They Rise at Dusk (Book #1) ✔️

Chapter 30: Eleventh Commandment

As I walked through the crowd of people at the ball, I couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by the opulence surrounding me. The room was filled with the sounds of upbeat jazz, the scent of fresh flowers wafting through the air, and the clinking of champagne glasses as guests mingled and chatted. The women were dressed in flowing gowns of every colour and style, the jewels at their necks and wrists sparkling in the light of the chandeliers. The men, equally as elegant, wore tuxedos with tails, their shoes gleaming like mirrors on the polished floor.

The floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a stunning view of the city skyline, made me feel weirdly exposed, like someone could just crash into me and send me flying through the glass and down and down, until I smashed against the hard concrete. Dorian hooked my arm tightly as he led me straight through the ballroom. The colours and textures blended together in a dizzying display, the chatter and laughter ringing in my ears.

"I feel like everyone's watching me." I said through my teeth.

"That's because they are." Dorian whispered. "Just go with the flow."

"Easy for you to say. You're used to it."

Fuck, my palms were turning sweaty.

Dorian chuckled, "And you're not? You've been to thousands of these balls."

"But only once on your arm."

I shut my mouth the moment I realised what I've said.

"Isn't that a crying shame?" Dorian nudged us in the direction of the double door on the other side of the ballroom. "Come on, you need a drink."

I let him lead me to the double door.

"What's the end goal, Darascu?" I murmured. "You're letting everyone know we're now in cahoots."

"In cahoots?" He laughed. "Maybe I just wanted them to know they lost you to me."

My heart skipped a beat.

"You're screwing with my head on purpose."

"Are my words affecting you, Zaleria?" He put his hand on the round gold door handle and grinned at me. "Maybe I should keep talking."

"I'm not impressed by any of this, just so you know." I crossed my hands on my chest.

Dorian opened the door and invited me inside, "Didn't think you would be."

We walked into the burgundy-coloured room. Plush lounges and extravagant glass coffee tables lined the walls, and the room was crowded with only a handful of people. Some were lounging comfortably on the sofas, the hems of their dresses lifted, the straps on their shoulders slipping all the way to the upper-arms, shirts unbuttoned, ties loose. Despite the crowdedness of the room, there was a sense of intimacy and exclusivity. Especially as I noticed the humans, their throats and wrists covered with black straps, their eyes foggy, and their smiles only slightly unhinged and high. I swallowed my heartbeat as I took in the scene.

Vampires lounging on the sofas faced us. They knew Dorian. They knew me. I knew them.

There was Robert Dimski, my first and only boyfriend, bulkier and meaner-looking than when I had dated him, with his brown hair now messier and longer, dressed in a black suit, his thin lips and sharp fangs bloody. Amelia Moreu sat next to him, her arms draped over the sofa's backrest, dressed in a long black dress with a slit so high I was certain she wasn't wearing any underwear. Her red hair was in a tight bun on the top of her head, and it pulled her entire face up, emphasizing the sharpness of her green cat-eyes. I fucking hated Amelia. Mostly because Robert had cheated on me with her.

"Well, well." Dimski spoke, his eyes sliding over my dress like I was something to eat. "Look what the cat dragged in."

Gosh, seventeen must have been a dark time for me when I'd decided he was the right person to date, to lose my virginity to.