-Ronan-I bolt out of the library to talk to Dan, and partly to get away from Ara. Every day she reveals more of the enigma she is to me, and I feel overwhelmingly unprepared for this.I never thought an attendant would make me question so many things, and for the millionth time, I think I may have made a mistake by giving her so much freedom.But I can't dwell on her now. What Dan is telling me takes up all my attention."I've been spending some time in this guy's establishments. The parties he puts together…they're really something.""Is that what you called to tell me?" I snap. It's not my intention to talk to Dan or anyone like this, but I'm not in the best of moods."No, sir. I'm sorry. I called because I found out that Gabriel Peterson's attendant is his partner. Romantically.""His partner is just unglamored. You must have misjudged their relationship," I say, slightly annoyed that this is what he considers shady. I start thinking about all the things
-Arabella-After I pour hours into essentially stalking Grace's social media, the computer runs out of battery and it's gone dark in the library. Only the automatic garden lights shine through, and I stay there in the dark for a while, obsessing over her pictures.I have to believe that she's doing okay. Since I left, she posted a picture of us together at my high school graduation with a caption that says 'missing you,' and not much else. I don't recall if she had privacy settings before, or if she opened up her social media to everyone on the offhand chance I got access to the internet like today.I wish I could somehow tell her to close it back up. Those men knew too much about her and my mother, and until I figure out what to do about their threats, I have no way of knowing how much truth there was in what they said.The front door opens, and soon enough, Ronan walks into the library and switches on the light."What are you doing in here like that?" he says once
-Ronan-I now understand the real reason that most vampires probably prefer their attendants to be glamored.When I came back to the house, I grabbed Ara's stone, the companion to the chip she has in her tattoo. The device connects to a person's neurotransmitters and it can be felt by the companion remotely, allowing vampires to 'sense' their attendant—and tell a master if their attendant is in proximity or in physical pain.That is, if an attendant is glamored. Because the glamor strips away their feelings, the companion stone doesn't transmit anything more than a possible discomfort or annoyance.Tonight, though, Ara's stone broke me.Her emotions already felt intense when I grabbed her stone and placed it in my watch, where it comes into contact with my skin. And when I told her about what happened to her grandmother, it almost made me want to chuck my watch out the window, or even cut my arm off.The pain was unlike anything I'd ever felt. It was an incessan
-Arabella-When I wake up, Ronan is no longer in bed. I felt him come in last night, and at some point, I woke up with my body nestled against his chest. I panicked and moved away quickly, but he never even stirred.A black dress is laid out for me on his side of the bed, and I chuckle when I see that the brand tag is cut off. I don't know if Ronan meant this as a joke, or if he's trying not to upset me on a day like this one.I don't think anyone I know has ever seen a vampire attend a human funeral, and I know most of my mother's phony socialite friends will be there. It's certainly going to be...interesting.When I go downstairs to the kitchen, I find Ronan there. And he's...cooking?I stop at the doorway and stare at him, and he slowly looks up from the sizzling pan."I don't think I got this right," he says casually, lifting the pan and showing me a burnt, yellow mess of goo. "How do you know when it's supposed to be ready? It
-Ronan-I don't quite understand human customs, but I'm sure Ara is supposed to be there at the front when they lower the coffin. She stops far away from the crowd though, and I don't push her. From the stone, I can feel that she's already overwhelmed.She's angry and grief-stricken, but at the same time, I feel like she's also...happy. Comforted, I guess? I don't know if it's because she's seen her sister or what, but it's certainly helping this be more tolerable.Once they start shoveling dirt into the hole where they've lowered the casket, my phone begins to vibrate. I check to see who it is, and groan inwardly when I realize it's Stella."I'll be right back," I say to Ara, handing her the umbrella. She looks slightly confused, but smiles at me when she sees that I have my phone in my hand. "Stella," I say to the phone once I'm standing far from Arabella and her people, partially concealed by a large willow tree. "I'm in the middle of so
-Arabella-I've messed up.Big time.Ronan can't believe that his asshole of a brother really only meant to pass by me. He squeezed my ass!Everyone stares at him, waiting for him to answer for me. I take a few steps back, meaning to go back to the kitchen, when Stella's head snaps toward me."Why didn't you accept the glamor?" she asks me."I...""You don't have to respond," Ronan says. "Go get something to clean that up.""Yes, sir," I say obediently, but Stella walks up to me and slaps me in the face. Her palm strikes me with such force that I almost fall to the side."Stella!" Ronan yells at her, but she only glares at me."Grab a napkin and wipe off my feet," she says, her voice breaking. "NOW."I look at Ronan, hoping he rescues me from having to do that for this nasty woman, but he only lowers his eyes."Do as she says, Arabella." His voice is cold and demanding.It takes all of my self control not to slap the grin off Stella's
-Ronan-My father nods at me with a smile on his face when the attendants bring out the champagne, and if he wasn't my father, I'd gladly slap the grin away.I feel like an idiot, asking my mother to give me her engagement ring to put on Stella. But father 'suggested' it, or ordered me to. He was right, of course, as always. I have to make up for the scene with Arabella.Stella reappears after being gone for a few minutes, and the attendants bring out the champagne. I don't even want to look at Ara in case Stella decides to bully her again.We toast and finally say goodbye, but I can't find Ara among the attendants."Your attendant is already outside," Martin Van Arder tells me with a shrug. "Between me and you, I would have chosen her, too. She's hot."Without dignifying him with a response, I say goodbye to Stella and hurry out before they all want to keep talking about the stupid wedding.Ara is standing on the road, looking at the trees again."Let's
-Arabella-Ronan is not in the house when I wake up, so I eat and wander around the house for a bit until I see a van stopping in the driveway through the window.Blanca walks down the path right in time to greet the driver, and he goes to the back of the truck and lets two more guys out. They start lowering enormous boxes and hauling them toward the library.I realize it's what Ronan had me order for the room behind the bookcase. They don't even look at me as they keep hauling boxes, until they finally bring in the polished wooden desk and set it down behind the couch, which is pretty much the only place it fit.Blanca thanks them and lets them out, and turns to me once she closes the door."I'm not going to unpack all of that. I came here to escape the attendants from the other house, and suddenly there's more work to do here! And where are all of those things going to fit, anyway?!" She keeps on complaining as she disappears into the kitchen, making me chuckle.