The man had knocked three times. He introduced himself with a bow and a steady voice. Ruby had pulled the spare chair from the study.

"From Princess Angelina," the man says. He pulls a thick stack of parchment from a leather satchel.

Ruby's fingers tremble as she scans the frantic, familiar script. A single tear tracks a path through the dust on her cheek. She can't remember the last time she cried.

He pushes the satchel across the mahogany. "Just a few things. I'll bring the rest when I return from Aurelia next month."

Ruby laughs, wiping the moisture from her eyes. "Thank you."

Jacob is a half-blood... a son of two worlds. He drinks from the herd, not the vein. He prefers the human cities.

He met Angelina Arthur in the capital. He took the contract of a messenger to reach the bride.

"The Princess is pacing the library," Jacob says. "She doesn't believe Châtelet is anything but a tomb."

Ruby pictures Angelina circling the large table. She lets out a soft, genuine laugh.

"You're exactly as she described," Jacob notes. "Resilient. Honest."

Ruby's cheeks flush. "She's too kind."

Ruby leans forward, her voice a whisper. "How did you get past the guards? Do you know a secret passage, too?"

"Too?" Jacob's eyes narrow. He studies her face with a sudden, sharp intensity. "You've been exploring the palace."

Ruby's shoulders drop. The crushing weight of the silent halls lifts. For the first time in weeks, she is having a conversation that doesn't involve teeth.

The laughter dies in the room.

Ruby Kingsley freezes, her fingers clutching the letter from Angelina Arthur.

Jacob snaps his head toward the door. Dion Lancaster stands in the frame, moonlight catching the silver of his cuffs.

The scent of Durell Palace incense and crushed roses floods the room. Shadows mask Dion's face as Ruby's shoulders drop.

She glances at her Pocket Chronometer. The hour of the predator has arrived.

Jacob lunges in front of her. "Who are you?"

He has no bow for the Prince. He doesn't recognize the face of Châtelet royalty.

Jacob's posture shifts into a combat stance. He tracks the ancient power radiating from the doorway.

Dion ignores him. His red eyes anchor on the girl. "Ruby."

Ruby snaps her head up. The sound of her name on his tongue is a first.

Dion's face is a mask of ice. He scans Jacob with a predatory gaze. "Introduce your friend."

His lip curls as he takes in the commoner in the bride's quarters.

...

Ruby's knees knock together. She forces herself upright.

She snatches Jacob's sleeve. "Don't fight him," she whispers.

Jacob's brow hitches. "You know this thing?"

"The study. Just... let me explain..."

Dion's ears twitch as his pupils shrink to pinpricks.

A blur of black silk hits the air. Dion blocks the exit. "Speak here."

Jacob has an inch of height over the Prince. Dion tilts his chin up, his jaw locking.

His fingers twitch at his sides. His gaze burns a hole between the two humans.

Dion cracks his knuckles. The sound echoes in the silence.

Ruby's breath catches.

She steps out from behind Jacob. She shoves Dion toward the study, her palms hitting the silk of his shirt. "In. Now."

Dion's muscles lock. He yields to the shove.

Ruby mouths two words to Jacob: Run. Now.

Jacob watches her handle the monster. He gives a single nod.

He adjusts his satchel and vanishes into the Rose Gallery.

Ruby slams the study door. She leans her weight against the wood.

...

Dion Lancaster is a ticking fuse. He crosses his arms over his chest.

Ruby's cheeks flush a deep crimson. Dion's nostrils flare at the scent.

His gaze drops to her lips, then her throat. Ruby anchors her gaze on her boots.

She bites her lip. The truth about the messenger stays buried.

Her eyes dart around the room. She needs a lie.

Dion scowls at her silence.

He lunges forward, trapping her against the mahogany desk. His silk sleeves brush her nose.

Ruby leans back, her spine arching over the wood.

"Who is he?" Dion's voice is a low mimic of her own. "Why is he in your room? What was the conversation?"

Her face burns. Dion's ruby eyes don't blink.

"He's..."

Dion's jaw tightens. The lie slips out.

"He's my fiancé. From Aurelia."

"He... he missed me. He followed me to Châtelet."

"Are you joking?" Dion rasps. "You're lying."

"He's a vampire. I can smell it."

...

Ruby's jaw drops. She forgot they can sense their own kind.

"What?!" Ruby screams. She throws her hands up.

Dion flinches. He takes a half-step back.

"That explains it! That's how he found the city!"

"He's a vampire?!"

Dion's brow furrows. "You didn't know?"

"Of course I didn't know!"

Dion paces the small rug. His brother's bride has a history.

His eyes dart between the door and Ruby.

"I never liked him! My mother forced the meeting. He took one look at me and lost his mind."

"When he heard about the Prince, he stopped eating. He tried to jump in the river every other day. I can't get rid of him!"

Dion stops pacing. He listens in silence.

Ruby peeks at him, her face a mask of fake exhaustion. "Since he's a vampire... will he find me in my next life, too?"

Dion nods. "It's possible."

He looks her in the eye. "I can kill him for you."

"No!" Ruby waves her hands. "He's a vampire. Does he know you?"

Dion recalls Jacob's blank stare. "He's low-born. He isn't worthy of knowing my name."

He looks away. His nostrils flare at the weak scent the messenger left behind.

"Right."

"What if he asks who you are? I'll say Brian sent you to watch me."

Ruby watches for a reaction. Dion's jaw sets.

"Why bother explaining ?" Dion asks. "I can just end him."

...

He looks at the door. "He ran. I'll track him in seconds."

"Don't!"

"Why? Do you have feelings for him?"

"No!" Ruby interrupts.

She searches for a reason. Her eyes roll toward the ceiling.

She grips the edge of the desk.

"I want him to bring me... corsets! From Aurelia!"

Dion's pupils expand. "What?"

His lip twitches.

"The Châtelet styles don't fit. You know... intimate garments..."

"Stop. Enough."

Dion watches her. The corset story is full of holes.

He leans against the door. He scans the room for a scent trail.

He taps his fingers against his arm. Dion's eyes narrow.

"I won't kill him," Dion says suddenly.

Ruby blinks. She waits for the catch.

"But."

"But?"

"But..." He reaches out, his fingers hovering near her hair. "I haven't decided the price yet."

Ruby swallows hard. Her hand flies to her throat.