Luna stepped into The Crimson Bell, a classy, candlelit restaurant nestled within the older part of Blood City. Red curtains swayed gently with the breeze from the windows, and violins played softly from the quartet in the corner. Her eyes scanned the tables quickly and then locked onto the figure seated at the back, sipping a drink with the smug air of a man who had always gotten his way—even when he shouldn't have.
"Lord Gabriel," Luna called smoothly as she approached, her voice as poised as a blade sheathed in silk.
Gabriel looked up from his wine glass, surprise flickering across his handsome, ageless face. The vampire had the charm of an aristocrat and the soul of a venomous serpent. "Princess Luna," he greeted with a pleasant smile that didn't touch his eyes. "How nice to see you. You look lovely despite the stress of carrying a strong vampire child."
