Dinner With a Vampire (The Dark Heroine #1)(52)
Author: Abigail Gibbs

Her friend sighed. ‘I’m sure if you weren’t already committed to going to the ball with someone he would have asked you.’

‘Oh, please, Cathy. He was always going to ask her. I even heard him talking about it with Declan.’

Silence. I could imagine the cogs turning in her friend’s mind and I felt sorry for her. When Lyla decided something, changing her mind was impossible.

‘You don’t know that. I’m sure he likes you really. I mean she doesn’t have anything you don’t!’

‘How about rosy cheeks? Irresistible blood? Vulnerability? Humanity?’ Her voice rose in pitch and I heard exaggerated sighing, followed by what sounded like something being slammed onto a desk.

‘Do you think I should have my nails done black or red for Ad Infinitum?’ Cathy continued, oblivious to my sister’s mounting despair.

‘I mean, what the hell do they see in her? I am so much prettier and I know how to act in polite society!’

‘Or maybe I should just go for a classic French manicure. What do you think?’ There was a pause in the babble.

‘Black nails. And Kaspar is such a dick of a brother. Why the hell he is heir, I don’t know. I would do such a better job.’

I’d like to see you try, I thought.

‘Because tradition says the fourth or seventh child is heir within the family,’ Cathy explained. ‘You’re the third child. Even I know that and I flunked Vampirs.’

Lyla sighed. ‘I wasn’t being serious, Cathy, of course I know why. And I thought you passed in the end?’

‘Daddy bribed the headmaster. Like I was going to pass,’ she scoffed, obviously finding her own stupidity hilarious.

‘Suit yourself. But don’t you think Kaspar is being a total manslut?’

Her friend paused. ‘I think it’s kind of hot.’

I raised an eyebrow and tried not to laugh as several disgusted noises floated down the corridor.

‘Yuck! That is my little brother you’re talking about!’

‘Whatever. Anyway, I was thinking little black dress for the ball. What do you think?’

‘Cathy! I keep telling you: steer clear of the short dresses! They don’t do anything for your thighs. Go for an empire waist. Last time you wore a dress like that Felix totally went ditz!’

‘Lyla, he went ditz because he was hammered. He was probably high as well.’

‘I think he likes you.’

I think I need to talk to Felix. I couldn’t take it any more. Not bothering to knock, I turned the handle and walked into the room. Both girls immediately spun around and Cathy curtseyed.

‘Hey, Kaspar,’ she said, with a roll of the tongue that I suspected I was meant to interpret as seductive.

I nodded in return. ‘Catherine.’

‘What happened to the knocking rule we established, Kaspar? How do you know I wasn’t naked or something?’ Lyla blurted out, hands on hips.

‘Lyla, you’re my sister. You were running around naked until you were two hundred years old,’ I responded, amused at her pink eyes as she squirmed in embarrassment.

‘No, I wasn’t! Why the hell are you here anyway? I have things to do, unlike you!’

‘What, other than bitch about everyone?’ I retorted, raising an eyebrow.

‘Perfectly amusing way to pass the time.’

I wasn’t there to discuss her backstabbing character and so cut to the chase. ‘Lyla, I want a word. In private.’ I deliberately turned to Cathy, who flustered, gathered her things and left, but not before very deliberately brushing past me.

‘Bye, Kaspar.’

I went rigid. ‘Catherine.’

Slam went the door.

‘Well, spit it out then! I don’t have all day.’

‘Stop being such a jealous over-possessive cow of a sister. Get over yourself and Fabian, stop putting me on the line and don’t drag Violet into this.’

She spun around, eyes full of venom. ‘What the hell did you just say?’

‘Let me paraphrase it for you. Stop being such a bitch.’

‘I know what you said, idiot. I just want to know why the hell you said it!’ She practically shouted, seething. I raised an eyebrow. So she is going to play innocent?

‘You threatened Violet. If she goes near Fabian, you will expose the fact I took her blood, humiliating both her and I—’

‘Took her blood with her consent—’

‘So you admit it then? Threatening us?’

‘No.’

‘But then how could you know I took her blood with consent? Nobody knew that but me and Violet. She wouldn’t tell and neither would I. So, tell me, wise big sister, how could you know?’

She didn’t answer, retreating into her wardrobe and pulling more clothes down from the rack, which she held up to herself, silently pairing them together.

‘You read her mind,’ I said, cutting in on her browsing. ‘Most likely when she was flustered and her barriers were weak; found out about the kiss, stumbled across what I had done and decided you were going to keep Fabian for yourself, despite him clearly not having the same feelings you have for him. Not to mention the fact you scratched Violet.’

Her mouth was hanging open, but as I paused for breath, she abruptly shut it again and began talking.

‘Fine, I did. But so what? What can you do about it? Even you know it is for Fabian’s own good. He can’t get close to her, they are way too different. A vampire and a human don’t go together.’

‘They are different. But that isn’t to say a relationship couldn’t work between a vampire and a human. Look at Marie-Claire and John,’ I retorted, leaning against the post of her bed, as she moved on to busying herself by clearing her desk, something she wouldn’t normally do.

‘John is turning in a few weeks anyway.’ She turned to me and gave me one of her most contemptuous looks. I shrugged my shoulders.

‘But he has been human for the entire, what, four years of their relationship? That has to say something.’

‘Kaspar, shut up. It wouldn’t work between Violet and Fabian and everyone knows it. And when he does wake up and realize what he has been wasting his time on—’

I cut in, interrupting her. ‘You plan to be the one he goes running to.’

‘Precisely. If Violet ignores him, he will just realize quicker. And then I get him quicker.’

To think I’m related to this.

‘And you are going to do that at the cost of Violet’s sanity?’ I asked, scowling.