Jacob appears at dusk. He leaves for the Kingdom of Aurelia at dawn. Ruby shoves the long letter for Princess Angelina into his hands, and he slides it into his inner breast pocket.

They sit at the small dining table. Ruby's fingers tap the wood... she has nothing to offer but tea and the constant fear of a Vampire Prince crashing the door.

"Coming here at this hour... thank you," Ruby murmurs. Jacob shakes his head, a faint smile touching his lips. "I spent a century among humans. I'm used to their hours."

Ruby's cup freezes halfway to her mouth. A century? Her grandmother wasn't even a thought a hundred years ago.

Jacob looks under thirty, but his eyes hold a stillness that doesn't match his face. Ruby scans his features... he's handsome. But the Lancaster beauty has ruined her standards for 'good-looking.'

Jacob catches her stare and smiles. The dark red of his pupils flashes—a quiet reminder of the blood in his veins.

"Jacob," Ruby says, leaning over her tea. "Why help us?" No one risks Châtelet for a human bride without a price.

Jacob doesn't hesitate. "The Princess and I share an objective." He sets his cup down with a soft clack. "Helping you is... a small matter."

"You seem to prefer us," Ruby notes, her voice dropping. "Why?"

Jacob's calm face doesn't ripple. "My mother was human. A vampire killed her."

His gaze settles on the wall, the warmth in his eyes turning to frost. Ruby's shoulders hunch. She stares at her tea, a heavy silence filling the gap between them. "I'm sorry."

Jacob stands to leave. "Anything else? I'll bring what I can."

Ruby bites her lip, thinking of Dion Lancaster. She whispers the item she needs for the gift. Jacob's brow hitches in confusion, but he nods.

"And... the age," Ruby adds. "When is a vampire considered an adult? A thousand years?"

Jacob looks back from the door. "Eighteen. Same as you."

Ruby's jaw drops. Dion Lancaster isn't eight hundred. He isn't even eighty-five. He's... eighteen? Younger than her?

"Why ask?" Jacob asks. Ruby shakes her head. "Just a vampire I know. He's coming of age."

"The Little Prince comes of age soon," Jacob says. "The palace will be chaos. If I'm back, I'll take you riding outside the walls."

Ruby's eyes light up. Angelina told him about the horses. "Outside?" she gasps. Tears prick her eyes as she reaches for his arm. "But..."

The door slams against the stone wall. A blur of black silk hits the center of the room.

Dion Lancaster's fingers lock around Ruby's wrist like iron bands. "You aren't going anywhere with him," he rasps.

His eyes burn with a dark, suffocating heat. He hauls her over his shoulder in one motion and blurs, leaving Jacob in the silence of the room.

Dion had spent the night pacing his room in Durell Palace. The scent of her blood through the walls made his pulse erratic.

He'd stood outside her door, listening to the chime of her laughter. Then the riding... the birthday plan.

He'd seen red. He'd crashed the room and snatched the prize.

Now, Ruby thrashes in his grip like a fish in a net. "Put me down!" She shoves at his chest, but he's a marble statue.

He drops her onto the rug of his own quarters and flicks a finger. The gold-filigree doors lock with a magical click.

Ruby sinks to her knees, her head hanging. She doesn't look at him.

Dion watches her from the window. "Forget the riding," he says, his voice a low command.

"You're attending my Royal Ascension Trial ball. With me."

He stops, the weight of the words hitting him. The Queen... Brian... it's a death sentence.

"It's settled," he barks, cutting off her exit and his own.

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The day of the Royal Ascension Trial arrived. Châtelet pulsed with energy.

Maids delivered a tray of honey cakes to Solara Palace. They were leftovers from the royal guests.

The staff whispered about slipping into Lyndell Palace at midnight to watch the ceremony. Ruby waved them off. "Leave the trays at the door. Go join the crowd."

Dion's command echoed in her ears. He wanted her at Durell Palace before the first bell.

The maids nodded and vanished. They saw a harmless, sleepy human girl who required zero effort.

Ruby ran a comb through her black hair and stepped into the hallway.

She reached the heavy doors of his quarters. No knock. She shoved them open.

Amber light filled the cavernous room. Empty. She paced the rug once and dropped into a chair by the glass.

Ruby's eyes scanned the empty balcony. The summons made no sense.

She drummed her fingers against the velvet armrest. Her boot heel tapped a restless rhythm.

She stood and glanced toward the exit. The obligation felt fulfilled.

Ruby tip-toed toward the oak panels. Her pulse skipped a beat in the silence.

She gripped the brass handle and pulled. It didn't budge.

Locked. The realization hit her.

No riding with Jacob. No disappearance into the night.

Brian's bride appearing on Dion's arm would start a riot. A cage was the efficient choice.

She leaned against the locked door. The boredom was a heavy weight.

She scanned the gold-trimmed tables. Not even a glass of water sat there. Her stomach let out a hollow growl.

Ruby eyed the furniture. Sleep would kill the hunger.

She curled onto the sofa. The frame bit into her ribs. Her eyes snapped open and locked onto the massive bed.

She stood and walked toward the silk sheets. The vampire's scent of crushed roses and cold iron hit her nose.

She collapsed onto the feather mattress. She spread her arms wide and sank into the velvet.

Darkness swallowed her. A sharp thud against the glass yanked her back minutes later.

The altitude rattled the glass. She rolled over and pulled the pillow over her ear.

The rattling stopped. A cool draft licked her cheek.

Ruby's eyelids flickered. The balcony doors swung wide. A shadow stepped through the moonlight.

She sat up, rubbing the fog from her eyes. The silhouette loomed.

Dion Lancaster stepped into the light. Silver embroidery caught the moon. His black hair was swept back, revealing the sharp lines of his face.

Ruby's breath hitched as she stared.

"Why didn't you open the window?" Dion's voice was a low rasp. "And what are you doing in my bed?"

"I was asleep." Ruby pushed her hair back. "I didn't hear you. And I'm tired."

Dion's jaw tightened. She sat on the edge of the mattress, acting like a statue. He glanced at the rumpled sheets and said nothing.

His gaze swept over her. Ruby squinted as the massive ruby on his cravat caught the lantern light.

"You're wearing that?"

She was in the same navy gown from the alleyway. The ghost of a bloodstain lingered on the hem. Dion's nostrils flared.

He looked toward the door.

Three sharp raps hit the wood. Dion flicked a finger, and the lock clicked open. Felix entered, pushing a cart.

"Everything is here, Highness." Dion pulled back the velvet cloth and gave a single, sharp nod. "Go. I'll be in the Great Hall."

The guard bowed and vanished. The door snapped shut.