Just as clearly, Lucy was trying not to stare at his chest. He flicked her a glance, frowned.

“What?”

She jerked her eyes away. “Nothing.” She looked like she might be blushing. I was definitely going to bug her about that later. For now, it would have to wait.

“What’s up?” I asked him.

“Someone’s downstairs,” he said quietly. “He scratched at the window and Dad let him in after Mom threatened to eat his face.”

“Ew,” Lucy said.

“Vampire.”

“Lurking at the windows?” I slid out from under my blanket. “That’s not good.”

“They’re in the library.”

We looked at each other, then nodded and hurried out to the hall without another word. The library was one of the only rooms in the house where we could properly eavesdrop. We’d discovered, thanks to a tip from Quinn, that if you lie on the floor in the spare guest room next to mine and pressed your ear to the vent, you could pretty much hear everything that was going on.

We stretched out on the hardwood and wriggled into position. Nicholas was between us, hogging the best listening spot. His face was turned toward Lucy.

“I can’t hear—” He pressed his finger to her lips to stop her from saying anything else. My parents would hear us if we whispered right over the vent. There were definite disadvantages to having vampire parents: sneaking around was nearly impossible. At least come my birthday, I wouldn’t be the only one clomping around the house deaf to all the intrigue. I’d hear as well as them.

“Is there a single reason why we shouldn’t stake you where you stand?” my mom asked pleasantly.

“I’m not here for the bounty,” a male voice assured her. It was low and rumbly, as if it came from a really big chest. I couldn’t help but imagine a wrestler down in the library. “I would hardly announce my presence, would I?”

“You didn’t exactly knock at the front door,” Dad said drily.

“There are humans in this house,” he said as if that was explanation enough. “I smell at least two, but not here in this room.” If we were really lucky, he wouldn’t smell Lucy and me over his head before we heard what else he had to say.

“I’ve come to offer my allegiance to your daughter.” On second thought, I could have done without hearing that.

“Have you?” Mom didn’t sound convinced. Dad was probably overjoyed at the thought of negotiating another alliance. I kind of just wanted to go back to bed.

“You’re sworn to Lady Natasha,” Dad said softly. “You wear the mark of her house.”

“I’m sworn to the royal court, yes.” It was an important distinction. “But there are those of us who would rather oath to the House of Drake, and I am here representing them.”

Crap. That prophecy thing again. Why didn’t anyone believe me when I said I didn’t want to be a princess or a queen or whatever? I didn’t want to be the excuse for a civil war within the tribes. I shuddered.

“We’ll keep that in mind. We’d need proof of your loyalty, of course.”

“Of course. When the time comes, you’ll get your proof.” He sounded like he was bowing. “Until then.”

I heard the window shut and Mom and Dad moved out of the library. I sighed and closed my eyes. I’d felt fine all day but now I was exhausted, almost like I had the flu.

“I’m sorry I almost left you behind,” Nicholas whispered tightly to Lucy. “I really thought they’d follow us and you’d be safer at the party.

What?” he asked when she didn’t immediately respond.

“You’ve never apologized to me before.”

“I said I was sorry the time I used your doll for target practice with the pellet gun.”

“Because your mom had you by the ear.”

“Well, what ever. Sorry.”

“Thanks,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome,” he whispered back.

I suddenly felt like a third wheel. Weird.

Nicholas scrambled to his feet. “We should go.”

“She’s asleep,” Lucy said. I wasn’t, but I didn’t have the energy to tell her that.

“I’ve got her,” Nicholas said grimly, picking me up and carry ing me to my room.

CHAPTER 4

Lucy

Saturday morning

Mornings were always quiet in the Drake household, even with nearly twenty people stuffed into its tiny rooms and narrow halls. Sunlight sparkled at the windows, made of some sort of treated glass. Ancient vampires can stand sunlight though they never really love it, but it dangerously weakens the younger ones, who haven’t had a chance to build up an immunity. I never took sunlight for granted now, or my ability to eat every meal with cutlery. Though, aside from the whole blood thing, the Drakes were very civilized. They used glasses and goblets, not plastic blood bags.

Lady Natasha, by all accounts, was not civilized. She’d been Montmartre’s second-in-command and his lover. When he’d tired of her, she allied herself with a powerful vampire family. She knew the customs of the vampires, the Host, and the Hounds, and she was determined to bring them all together under her leadership.

Biases ran deeply though, and so far she hadn’t managed to unite them. It wasn’t for an altruistic motive like ending what was basically a civil war; it was all about the power for her. And possibly sticking it to Montmartre.