There was no doubt in my mind that tonight they would have taken it further than ever before. All because I’d dressed her up and provided her with a space to shine, thinking it would serve as gleeful retribution against her classmates.
Except it all backfired.
Those jackasses had been raised without principles, and my actions painted an even larger target on her back, essentially provoking the bastards into coming out to play.
I meant what I said to her in the car park. If she wanted to kill them, I’d gladly help.
And that included her bitchy stepsisters.
Shit. I should have known Ryan wouldn’t go along with our agreed-upon charade, choosing to take the moment into her own hands to try to ruin her stepsister thoroughly. Instead, it ended in me pushing Ella away and giving everyone the impression I’d chosen Ryan over her.
I wanted to slam my fist through the glass, to rage at the stupidity of these human nuances, but I had a very shaken female beside me who had just realized we weren’t in her realm anymore.
And that was a completely different bucket of problems to work through. Not only had I compelled her tonight to follow my orders, but I’d also taken her into the Midnight Fae world without her permission.
She had every right to hate me, and I had no doubt that she would by the time the night was through.
“Tray,” she said, the emotion in her voice piercing my heart. Isabella Cinder was incredibly strong, her courage one I admired more than she knew. But tonight had done a number on her, and I wasn’t going to make it any better.
No, I was about to make it a hell of a lot worse.
With a resigned sigh, I met her gaze. “We met once, several years ago in an alley. You were soaking wet and freezing to death and ran right into me while wearing a dress and matching blue slippers.” The color of which wasn’t much different from the one she wore now, suggesting it might be her favorite shade.
I bent to pick up her silver stilettos that she’d shucked off near the doors tonight and handed them to her. “You have a penchant for losing your shoes, Isabella Cinder.”
Her face paled. “It was you that night?”
I nodded.
“And you’re just now telling me?” She snatched the heels from my hands and dropped them unceremoniously onto the floor. “No, forget that. I want to know where the hell
we are and why the ivy outside keeps moving.”
“It’s not ivy. They’re magicked vines that protect our grounds from intruders.” I looked over her shoulder at the trees. “I believe humans would liken them to snakes, but our version is far more deadly. They won’t just bite and squeeze; they’ll enchant and drain energy. Terrifying, really, if you’re an unwanted guest.”
Her eyes closed, opened, closed, and opened once more. “What?”
“You asked; I answered.” I shrugged. “You’re about to see a lot of things that are hard to believe, Ella.” I snapped my fingers, drawing a flame to the surface and flicking it into the air. A parlor trick for a Dark Fae my age, but it elicited the requisite gasp from my companion.
“H-how did you do that?”
“Magic, sweetheart.” I waved my hand while muttering a spell under my breath and smiled as a black rose appeared in my palm. Seemed appropriate considering our date.
I held it out for her and she scooted away, her eyes wide. “What. The. Fuck?”
“I’m a fae, Ella. Well, formally known as a Midnight Fae due to my darker heritage. A royal by blood. Just like you, only we come from different familial lines.” Which was a good thing or this attraction I felt for her would be wrong on several levels.
More blinking, her mouth opening and closing without sound.
However, disbelief practically poured from her exterior. Which was precisely why I brought her here. The only way she’d believe me would be to see.
I took advantage of her silence and continued my explanation. “Your mother was a fae, but she fell in love with a human—your father. It’s not common among our kind, particularly among the royal sect, but it’s not unheard of. I mean, Midnight Fae interact with mortality to sate our blood thirst. It’s what sets us apart from other fae. Well, that and our favor with the dark arts, necromancy, and other—”
“Hold on,” she said, lifting her hand. “Blood thirst?”
I smirked. “Of all the things I said, that’s what you chose to hear?” Typical human. “Yeah, we drink human blood. And before you freak out, it’s not often. Just enough to keep our darker elements alive. That’s how I know about Darlington and the surrounding suburbs. It’s my preferred feeding ground.” I met her gaze. “And you were my target the night we met.” Only, I’d been so startled by her Halfling nature that I’d been unable to perform, let alone bite her.
Her eyes were as wide as saucers. “You’re a vampire?”