were pulled back, revealing
the early morning sunlight. It poured into the room giving the
illusion that it wasn’t freezing cold outside. At one time the
world was a beautiful place. At one time there were seasons and
trees and life. Now everything was a glittering tomb.
Her brother was dressed neatly, as usual.
Cassie barely had time to pull on a pair of jeans and a sweater.
She was always cold, always shivering. As they sat, she wrung her
fingers, twisting them in her hands trying to get warm. Cole
watched her, and when she didn’t stop, he pulled out a pair of thin
gloves from his pocket. He handed them to her. Cassie gratefully
accepted them and slid the fabric over her hands. They were
instantly warmer.
“Thank you,” she said. “You always know what
to do.”
“I’m not so sure, this time, Cass.” In hushed
tones, Cole and Cassie whispered. Cole filled in the pieces of
information that were missing from Cassie’s mind. Eventually he
said, “The Queen will want to speak to you, you know. She’ll find
out that the King went to your chamber, and she won’t overlook the
fact that every single one of the girls was one of your roommates.
She’ll think you know something.”
Cassie nodded, fearing as much. Her curls
bobbed forward, swinging into her face. She tucked them back and
looked up at her brother. “I know. I’m the last one who saw
anything.”
He nodded, “And, you’re the only proof that
the King was consuming blood last night. I seriously doubt that he
left a blood trail for them to follow. He’s too smart to get
caught. If I hadn’t seen you—”
Cassie stared blankly ahead at the dark blue
walls, only half listening. She blurted out the question lurking in
the back of her mind, the one she was too afraid to ask, “Do you
think they’re dead?” Her voice caught on the word making her heart
constrict.
Cole looked at his sister. Death was a part
of life. Their kind dealt with it frequently. A simple paper cut
could end their fragile existence. But, no one expected anything
like this. Palace humans didn’t get brutalized by the royalty. “I
don’t know.”
Alice entered the room and passed in front of
them. She wandered through the halls like she was lost. Cassie felt
bad for the girl and called to her, “What’s the matter, Alice?”
Alice stopped, surprised to hear her name and
turned back. She walked over to them and stood in front of Cassie
and Cole. Her normally pale skin was sullen and sickly looking. It
reminded Cassie of a bleached sock. Alice usually had a little
color in her cheeks, but it was gone. The girl looked like she was
in shock. “They pushed up my Pairing.” Alice’s voice was barely
there and devoid of emotion.
Cassie’s jaw dropped. She leaned forward and
took the girl’s hand. “Alice, when is it?”
“Tonight.” Before Cassie could ask her more
about it, Alice turned and wandered off. The lost expression in her
eyes was shock. Alice had been chosen to be bred for offspring.
Cassie and Cole looked at each other. For a
long moment, neither of them spoke. Then, Cassie finally asked,
“Who’d they pair her with?”
“I don’t know,” Cole replied. “I left before
breakfast to come and find you. This is the first I’ve heard of
it.” Cole didn’t like this. Something changed last night, something
big enough to force up a premature Pairing.
“She’s not ready for that. It’ll kill her,”
Cassie said, leaning closer to Cole to make sure Alice couldn’t
hear. Alice was staggering down the hallway letting shock steer her
feet. They could still see her from where they sat on the
couch.
Cole nodded, “We need to find out what’s
going on. The Queen’s entourage moved through the palace last
night, so it was hard to sneak around. I was lucky to find you
after the King questioned you, but I didn’t really find anything
else. Just that several vamps died, and that those moving around
were looking for the missing girls. They were in our
the early morning sunlight. It poured into the room giving the
illusion that it wasn’t freezing cold outside. At one time the
world was a beautiful place. At one time there were seasons and
trees and life. Now everything was a glittering tomb.
Her brother was dressed neatly, as usual.
Cassie barely had time to pull on a pair of jeans and a sweater.
She was always cold, always shivering. As they sat, she wrung her
fingers, twisting them in her hands trying to get warm. Cole
watched her, and when she didn’t stop, he pulled out a pair of thin
gloves from his pocket. He handed them to her. Cassie gratefully
accepted them and slid the fabric over her hands. They were
instantly warmer.
“Thank you,” she said. “You always know what
to do.”
“I’m not so sure, this time, Cass.” In hushed
tones, Cole and Cassie whispered. Cole filled in the pieces of
information that were missing from Cassie’s mind. Eventually he
said, “The Queen will want to speak to you, you know. She’ll find
out that the King went to your chamber, and she won’t overlook the
fact that every single one of the girls was one of your roommates.
She’ll think you know something.”
Cassie nodded, fearing as much. Her curls
bobbed forward, swinging into her face. She tucked them back and
looked up at her brother. “I know. I’m the last one who saw
anything.”
He nodded, “And, you’re the only proof that
the King was consuming blood last night. I seriously doubt that he
left a blood trail for them to follow. He’s too smart to get
caught. If I hadn’t seen you—”
Cassie stared blankly ahead at the dark blue
walls, only half listening. She blurted out the question lurking in
the back of her mind, the one she was too afraid to ask, “Do you
think they’re dead?” Her voice caught on the word making her heart
constrict.
Cole looked at his sister. Death was a part
of life. Their kind dealt with it frequently. A simple paper cut
could end their fragile existence. But, no one expected anything
like this. Palace humans didn’t get brutalized by the royalty. “I
don’t know.”
Alice entered the room and passed in front of
them. She wandered through the halls like she was lost. Cassie felt
bad for the girl and called to her, “What’s the matter, Alice?”
Alice stopped, surprised to hear her name and
turned back. She walked over to them and stood in front of Cassie
and Cole. Her normally pale skin was sullen and sickly looking. It
reminded Cassie of a bleached sock. Alice usually had a little
color in her cheeks, but it was gone. The girl looked like she was
in shock. “They pushed up my Pairing.” Alice’s voice was barely
there and devoid of emotion.
Cassie’s jaw dropped. She leaned forward and
took the girl’s hand. “Alice, when is it?”
“Tonight.” Before Cassie could ask her more
about it, Alice turned and wandered off. The lost expression in her
eyes was shock. Alice had been chosen to be bred for offspring.
Cassie and Cole looked at each other. For a
long moment, neither of them spoke. Then, Cassie finally asked,
“Who’d they pair her with?”
“I don’t know,” Cole replied. “I left before
breakfast to come and find you. This is the first I’ve heard of
it.” Cole didn’t like this. Something changed last night, something
big enough to force up a premature Pairing.
“She’s not ready for that. It’ll kill her,”
Cassie said, leaning closer to Cole to make sure Alice couldn’t
hear. Alice was staggering down the hallway letting shock steer her
feet. They could still see her from where they sat on the
couch.
Cole nodded, “We need to find out what’s
going on. The Queen’s entourage moved through the palace last
night, so it was hard to sneak around. I was lucky to find you
after the King questioned you, but I didn’t really find anything
else. Just that several vamps died, and that those moving around
were looking for the missing girls. They were in our
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