Sleeping Beauty (28 page)

She grabbed more roses, stepped onto the back of one of the other vampires—who was bent over to retrieve the axe—then dove into her mother's bedroom.

Blinking against the darkness, Lucette listened for the vampire, but she couldn't hear him over the fighting and shouting in the hall—not to mention her pounding heart. The hole she had come through was blocked by the body of someone following her, but there was no time to see whether it was a friend or foe—her mother was in danger.

Lucette stumbled through the darkness, bumping into a table she'd forgotten was there, and found the button for the room's gaslights. As the lights flickered on, a horrible, piercing scream filled her ears. In the instant that it took to realize that it was her own screaming, Lucette also saw a scene straight out of her worst nightmare: the vampire was feeding off her mother's neck.

“Noooo!” She raced forward, leaping over the bed to land on top of the vampire.

He pulled his fangs out of her mother and turned to her. “Yummy. Just in time for dessert.”

“Not likely!” She forced a rose into his face and he moaned, rolling off the bed.

Lucette put her hand over the wounds in her mother's neck, but they were already sealing. It was no use. She'd been infected by vampire venom. Two more bites, and her mother would die unless she
converted to vampirism, and she knew her mother would prefer death to conversion.

A shout came from the hole in the door. Tristan was following her into the room, but his shoulders were too wide. He had a twisted, pained expression on his face, and he seemed to be struggling. “Get it off me!” he shouted.

She ran to Tristan.“What's happening?”

Tristan shook his head, a resigned expression on his face. “One of the bloodsuckers just fed off a vein in my leg.”

“Got him,” Alex's voice came through the thick door. “They're all down and tied up,” he called. “The coast is clear.”

The next night, the three of them gathered outside the king's office and prepared for the vampires that were sure to attack. Opposite the office door was a railing forming a balcony over the front foyer. This position was strategic because not only could they see the main entry hall below, but the corridor also led off to her mother's wing in one direction, and to her father's in the other.

Tristan crossed the corridor and adjusted the tension on his crossbow as he leaned against the railing above the front foyer.“I think your father was more shaken by your mother's bite than she was. Your mother is exceptionally brave.” He grinned. “You come by it naturally.”

Pride and hope rose in Lucette's chest. “Did the vampires who had allergic reactions live?” she asked Alex.

“I'm not sure,” he replied tightly. “One way or another, they were taken back to Sanguinia.”

Lucette grimaced, but realized there wasn't much she could do to control what happened during the day. All she could do was prevent bites at night.

She turned to Tristan. “Did you get any sleep today?”

“Yes.” He adjusted his quiver of stakes.“Don't worry about me.”

“But I do worry,” she said. “I don't think you should stay in Xandra anymore. It's too dangerous.”

He tested the trigger on his unloaded crossbow. “You're the one facing danger. You and your whole kingdom. I won't leave you to face this alone.”

“She's
not
alone,” Alex said from where he sat, leaning against the wall next to her father's office door.

“Please,” Tristan spat out. “You won't even help her fight! Coward.”

Alex leaped up and charged toward Tristan, but Lucette slipped between them before the face-off turned physical. She touched Tristan's arm. “Even without fighting, Alex has helped me—a lot. And he pulled that vampire off your leg last night, and tied all the unconscious bodies up.”

“Still—” Tristan leaned against the railing. “I'm not leaving. Not a chance. If the king dies, Xandra will fall with him. I won't let that happen.”

Her heart skipped at the ferocity and concern in Tristan's eyes, but even though she knew it was selfish, she wished that Tristan's concern was for her, not just her kingdom.

Alex bared his fangs. “If you're so concerned about Lucette, where have you been these past weeks?”

“I came as soon as I heard. News of Xandra's predicament was slow to come to Judra.” Tristan touched her arm, sending a thrill through
her body. “Your father is very grateful and relieved that I've come, and that you're no longer alone.”

“She was
never
alone.” Alex grabbed her arm. “You need to tell your father how much I've helped you. He needs to know about me, if we're going to get married.”

“Married?” Tristan grabbed her other arm, his eyes filled with shock. “You're going to marry this monster?”

Lucette's mouth dried and a million thoughts raced through her mind; she couldn't make them come out as actual words.

Alex's hand slipped down her arm to take her hand. He stepped backward and pulled. “Yes. Someday we will each be the reigning monarchs of our respective countries, and ruling together will bring about everlasting peace.”

“Your mother is Queen Natasha?” Tristan grabbed Lucette's other hand so she was strung between them, and Tristan's face was filled with horror and revulsion. “He's a spy, Lucette. We can't trust him. He's probably the one leading the vampires here each night, telling them how to breach the palace barricades.”

“It doesn't take inside information to break down doors.” Alex said. “Plus, you've got it backward.” Alex held firm to her other hand. If either pulled, she'd be torn apart. “I've been giving Lucette inside information. How do you think she knew about the roses?”

Tristan pulled. “Doesn't mean you're not a spy and it doesn't mean she'll marry you. She wouldn't.” He turned to look at her. “Would you?”

“Enough!” She lifted her arms, wrenching her hands out of their grasps. “My entire life my parents fought about me as if I weren't even in the room. I won't have you two do it now.”

Her cheeks burned as she looked back and forth between Tristan and Alex. Both young men were so handsome, so concerned for her well-being.“I do need to find true love,” she said.“It's my duty as future queen of Xandra, and as the one who brought the curse upon my kingdom.”

Both boys started to object, but she raised a palm toward each of them and they stopped.

“I am determined to do everything I can to break the curse, but”—she turned toward Alex—“I never agreed to marry you. You know that.” She turned back to Tristan. “Still, we can trust him. I'm sure of it. He and I have been through a lot.”

But a tiny part of Lucette doubted her statement. There was no way of being certain that Alex wasn't spying for his mother. On the other hand, if he was on his mother's side, why not just kill her? Or kill her parents? What was the point of making sure she never got bitten if he really wanted her dead? It didn't make sense.

Alex paced down the hall and then turned, his long strides conveying his frustration. Glowering, he stopped directly in front of Lucette. “Get rid of him. Make him leave. We don't need him. He's just someone else to take care of. He let himself get bitten on his first night. Two more bites and he'll be no help to us at all.”

“One bite,” Tristan said.“I only need one more bite.” He raised his chin. “I was bitten as a child. It's the main reason I came to Xandra to train as a slayer.”

Lucette's stomach dropped. It was so dangerous for Tristan to be here, yet he'd come, and dove through that hole in her mother's door, even knowing the risks. Her admiration for him expanded, as did the flutter in her stomach. But she couldn't get swept up in her fantasies.
He didn't have those same feelings for her. He was only protecting her out of a sense of duty. It wasn't personal.

Alex tugged on her arm. “Send him away. Another human awake in the palace attracts vampires. He makes things more dangerous for you.”

“Really?”

Alex looked up and to the side, then said, “Yes. I'm a vampire. I should know how it works.” But his expression and body language made her wonder if he didn't have other motives for wanting Tristan gone.

Actually, she knew he did. “Alex,” she said, keeping her voice soft and reassuring, “we're stronger as a team of three. He just got here. Give it some time. I'm sure we'll learn to work together.” She turned to Tristan. “Given the risks, you probably should leave, but it's your choice.” She turned back to Alex.“I won't ask him to go. I can't.”

“Yes, you can,” Alex said. “And if you don't, then ...” He pulled her forward until she could see every yellow fleck in his green eyes, “I'll leave and never come back.”

She shook her head and her throat pinched. “Don't say that! Don't even joke. You wouldn't.” As angry as she felt that Alex was applying this pressure, he'd been her only lifeline through so many nights of darkness and loneliness. Even with Tristan here, she couldn't imagine him gone. She might not get that tingly feeling when she looked into Alex's eyes, but they had a connection, a deep one, one that would rip her apart if she lost it.

“Lucette,” Alex said, “it's him or me. You have to choose.”

Oh, no! After all those years of being torn between her parents, Lucette now has two boys demanding she choose between them.

If you were Lucette, what would you do?

 

OPTION A: Lucette should tell Tristan to leave. Alex has been so much help and so loyal. She can't survive this curse without him. Her childhood crush on Tristan hasn't faded, but he rejected her and didn't even recognize her when he showed up last night. Clearly, he hasn't been dreaming of her as she's been dreaming of him. Alex is right. Tristan will just distract her, and with two bites, it's too dangerous for him to be here anyway. Maybe in time her feelings for Alex will grow to true love. If you think Lucette should choose option A, turn to section 7: Friendship Transformed (page 225).

 

OPTION B: Lucette should refuse to tell Tristan to leave. He was so brave to come here when no one else would. He's especially brave to stay given he'd suffered through two vampire bites. Lucette's childhood crush hasn't faded, and even if he didn't remember her, he called her beautiful the night he arrived. She's not a kid anymore, and although she hates to hurt Alex's feelings, at least she has a chance of finding true love with Tristan. If you think Lucette should choose option B, turn to section 8: A Leap of Faith (page 261).