I would never have believed him without seeing all of this. Even now, some part of me desperately clung to the hope that this was all a dream. But my gut told me it wasn’t and that those fiery birds in the distance were very real.
“There’s something else I should tell you,” Tray said, glancing out the window at an approaching male in a suit that rivaled his own.
“Only something?” I countered, my tone lacking the heat I desired. Because yeah, I still wasn’t over our surroundings or those creepy gargoyles up the road.
“Well, many things,” he admitted. “But I should probably warn you—my father is the Midnight Fae King.”
The door opened before I had a chance to process that statement.
“Master Nacht,” the male greeted, bowing. “So good to have you home, sir.”
“It’s only temporary, Clive,” Tray replied. “Just giving Ella a brief tour.”
“Of course, Master Nacht.” The penguin suit stepped back a few feet, his arm gesturing for us to exit. He seemed normal enough. But so did Tray, and apparently he drank human blood.
I shivered at the thought.
Vampires.
Compulsion.
Dark magic.
Vine-like snakes.
Gargoyles.
What next? A hellhound, maybe?
“Ella,” Tray murmured, his palm sliding down my arm in a gentle caress that should have left me cold but had the opposite impact entirely.
I had accused him of using compulsion on the dance floor earlier, but we both knew it was a lie. My body seemed to react to his as if we belonged together. A terrifying thought considering everything I’d learned tonight.
Although, perhaps not. I was half-fae, according to Tray. Which raised a myriad of questions.
Ones I doubted would all be answered tonight.
Which was good because I probably couldn’t handle those details on top of everything else.
Sliding my feet back into my stilettos, I climbed out of the limo and stared up at the imposing black marble exterior. Uh, hello, Dracula. I’m Ella. Nice to meet you. Please don’t eat me.
Tray slipped into the night behind me, the heat of his body the only indication he’d moved. His palm pressed to the small of my back, the touch tentative. I should push him away, but I refrained. It would only worsen the situation.
Clive disappeared through a grand set of doors at the front of the mansion, leaving the wood planks slightly ajar to signal his intention for us to follow. Or maybe he lurked on the other side, awaiting our approach so he could open the doors with a flourish.
I frowned. Who even welcomes guests at this hour? And why are all the lights on? It had to be well after midnight, maybe even later. But the gothic home was lit up like it was midday inside.
“What now?” I wondered out loud.
“Now I’ll introduce you to my parents and my brother, Kols, if he’s around.” Tray gave me a little nudge, indicating he wanted me to walk.
“Your parents,” I repeated. “Who are, like, uh, royalty?” Oh, by the way, my father is the Midnight Fae King. And vampires are real. Welcome home, Ella! I nearly laughed out loud at the ludicrous nature of my thoughts, but here we were, walking up the cobblestone drive toward Count Dracula’s mansion.
Awesome.
“Yeah, as are you,” he replied. “As I said, your mother was of the royal line, just a different family.”
I stopped walking. “Does that mean we’re like cousins?” Because that would be wrong on so many levels.