. Mother is a society belle, but the nobility was well aware of who Tiana’s father was. I am basically a non-person in high society. I don’t get ‘callers’. Somebody from the knight’s barracks, perhaps? “A caller?” I asked. Genette’s mask slipped a little, fighting her lips’ impulse to curve into a grin, as she announced, “The Second Prince is …

With my hunger satisfied, I helped a very groggy Dana from the end of the bed, where we had sat, to the side, raising the covers for her to climb under. The vampire spell, a companion ability to the vampire charm, stops coagulation during the feeding, then enhances coagulation when feeding stops, but it also puts the provider in a …

“Celia,” came a voice behind me. “I know it’s your turn, but I should take this one. You haven’t yet accompanied a vampire, I believe.” I turned to see a woman of around twenty years old, with lush auburn hair bordering on dark red and jade green eyes. She was just as lovely as the rest, but had an air …

Benedetta had actually had Carson waiting outside already, so he entered as soon as she left. Firgolmir and Drusella got to work right away. “Right,” he declared, “First, I heard you already found the cuirass tight when you first received it, which means you probably stripped the padding out from the breast area by now, right?” “Mr. Firgolmir!” Genette protested, …

. I insisted that Genette pick out a relatively simple, not too showy dress, for my errands. She had the maids dress me in a light-blue tea gown. It had a window for my wings cut out from the upper back, leaving the shoulders intact, but the designer had cleverly created a cover for it by adding a long back-flap, …

I don’t exactly know what woke me, but in the middle of the night, my eyes came open without any of my normal morning sluggishness. Normally, that only happens when danger threatens. This was not danger, at least not to my knowledge. But the HR Department lady was sitting on the side of my bed, her back ramrod straight and …

I dropped the spoon I was stirring my tea with, splashing some onto the table. I wanted to find a towel or rag to wipe up the spill, and couldn’t see anything. Maybe Tiana never had to do such a thing in this house. There was always a maid standing by, after all. What should I do…? “Relax, dear,” Mother …

. After several seconds, the door opened and Mother’s personal lady’s maid, a tall, serious, raven-haired woman whom I suspected had some elven ancestry looked at me, then stepped back while opening the door further to admit me. I followed her into Mother’s sitting room, where Terese seated me in an upholstered chair. She then lightly knocked upon the study …

So, that happened… I don’t remember going home. The butler had driven the second carriage home after delivering me, so I must have ridden back with Mother. I imagine I would remember something if we had conversed, so she must have left me to my thoughts. Either that, or I didn’t respond when she did try to talk to me. …

“I’m terrible at magic, Your Highness,” I explained. “The only things I can do are the automatic spells that come from my vampiric nature. I only use my blade while fighting. The enemy simply didn’t do well defending against me.” Aerial melée fighters are rare, after all. An aerial melée fighter with the training of a knight? I might be …