trisha’s P.O.V:

Vandal was a turned vampire and the first turned one in our history to ever become a nobleman. He was old, having been turned at a later age and thus, even Vampirism couldn’t prevent his graying hair and wrinkled skin. Although he was over a thousand years old, he was still handsome and looked like someone who had aged gracefully. That’s one thing I hate about the man; you wouldn’t be able to tell what a bastard he was just by looking at his face. Broad shoulders, nice physique with a height over six feet and long hair that he liked to tie at his nape, he was someone who demanded respect and obedience and took them all for granted.

“Lord Rudolf.” I grit my teeth together as Damien addressed him as Lord, but I focused all my energy in keeping my heartbeat steady.

“What a lovely feast you’ve arranged Your Highness.” Vandal smiled widely. “I must say you’ve outdone yourself.” He took a sip of his wine and gestured to the courtyard with his glass. “The masquerade brings back old memories.”

I felt Damien’s arms around my waist tighten and knew that they were talking about a shared memory that Damien didn’t approve of. Good. It means Damien had something against Vandal as well. But when he spoke next, his voice held no hostility or strain; simply a King greeting a Nobleman.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.”

Damien gave me a slight tug to indicate that we’d be turning, and I almost breathed a sigh of relief. That was until Vandal called out, “Your Highness, who’s your lovely escort for the evening?”

I felt my heartbeat go erratic for just a second and that would’ve been enough to alert Vandal of trouble if there weren’t so many people dancing and laughing around us. Suddenly, I felt Damien’s hands crawl up my spine causing me to shiver involuntarily and he curled his fingers around my nape in a possessive hold. “The best part of a masquerade ball is that you never know who you’re with. I wish to unveil her soon…in private.”

There was something in Damien’s voice that made my spine tingle, my breathing got uneven as I stared up into his gemstone eyes. His eyes truly were beautiful. Emerald green with flecks of gold that were only visible when I looked closer. It was like his eyes burned with a green flame that held back more that it showed. But then Vandal cleared his throat, the spell was broken as Damien glanced back at Vandal.

“A word, Your Highness.” Vandal’s voice had gone rough and authorative.

“You can speak right here, Lord Rudolf.” Damien said pleasantly, but from his hold on me, I could tell he was irritated.

“Fine.” Vandal sighed and switched to the old vampiran dialect that our race used to speak eons ago. Luckily, not a lot of people knew I learned to speak, read and write that language quite fluently right after I’d been turned.

“What are your plans about Sabrina?” Vandal asked in the ancient language. “Are you going to break her heart just like that?”

“I’d like to remind you Lord Rudolf, that my personal life is nobody’s concern,” Damien answered in the same tongue, his voice harsher this time around. “Sabrina wasn’t the first and she certainly would not be the last.”

With that, Damien turned and left in a different direction, his arm still securely around my waist as Vandal glared after us.

“Does Vandal want you to hook up with Sabrina?” I asked after we were out of earshot.

Damien turned his eyes towards me. “You know how to speak Old Vampira?”

I nodded. “I learned it right after I was turned. Father thought I’d take after him and become a healer and so he made me study a lot of these old textbooks since the scrolls were all written in the old languages.”

Damien looked back ahead of us as he answered. “Whatever happens to Sabrina is none of my concern. But we need to leave soon before Vandal realizes it’s you. Let’s go find Jonathan.”

We crossed several dancing areas during our search for Jonathan and every time I saw the couples dancing in each other’s embrace, I would shift my eyes to Damien. I wanted to ask him to dance with me but I knew we didn’t have much time. However, Damien did offer me a glass of blood mixed with Champagne as we entered the ballroom and there, we finally spotted my father.

“Jonathan.” Damien called out when we were right behind him.

“Your Highness!” My father bowed in front of him as soon as he realized who he was. “Were you looking for me, You Highness?”

“Indeed I was.” Damien placed his free hand on his shoulder and looked around the busy ballroom. I instantly closed my eyes and the next thing I know, we’re back in Damien’s room and father looked perfectly fine after the teleport.

“Your Highness…” Father looked at me unsurely. “Please excuse my intrusion, but…is it alright to bring strangers to your private chamber?”

Damien nudged me forward and finally let go of my waist as he went to take off his mask. I instantly missed his body heat and the smell of his cologne as I too, took off my mask.

My father’s eyes widened in realization as soon as my mask came off and he instantly took me into his arms. “Trisha! My baby girl!” He smothered my face with kisses and held me close to his chest afterwards, his voice clouded with emotions.

“I’m alright father. I’m so glad to see you!” I clung to my dad, taking in his scent as I buried my face in his chest. “I’m sorry I couldn’t warn you. I-“

“I know baby.” He rubbed his hands down my back comfortingly. “Damien told me everything. I’m just glad that my baby is safe.”

It was the first time I realized just how deeply my absence must have affected my father. He’d lost his entire family in the Wipeout and I was the only family he has left. He must have been so worried when he couldn’t reach me; I know I’d be dead worried if something like this were to happen to Neema.

“Father, I’ll be calling you in the morning just to make sure that Lucas doesn’t suspect anything. Just pick up the phone and act like we didn’t meet at all. I can’t let them turn against me.” I told him after we had separated.

“I understand baby. I’ll do just as you said.” And then he asked me in a subvocal level that even Damien wouldn’t be able to hear. “Did you find anything?”

“Not yet,” I matched his tone. “But I’m very close. I’ll contact Damien officially as soon as I get enough proof.”

“Be careful.”

“Trisha.”

We both looked behind at Damien as he called out my name.

“It’s time for you to get back. The sun will be rising soon.” Damien warned and I looked at the wall clock to find that it was already four in the morning.

“I’ll be in touch, Trisha. Stay safe.” With that, father kissed my forehead and went to Damien who teleported him out of the room. It was like magic, watching both men disappear into thin air before me, but unfortunately, I didn’t have the pleasure to stand and watch them all day.

I took the opportunity to go to the bathroom where I’d changed into the dress and there I took off the dress and put it back in the box as I donned my nightwear once again. I folded the dress back as neatly as I could and placed it inside the box, touching the fabric with my fingers gently one last time, before I covered the box. I don’t know what Damien would do with this, but it would be great if he could keep it.

The light from a nearby candle fell on the ruby around my neck and I took a minute to admire the pendant’s beauty. It was so simple yet so gorgeous. I wonder where Damien got this from.

“It’s a special pendant. Don’t lose it.”

“Damien!” I whipped around to face him with my hand on top of my racing heart. “Can you at least knock before you enter? I could’ve been changing!”

He raised a perfectly sculptured brow at me. “So?”

A blush crept up my cheek as I realized that Damien had already seen me naked once, when he had taken me to an abandoned farmhouse and fried me to an inch of my life. Back then I’d been too focused on staying alive to care that Damien was fully clothed while I wasn’t. But that also brought a sudden, completely off-topic thought to my mind. Does that mean Damien didn’t find me attractive?

I shook my head to clear it of ridiculous thoughts before answering Damien. “It’s considered impolite.”

Damien pushed off the wall he was leaning against and came to stand in front of me. He lifted his hands to my shoulders and tucked the chain and pendant into my top so that the chain wasn’t visible anymore.

“Let’s go.”

A second later, I was back in the tree house with Neema sleeping soundly in the bed and a few early birds had just started to wake up from their slumber outside the window.

“Take a shower before you rest. You’re covered in all kind of scents.” Damien warned.

I nodded. “I’m not a child, Damien. You don’t have to remind me of everything.” I told him.

I thought he’d leave, but Damien pulled me closer to his body with his hands on my waist and bringing his face close to my neck, took in a slow breath. My heart almost leapt out of my chest right then, but Damien didn’t show any signs of noticing. He slowly brought his face back up and looked right into my eyes with those gorgeous eyes of his.

“I like it when you bear my scent.” He whispered into my ear and then he was gone. Vanished into thin air as I was left confused and breathless, my heart a tattoo against my ribs.