Read Online A Shade of Vampire 15: A Fall of Secrets by Bella Forrest - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Bella Forrest
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except the girl in front of them. I felt goosebumps run along my skin just thinking about attempting to hold their gaze for more than a few minutes, let alone hours. But almost an hour had passed now, and the girls seemed quite happy to be lost in their eyes.
I was relieved once one o’clock struck and Corrine arrived. She appeared near the food table and began talking with my mother, who cast a glance up at me and nodded. That meant it was time to start wrapping up the music.
Shayla and I finished the piece gracefully. Then, standing up, I caught sight of Theon again, still standing at the corner of the room. He hadn’t danced with a single person the whole hour, nor had he made any attempts to. I was surprised that even Jeriad hadn’t tried to pair him up. I could only assume that he’d requested to be left alone.
I remained watching from the balcony as Corrine manifested a long banquet table. Gripping their partners by the waist, the shifters led them toward the edges of the hall as the witch floated the table into the center and lined up chairs around it with her magic. She spread out a pearly white tablecloth, followed by piles of silver plates and cutlery.
“Please take a seat,” she announced.
The shifters approached the table with the girls, pulling back chairs for them to take a seat first, before sitting beside them. I was glad to see Theon seating himself at the head of the table. A part of me kept expecting him to climb up to my balcony.
The witches began to serve the feast deftly with their magic, placing all of the vessels in the center of the table and serving everyone. I could barely remember when I had last eaten, but I had no appetite now. Even though the food looked delicious, I shook my head when my mother beckoned me over.
“Later,” I mouthed.
My mother shook her head. “Now,” she mouthed back.
I sighed and obeyed her, climbing down the steps. I took the plate she had prepared for me before hurrying back up to the balcony to eat. As soon as I’d taken the first bite, I was glad that she’d insisted. Having food in my stomach eased my nerves.
Shayla ascended the stairs toward me, holding a plate in her hand, and sat down next to me to eat.
“So do you know what’s going to happen now?” I asked.
“Your mom said that she spoke to Jeriad. Apparently that’s all the dancing that will be done today.”
I widened my eyes. “But Theon hasn’t even danced with anyone yet.”
Shayla shrugged, brushing aside a strand of her brown hair as she began to eat. “It seems that one hour of dancing was enough for this introductory ball. Apparently, all the dragons who danced have chosen a lady each, and now the second stage is to whisk them away somewhere on the island to talk in private, without distractions.”
“Oh… And then after that?”
“I don’t know,” the witch replied. “I don’t think Jeriad explained the next step to your mom…”
I stayed up on the balcony with Shayla for the next hour or so. We both finished our meals and then sat on the bench by the piano, watching as the dragons and their partners finished theirs. Soon, the shifters began helping their ladies out of their chairs and leading them across the hall toward the exit.
I stood up and walked to the railing for a better view. Surprisingly, Theon seemed to have left already. Perhaps he’d left early. I was still puzzled by his behavior.
Well, that was over much sooner than I thought.
This more than suited me though. Now that the stress of the ball was over, I found my exhaustion returning—the plate of food I’d just eaten likely contributing to it.
I bade goodbye to Shayla and made my way down the steps. My mother was standing by the table talking to Corrine. Putting an arm around me, she planted a kiss on my forehead. “How are you feeling?”
“Sleepy,” I muttered.
“Go to bed now,” my mother replied. “It seems our work here is done.”
I gave Corrine a hug. “Thanks for helping
I was relieved once one o’clock struck and Corrine arrived. She appeared near the food table and began talking with my mother, who cast a glance up at me and nodded. That meant it was time to start wrapping up the music.
Shayla and I finished the piece gracefully. Then, standing up, I caught sight of Theon again, still standing at the corner of the room. He hadn’t danced with a single person the whole hour, nor had he made any attempts to. I was surprised that even Jeriad hadn’t tried to pair him up. I could only assume that he’d requested to be left alone.
I remained watching from the balcony as Corrine manifested a long banquet table. Gripping their partners by the waist, the shifters led them toward the edges of the hall as the witch floated the table into the center and lined up chairs around it with her magic. She spread out a pearly white tablecloth, followed by piles of silver plates and cutlery.
“Please take a seat,” she announced.
The shifters approached the table with the girls, pulling back chairs for them to take a seat first, before sitting beside them. I was glad to see Theon seating himself at the head of the table. A part of me kept expecting him to climb up to my balcony.
The witches began to serve the feast deftly with their magic, placing all of the vessels in the center of the table and serving everyone. I could barely remember when I had last eaten, but I had no appetite now. Even though the food looked delicious, I shook my head when my mother beckoned me over.
“Later,” I mouthed.
My mother shook her head. “Now,” she mouthed back.
I sighed and obeyed her, climbing down the steps. I took the plate she had prepared for me before hurrying back up to the balcony to eat. As soon as I’d taken the first bite, I was glad that she’d insisted. Having food in my stomach eased my nerves.
Shayla ascended the stairs toward me, holding a plate in her hand, and sat down next to me to eat.
“So do you know what’s going to happen now?” I asked.
“Your mom said that she spoke to Jeriad. Apparently that’s all the dancing that will be done today.”
I widened my eyes. “But Theon hasn’t even danced with anyone yet.”
Shayla shrugged, brushing aside a strand of her brown hair as she began to eat. “It seems that one hour of dancing was enough for this introductory ball. Apparently, all the dragons who danced have chosen a lady each, and now the second stage is to whisk them away somewhere on the island to talk in private, without distractions.”
“Oh… And then after that?”
“I don’t know,” the witch replied. “I don’t think Jeriad explained the next step to your mom…”
I stayed up on the balcony with Shayla for the next hour or so. We both finished our meals and then sat on the bench by the piano, watching as the dragons and their partners finished theirs. Soon, the shifters began helping their ladies out of their chairs and leading them across the hall toward the exit.
I stood up and walked to the railing for a better view. Surprisingly, Theon seemed to have left already. Perhaps he’d left early. I was still puzzled by his behavior.
Well, that was over much sooner than I thought.
This more than suited me though. Now that the stress of the ball was over, I found my exhaustion returning—the plate of food I’d just eaten likely contributing to it.
I bade goodbye to Shayla and made my way down the steps. My mother was standing by the table talking to Corrine. Putting an arm around me, she planted a kiss on my forehead. “How are you feeling?”
“Sleepy,” I muttered.
“Go to bed now,” my mother replied. “It seems our work here is done.”
I gave Corrine a hug. “Thanks for helping
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