Twenty-year-old Claire must deceive a vampire prince to infiltrate the monarchy and discover their secrets while resisting her desire for him.
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Nothing in my life has ever been easy. Including the mission my family has sent me on.
My sister and...
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Voir (verb) to see
I spotted him across the ballroom and couldn't look away.
His golden hair was carelessly pushed to one side like he'd just finished running his fingers through it. And he wore a smirk that looked like he'd just awoken from a very good dream.
But I didn't think anything Prince Bastien of House Allard did was careless, and he certainly didn't dream.
He was a vampire. Just like all of the princes who ruled the Conquered Territories. And tonight, I was supposed to be impressing him to win the job as his next sanguine partner—the person he'd exclusively feed from for the next year.
I was repulsed by the mere idea of getting close to him, but I had no other choice. This was my fate. And if I failed...
Suppressing a shudder, I touched the side of my neck, just above the lace choker Mama bid me wear, and felt the vein in my neck throbbing. Keenly aware of all the reasons I had to be afraid.
Blackness crowded the edges of my vision, and I couldn't stop a queasy feeling from churning in my stomach. I stared at the floorboards, trying to slow my breathing.
Just thinking about the word blood always made me lightheaded, which was something I'd tried for years to overcome. Now, I had no idea how I was going to convince a vampire prince that I was the one he was searching for.
What if he wanted to take a sample of the offerings before he made a decision, and I swooned at his feet?
That would put an end to my mission pretty damn quick.
My sister snapped open a paper fan and began waving it in my direction. The cool air chilled my skin but did nothing to quell my nerves.
"Don't look," Seraphina muttered, "but you-know-who is staring right at you."
I glanced up to find Prince Bastien's cold gaze cutting through the pack of hopefuls crowded around him, his soft blue eyes fixed on me. The eyes of a killer.
