DOFAB#3

Chapter Twenty-Five

~ KINLEY ~

Draped in a freshly laundered white linen cloth, a wooden table that seats ten sits in the center of the private royal dining room. Silver plates and crystal chalices are already set out, a human slave behind each chair against the wall as the vampires who cup they're charged with filling this evening have yet to be seated. It appears they were all waiting for the last person to arrive. That person being me.

"Finally, the little stem of Rien's joins us. Your seat is over there, flower." Queen Rakasha needn't point out where I am to sit as one of the humans wearing a brown collar instead of the red like others have on pulls the chair out for me.

Queen Rakasha, Thron, Lucian, Nakasha, Izzy, a young female vampire whose features are starkly similar to the Queen have all gathered, and directly across the table from me sits Tristan. There's relief, seeing I won't be dining alone with the Queen of the Vampirie. She didn't earn the title Mother of Night simply because she's an original creation of Haysha's dark beings. She earned it for her proficiency in the dark arts. Some call Queen Rakasha the Serpent's Fang, for she is the true bite of Haysha.

The servant that pulled out my seat takes away the two extra place settings and scurries away. I remain standing as everyone else does in the room, severely underdressed for Valderan castle fashion with my black leggings, ballet flats, and oversized sweater. It's chilly in the castle at night, and I packed to blend in as a mortal Nadora college student, not have fancy dinners with royalty. I should have tried on one of the many extravagant dresses I found in the wardrobe in the chambers I'm staying in.

"I got a little turned around." The truth is far too humiliating to admit. I spent an extra twenty minutes in front of the mirror staring at the lips I let Tristan kiss again. The same lips that parted and let his tongue dip inside to taste my forbidden mouth. Oh, to be born a shieldmaiden, then I wouldn't have to feel so guilty for betraying my father.

"Let's eat." Queen Rakasha snaps her fingers as we all sit. I don't miss the leer of disapproval in my outfit. Valderanna is a place of customs, many older than the oldest eevie left of us.

"Wait." The crystal chalice next to me gets knocked over in my reach across the table. The slave about to slice open her wrist looks to her queen at my intrusion of her duties. "As Tristan's pat'na, it is my responsibility to provide a place for his fangs to sink."

"At Nadora. This place is no school." Rakasha tips her head for the slave to continue.

I keep my hand over the cup. "We must practice. When we return, we'll be expected to show progress. I'll need to show I've built up a tolerance to the feedings I promised to provide."

Thron scoffs, sharing in the unspoken words that seem to be written on everyone's faces. Tristan is a vampire someone my size can never sate. He will always have to go hunting, always spill the blood of others as a Darkos is born with a ravenous appetite that cannot be quenched.

The blade stops moving across the mortal's wrist, barely a flesh wound as Tristan has hold of her arm. "Fill another's cup tonight."

Rakasha waves off the mortal adorning a scarlet collar, and I'm sure I somehow am even less in her eyes now. "Does this mean you plan to return to the UR?"

"I see no other reason for me to stay," Tristan answers his mother.

Izzy strangles her fork in a murderous hold. If Tristan wasn't beside her, she'd probably have stabbed my retreating hand from his cup before I could pull it back. My second day in the castle and already Tristan's mom and this female vampire loath me. I should probably add Thron Darkos to the list as he also stares at me with a hardened look of displeasure.