Chapter 180: Dance with the Serpent
"You think you can manage without being spotted?" Eve asked, now worried about Cece being discovered, since Cece had planned to trail behind her from the shadows so that Eve wouldn’t be left alone with that lunatic of a prince.
Eve had secretly come up with a plan with Cece that if the opportunity arose for her to convince Valen to take her to the Vault of Ages, then Cece would trail behind her in the shadows in case Valen refused to reveal its location to the group. It was imperative for them to at least learn where the Vault was located and how the royals used the key to unlock it.
However, figuring out how she would actually get inside the Vault was an entirely different matter. At first, Cece had vehemently rejected the idea of letting Eve be alone with that prince, but when Eve insisted that it was for Ivan’s sake, Cece couldn’t bring herself to refuse, as she, too, feared losing her brother.
The only flaw in their plan was that they hadn’t informed any of the men, knowing full well they would all reject the idea instantly, especially Ivan, whose rage knew no bounds when it came to Valen.
Still, it was a risk worth taking as too much was at stake. And now, just as expected, the greedy prince had appeared right before them, offering exactly what they had been after. They would be fools to let such a golden opportunity slip away.
Another reason Cece had agreed was because Eve was powerful enough to defend herself if the need arose. Even so, knowing how cunning the human prince was and suspecting the tricks he might still be hiding up his sleeve made her uneasy, which was precisely why she had insisted on tailing them in the first place.
Cece sent out a silent prayer, hoping everything would go smoothly, though she wasn’t at all confident about how she’d manage to stop Ivan when he came looking for Evelyn.
Just then, a sharp knock interrupted their hushed conversation, followed by Valen’s voice. "Princess Evelyn? Is everything all right in there? Should I come in to help you?"
Both Cece and Evelyn scowled at the absurdity of him offering to step inside the ladies’ powder room.
Cece sneered, "He’s so desperate."
"I know. I should probably get out there before he starts suspecting something," Eve replied.
Cece gave Eve’s hand another firm squeeze. "Alright. Be careful and don’t let that mutt touch you, or I can’t guarantee Ivan won’t raze this palace to the ground."
Eve nodded and released another shaky breath before finally letting go of Cece’s hands. She turned to leave but paused midway and glanced back. "That’s right, Cece, I’ll need your necklace. I made up an excuse to-"
"I know," Cece interrupted before she could finish. She reached up, fumbling briefly at her neck before unclasping the delicate diamond necklace she was wearing. Handing it to Eve, she said quietly, "I heard everything."
Eve gave her a small, grateful smile. "Thank you."
She was about to turn away when Cece caught her arm, making Eve stop and look at her in confusion. Without a word, Cece took the necklace from her hand and fastened it around Eve’s neck herself. "Just to avoid that creep offering to put it back on you," she muttered.
Eve understood and couldn’t have been more grateful for Cece’s thoughtfulness. "That was good thinking," she said softly.
Cece returned her smile. "Please be careful."
"I will. Trust me," Eve replied.
With that, Cece stepped back, pressing herself against the wall near the entrance to stay hidden, while Eve finally opened the door and stepped out.
Valen, who had been about to knock again, froze mid-motion when he saw her emerge. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he drank in her features once more. "Did you find it?" he asked smoothly.
"Yes." She lifted a hand to the necklace now resting around her neck. "My apologies for keeping you waiting. I was just putting this back on."
"Ah, I see," he murmured, his gaze remaining a moment too long on the delicate piece. Then he leaned in slightly, a smile playing on his lips. "If it was a struggle to put on, I would’ve helped you."
Eve instinctively took a step back, suppressing the urge to recoil.
Eve’s stomach churned at his closeness, but she managed a weak smile. "I didn’t want to trouble you," she said softly before quickly stepping to the side, putting a safe distance between them.
"Shall we?" she added, keeping her tone polite but firm. "I wouldn’t want anyone to get worried and come looking for me if I’m away for too long."
Valen caught the implication immediately; she was referring to that vampire prince. The thought alone made his jaw tighten, but he didn’t want to risk the man interrupting them either. So, forcing a charming smile, he gave her a nod and extended his hand in a gentlemanly gesture.
"I understand," he said smoothly. "After you."
Eve gave him a nod and started walking. Valen fell into step beside her, matching her pace as he led the way toward the place where the Vault was located.
Once they were at a safe distance, Cece closed her eyes and summoned her vampiric ability. The air shifted, and the faint flicker of nearby candlelight trembled in response to the disturbance. Shadows began to curl and swirl around her feet before rising higher, enveloping her completely.
When she opened her eyes again, they glowed a vivid crimson beneath the shroud of darkness. Her form was now cloaked by a veil of shadows, merging seamlessly with the dim light around her.
A dark silhouette slithered silently across the ground, moving unnoticed by any eye that wasn’t looking for it and trailed behind Eve and Valen.
The pair crossed the courtyard and entered a long, straight corridor where the presence of staff grew sparser the farther they walked. Pale green curtains hung from every pillar, swaying gently with the passing breeze.
Valen decided to break the silence. "So, Princess, how do you like being at Blood Moon Academy?"
Evelyn kept her gaze fixed ahead, her senses sharp and alert as she walked an unfamiliar path beside an unfamiliar and deeply unsettling man. Everything about the place reeked of something foul, though she couldn’t pinpoint it to a single source.
"I like it there," she replied evenly. "It feels like home now."
Valen raised a brow at her. "Really? I would’ve guessed otherwise, considering all the blood-sucking cre-" He stopped short when she shot him with a sharp side-eye. "I mean...considering all the vampires you’re surrounded by. Not to mention, they do love the taste of a lumen’s blood."
"Yet, I’ve experienced no such thing from the vampires," Eve replied calmly. "In fact, I’ve found them far more welcoming and loyal compared to others."
"Really?" Valen scoffed. "Don’t you ever feel terrified there? Their lust for blood can make them forget even the ones they claim to hold close..."
"Prince Valen, I understand why you might hold such notions, it’s what we lumens, or rather humans, have been taught in their kingdoms. Those who’ve never lived among vampires don’t know the full story. But I assure you, when it comes to greed, race doesn’t matter. It can take the form of a lumen or a human just as easily, so it has nothing to do with being a vampire."
"I see that you’re defending them quite strongly," Valen remarked, his pale green eyes never leaving Evelyn’s face, studying her reaction intently.
"I’m only speaking the truth I’ve come to know," she replied evenly. Then, with a graceful shrug of her shoulders, she added, "...if you see that as defending them, so be it."
Valen chuckled at her direct way of speaking. No woman had ever dared to address him so straightforwardly, and he felt oddly challenged by it. ’Look at this...a feral little cat,’ he thought, his lips curling into a faint smirk. ’I’d love to tame her...make her soft, docile...crying and begging for me and my-’
He snapped out of his thoughts when her voice cut through his dark reverie.
"How much farther is it?" Evelyn asked, glancing around. "It feels like we’ve been walking for quite a while."
"Eager, are we?" Valen asked playfully.
"Well...who wouldn’t be? It’s something I’ve only read about, never seen. So yes..." Eve caught herself quickly, reminding herself not to sound too impatient.
Valen didn’t mind her eagerness; in fact, it thrilled him. The thought that she was excited about something only he could offer her at the moment stroked his ego in all the right ways.
Earlier, when he had stepped away from the dining room, his mother had summoned him to remind and warn him to control his temper and his urges around both Evelyn and Ivan until she "handled" the vampire prince herself. On his way back, he had asked Jareld about Evelyn’s whereabouts and paused the moment he was told that she had gone to the powder room not too long ago.
Excitement coursed through him at the chance to finally speak to her alone, perhaps even to impress her with his so-called charm.
