I nodded. “On the cliff.Death by sunlight.”
Her nose wrinkles. “Burned alive.”
“We buried the documents of the case. We made sure it didn’t spread. But Noctis heard. And then Onyxias shortly after. It didn’t take much when the remaining four kingdoms caught wind of it. Noctis introduced the ban and that was the end of that.”
“So, my sister... broke the law?”
My hand slides over her shoulder. How tiny she is underneath my touch. How delightfully vulnerable… “No, it’s not a law.”
“But it’s a ban?”
“To an extent. It varies between rulers.”
She frowns. “So, it’s more of a social offense or something like that?”
“It’s generally frowned upon because of our stupidly obsessed cousin.”
“You’re the historian here. Haveanyhumans and vampires fallen in love and then stayed together?”
The files in my mind all opened at once. What the digital age could do, my brain could accomplish at a faster rate. Years of studied images and texts projected onto a screen that lived inside my third eye. “We have recorded accounts of sex, but not exactly long-term commitments.”
“Can’t the two exist at once?”
Nothing. Not a word. I can’t even think of a response.
Instead, I encourage Amber to walk toward the door. But she’s persistent. She digs her heels into the carpet. She grabs a nearby stall. She almost smashes her fingers trying to stay in the powder room. I don’t even pretend to understand her abrupt defiance.
She grabs my dress shirt. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You didn’t need to know.”
“What else haven’t you told me?”
I snatch her wrist and twist. It’s enough to make her limp.
But the sound it rips from her lips makes my blood run cold.
Ridiculous.Absurd. She’s nothing but a brat with a bad mouth in private company. While her behavior in the ballroom was sufficient enough, she’s not fit to be presented to a proper royal court, and her lack of awareness is insulting.
I shouldn’t pity her for a small injury.
I shouldn’t pity her at all.
She’s Tessa’s sister, after all. I should keep my wits about me.
For the study to succeed. For the kingdom to be protected.
For my sanity to remain.
Chapter 9
Amber
Ididn’tunderstandadamn thing. The more I work, the more I think about those murdered girls. The dungeon. The irritating way in which Darius inspects my neck before biting me.
USDA-approved Grade A beef here. That’s what he’s searching for. That label specifically. He’s probably tempted to ask King Marr about the specifics of my last blood panel.
I don’t get it. Why’s he so interested in my health? My well-being?