Suise
Half an hour before I was to seal a blood bond, my vampire fiance's steward stopped me outside my own bedchamber.
"I'm sorry, Your Grace, but your key doesn't fit this lock."
His words made my stomach drop.
"That's impossible. Crowley Ashbourne handed it to me himself."
"According to our records, the bedchamber is currently occupied by Lady Elsa Ashbourne, Lord Crowley's adopted sister. She set a ward over it, and only Lord Crowley's blood seal can open the door."
My lady's maid, Marta Bell, went white at the steward's answer.
The bonding gown, the moonstone ring, every single thing the ceremony required, all of it was still inside that room.
In half an hour, vampire nobles from every territory would be seated in the great hall.
And I, the bride, could not even get to my own ceremonial dress.
I sent Crowley a blood message at once.
He came quickly, but his gaze went first to the closed door.
Only after he had sensed that Elsa's aura was steady did he turn to me.
"Elsa has spent every day helping us prepare this ceremony. She has only just managed to lie down. Go and get ready in my room. Don't wake her."
I looked straight at him as he blocked the doorway.
"Crowley, everything we need for the bond is in that room!"
"What's the rush? When she wakes up, I'll get everything for you."
I didn't argue with him any further. I looked at the clock on the wall and gave him an ultimatum. "You have three more minutes to open this door. Otherwise, there will be no blood bond."