Cora stood frozen for a while, not knowing what else to say as she clenched her fists. Her heart thudded in her chest, a dull echo beneath the symphony of music and murmured conversations echoing across the grand hall. "How did you find out?" she whispered, her voice low, laced with unease, afraid someone in the room might hear them—especially a vampire.
Cecily chuckled, stepping forward, the hem of her green silk dress whispering across the polished marble floor. "I had my suspicions," she said, her voice barely above a breath, "but I confirmed it on the ferry," she added with a glint in her eye that made Cora's skin crawl.
Cora clenched her fists tighter, nails digging into her palms. Her eyes narrowed. "What are you?" she asked, needing to know if Cecily was a friend or something far worse.
Cecily's lips curled into a small smile. She waited for a man to pass, then leaned in, her voice a delicate breeze brushing Cora's cheek. "A mermaid. That's the only reason I can detect another mermaid."
The air left Cora's lungs. Another mermaid. This was the first time she was meeting one in the flesh, yet nothing about the encounter settled her nerves. Could Cecily be trusted? Or was it too much of a coincidence that she decided to approach her just after a siren had attacked her mother?
Cora studied her, but Cecily smiled sweetly before saying, "Give me your number. We'll meet, and I'll answer all your questions."
Cora hesitated, then whispered her number. One thing she had learned was to always trust her instincts, and while her instincts screamed caution, they also whispered that Cecily was a risk worth taking—for now.
Meanwhile, across the room, Damien stood with a bored expression, his fingers casually adjusting the black velvet crown that still sat on his head. His mother, Lana, approached him with Roseline at her heel and an unfamiliar face shadowing behind them.
"Congratulations, Damien," Roseline sang, her voice so saccharine it could rot teeth. She bowed slightly, hoping to win favor with a flutter of lashes.
Damien's eyes flicked to her, unbothered. His tongue slid over the edge of one fang that had peeked out before retreating back into his mouth. He wasn't even trying to hide his boredom.
"I'm glad you've finally accepted this position," Lana said, her tone tight, "and I hope you know it'll be best to find your mate rather than play around with masked freaks."
Damien smirked, already disinterested. His gaze drifted over her shoulder, immediately honing in on Cora, who stood speaking with the girl in the green dress.
"There's no need to worry, Mother. I decided to take this crown so that I can protect Cora. Wouldn't she make a lovely queen?" he said smoothly, his voice rich with sarcasm.
Lana's jaw clenched, her nails biting into her palm. Roseline, on the other hand, froze, her eyes widening slightly. Was Cora here? She forced herself not to glare, pasting a smile on her face instead.
"You'll do no such thing, Damien," Lana snapped. "We're vampires. You can't take some weak human as your wife! Only your vampire mate can take the throne beside you—and Roseline here can be marked, if you're having difficulty waiting for her."
Damien chuckled, low and amused. "It looked as if you weren't listening to what Father was saying. I'm literally now the crown prince. I decide what I do, and I alone know who my mate is. There'll be no need for any substitute."
He turned his gaze to Roseline, lips curling. "I thought you were more than this. Or are you comfortable playing maid for Cora? Because honestly, that would be the only position left for you."
Roseline flushed beet red, but she didn't speak. Damien had humiliated her publicly, and she had no choice but to smile and swallow it down.
Damien glanced once more at Cora, watching as the girl in the green dress took her leave. "My woman needs me. Excuse me," he said with a cocky grin before turning his back on them and walking toward Cora.
Cora stood there, hands clenched at her sides, watching Cecily disappear into the crowd. Her mind whirled with questions she didn't yet have answers to.
"What's got your heart beating so loud, little bird?" Damien's voice purred against her ear, low and intimate.
She jolted and turned to find him standing there, still wearing that ridiculous crown as though he were born with it.
"Congratulations," she said stiffly.
He arched a brow, a slow smirk tugging at his lips as he stepped into her breathing space, his presence overwhelming. "Who was that?"
Cora hesitated, then glanced over her shoulder. "Someone I knew from school," she said, lying through her teeth.
Damien didn't say anything, but the arch of his brow sharpened, and a glint of knowing passed through his eyes.
Cecily's final warning echoed in her ears—Don't tell anyone, not even Damien. But was that wise? Because the way he was looking at her now told her he knew she was lying.
"I trust you, little bird," he murmured, his smirk deepening. Her heart skipped a beat.
- New book by the author , Marriage To a Heartless Vampire Billionaire.