After failing as a vampire hunter, 17-year-old Cleo is sent to an academy full of vampires as a false peace treaty. Her true objective is supposed to be finding the hidden heir to the dark world while befriending the current one, but the current hei...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"So... you're writing your father an invitation? A literal invitation?"
I looked up at San, who was staring down at me with raised eyebrows, leaning casually against the edge of my desk, arms folded across his chest. I nudged him with my elbow. "Yes. Now get your butt off my desk."
San just scooted himself further on it. "No."
I pushed him against, this time with both my hands and he slapped them away. After a short squabble, I gave up, letting him stay there. "What my father hates most in this world—"
"Vampires," San interjected.
I hesitated. "Aside from vampires, my father hates defiance the most. And me being here is defying everything he planned for me. So, if I send him a proper invite to this ball, there is no way he'll turn it down. Especially because I'm also writing I want him to meet my future husband."
San nearly fell off the desk, his eyes wide, turning so his knee hit my hand and knocked my pen out of my hand. "What? What? When did this happen? Did you propose to Claude? When? How could you not tell me?"
I reached for my pen, grinning at his reaction. "No. I didn't. I'm just writing that because he always talked about finding the perfect suitors for Kieran and me. He always planned to choose who we'd marry. Whoever would benefit our family the most, regardless of how Kieran and I felt. Imagine his face when he reads I plan to marry a vampire."
"He's going to kill you."
"He probably already plans to," I said, trying not to notice the way my chest tightened, trying to keep my tone casual.
San frowned a little. "We won't let that happen."
"I won't, either," I responded, avoiding his gaze. No more death. I had to make sure of that. And it included my own safety, too.
San's fingers tightened around the edge of the desk. "Do you still love your father?"
I put the pen down. "I don't know."
"I'm not asking you because I'll judge your answer. I'm just worried about you."
I pushed back my chair so I could face him better. "Why are you worried?"
He kept his gaze directed toward the floor. "I don't mean any offense when I say this, but you haven't experienced losing someone close to you. If you were that upset about Rehan when you didn't even like him, are you going to be able to handle losing your father?"
"There's no other choice," I said, my hands falling in my lap. "If we don't stop him, he might not stop until every vampire is killed. Or beaten down into complete submission. That can't happen. And even if we don't stop him, someone else would. It's better for us to do it. Others will just try to kill him. With our plan, he'll have to admit to his crimes. I know it doesn't change the fact that he's a murderer, but maybe it'll give the families who have lost someone because of him a bit more closure."
