“Yes?”
“Gaijryc said I smelled like him…because he bit me. If that’s the case, then why would she think I was yours?”
“Gaijryc’s scent is only on you for so long. He hasn’t seen you for a full day so his scent is already weakened, if not completely gone from your body. Unless a DarkShine is really looking, they won’t be able to detect it. You are also wearing a dress that has my scent all over it so it’s only natural for them to assume you are mine.”
“Oh.”
“Relax. If you seem frightened they will sense it. A pet has nothing to fear, so they will know something is wrong.”
Nodding, she willed herself to calm down.
“My lord?”
They both turned toward the small voice behind them. The servant, Lucie, stood with two glasses in her hands. One held what appeared to be champagne, yellowish bubbly, the other holding a reddish tint to it. She gave the red one to Ryce and the other to her. Helina took a sip from her flute and glanced at Ryce’s glass.
“It called Bluesha. It is a combination of blood and champagne.”
He drank deeply from the glass, his eyes straying to the packed ballroom.
“Ladies and gentleman, if you would please, the high ranking prince has an announcement to make.” A thin servant with beady brown eyes spoke to the crowd in the foyer. He swung his arms toward the open doors and ushered everyone in.
Ryce led her into the room and her breath caught. A grand chandelier hung from the center of the room, the crystals hanging from it and casting rainbows across everything. The place was decorated as if from a sultan’s quarters. It was immaculate and pristine, exactly what she would expect a ballroom would look like for a queen and king.
They moved closer to the raised podium, but Ryce made sure to keep them hidden within the darkened corners. She could see Gaijryc sitting in one of the thrones, a man and woman next to him, and two men with pale blond hair very similar to Gaijryc on his other side. All five of them wore masks like all the other guests in the room, but she could pick out Gaijryc amongst everyone else. Her heart sped up and her palms got clammy. It was as if she hadn’t seen him for ages.
“Calm down. I can hear your heart rate accelerating,” Ryce murmured in her ear.
She nodded and tried to calm herself. Gaijryc rose from his throne and walked to the edge of the podium. The room grew deathly quiet, the bodies parting to the sides so that only four elegantly dressed women stood in the center.
“I have given much thought to this and feel it is unnecessary to hold off the inevitable.”
Helina stared at Gaijryc as he spoke, his words sounding slurred, his movements seeming uncoordinated as he attempted to stand still.
“Plastered.” Ryce all but growled the word.
“What?” She turned and looked at Ryce.
“He’s drunk. Completely trashed.”
Helina turned back and watched Gaijryc, the smile on his face seemed forced.
“I have decided which of the four talented females I will mate and will be my future queen.”
Helina gasped and took a step forward. Ryce grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
“Not yet.”
He hissed the words in her ear and it took all of her control to not move. Even though she was in a room full of vampires she didn’t care. She just wanted to get to Gaijryc before he made a huge mistake.
“The female that I have chosen is…” A darkness suddenly filled the room. “Iena, daughter of Crystile, please take your rightful place by my side.”
Clapping sounded all around Helina, but the only thing she could hear was her own heart breaking. She knew Gaijryc cared for her and was only picking that female to protect her, but it didn’t matter, her soul still hurt. Ryce still had his hand around her arm and she didn’t try and brush it off. She was so stunned, so shocked that she was having trouble breathing.
Helina watched with narrowed eyes as the svelte redhead made her way up to the podium, her arms slinking around Gaijryc’s waist as she smiled brightly. She could see how tense Gaijryc was, could see his clenched jaw and bunched fists. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to stay rooted to her spot. The redhead sidled closer to Gaijryc and pressed her breast against his side. Helina’s heart stopped when she saw his arm go around her waist, bringing her closer to him. Turning her head, Helina forced the lump in her throat to retreat.
“It’s all for show, Helina.”
Although she nodded in agreement, Helina couldn’t help how very real it appeared. She turned back around and wiped off the lone tear that had managed to escape.
“Go now.”
Glancing at Ryce, she swallowed roughly at those two powerful words. Fear suddenly kept her cemented instead of sheer willpower. Ryce started forward, his grip still on her arm as he made his way toward the front of the room. Gasps and murmurs sounded them and Helina knew that what Ryce had just done was a dangerous move. He stopped at the bottom of the podium, everyone now pushed back against the walls. Ryce kept her hidden behind his massive back.