1

"Catherine, do you have to make a scene today of all days? We've been together a hundred years. A blood bond comes only once every thousand years, and you'd throw it away over one bedchamber?"

Crowley's eyes were steady, as if those hundred years were not the bond between us but leverage that guaranteed I would never leave.

Aldous Reed, the master of ceremonies, hurried up carrying the holy water. Alarm crossed his face when he found me in the corridor, still in plain clothes and facing down Crowley.

"Your Grace, the nobles of every clan are seated. Why aren't you dressed yet?"

Crowley immediately made a hushing gesture. "Keep your voice down. Someone in there has just gone to sleep."

Marta was so frantic her voice shook. "Lord Crowley, the gown and coronet alone take at least fifteen minutes, and the clan Elder still has to paint the bond sigil by hand. If she doesn't go in now, there won't be time for either the crowning or the receiving line!"

He answered without a moment's hesitation. "Then skip the coronet. Use a stencil for the bond sigil."

I lifted my eyes to Crowley.

"What gives you the right to cut pieces out of my ceremony? There are dozens of empty chambers in this castle. Elsa had to have mine?"

"Elsa is already asleep, and she is my sister. She was born with a weak bloodline. If you wake her and trigger heart palpitations, will you take responsibility?"

My parents had waited a long time in the great hall without seeing me take my place. When a maid finally led them here, they found that I had not even set foot inside my own chamber.

"Crowley, what do you think you're doing! Have you forgotten what day this is?"

"I haven't forgotten, Lucien. Today is the day Catherine and I seal our blood bond."

My father, Lucien Everhart, stepped forward, his expression dark and the authority of a vampire Elder rolling off him.

"Then open that door right now!"

Crowley shook his head, his voice without a shred of give. "No. Elsa isn't awake yet."

Overhead, the old clock sounded the third assembly bell. Twenty minutes remained before the bonding ceremony.

My mother, Vivienne Everhart, moved closer, her voice almost pleading. "Crowley, then we won't go in. Just open it a crack and let the maid carry the things out. Can we do that?"

"I'm sorry, Vivienne. The moment the door opens, the ward will break, and Elsa is certain to wake."

By now even Crowley's own steward could not stand it, and he ventured a quiet reminder. "My lord, the bonding ceremony still includes the clan presentation. The parents' blessing alone requires fifteen minutes."

Crowley answered flatly, "Then cancel the blessing. We'll make it up after the ceremony."

My father's back went rigid.

For that blessing, he had searched every ancient text in the clan archives and rewritten the prayer again and again.

Last night I had heard him in front of the mirror, adjusting his delivery again and again.

He said he wanted to give me the finest, most solemn blessing he had, on my bonding day.

The parchment covered in his prayer was in his hand now.

My throat closed up.

"No! A vampire blessing has to be given on the day the bond is formed."

At my flat refusal, Crowley's voice went cold. "Catherine!"

My friend Daphne Vale, a witch, had had enough. She shoved him aside.

She was about to force the door when Crowley caught her wrist and flung her away.

"I'd like to see anyone try!"

Daphne coughed up a mouthful of blood and dragged herself back to her feet.

"Crowley! The woman you are supposed to bind yourself to today is Catherine Everhart, the only duchess in the Thirteen Territories! Her bloodline is noble. How dare you humiliate her like this?!"

At the same time, Aldous's message stone would not stop buzzing.

"Lord Crowley, they've sent someone up from the hall to hurry us. They want to know when on earth the bride is coming in. The nobles are already talking!"

Crowley snatched the stone out of his hand.

"Tell Father Gideon Mercer the bride's bloodline is unstable. Cancel the pre-ceremony presentation."