The Stains of the Crown

Chapter Eleven

Trigger warnings: aftermath of abuse, hinting at suicidal ideation, mentions of drug abuse.

People dance, drink, and talk all around me. The environment, loud and enjoyable for everyone else, feels overwhelming for me. I stand in the corner, halfway hidden behind a large green plant that sprouts gorgeous yellow flowers. People had sought me out all night, dragging me into more conversations than I could even remember. So hiding in the corner seemed like a much better option now. Though, of course, the corner couldn't protect me forever.

"Echo, this is Vita. Vita, this is Echo, my mate." The woman with Jovi smiles at me, revealing vampire fangs. I resist the urge to cower behind the plant, though it's only barely.

"Jovi, you didn't tell me your mate was so timid," Vita says with a grin. Her voice was oddly silky and while rather soothing, her presence was powerful enough to intimidate me.

"She's usually not. Baby, are you feeling okay?" I nod, frowning at the woman. She was barely taller than me, but the way she radiates dominance makes me feel small, which made me feel weak.

"Don't be intimidated, Dear. I don't bite. At least not other vampires, anyways," she laughs. Her teeth glint, the longer ones catching the light the best. Her inky black eyes reminded me of how the humans used to depict demons-eyes before they went extinct. Though, from what I'd heard of humans, they associated most supernaturals with demons, had deemed them as humans possessed by some dark force. With how her eyes captivate me, I understand.

"So, Vita, are you a queen or a princess?" Finley asks, suddenly standing next to me, though truthfully she'd probably been standing there a while. Vita smiles up at my mate.

"I'm a queen. I rule the Icaesda Kingdom."

"I've heard that it's a lovely place."

"It is," Vita says with a smile. "So you're Echo's second mate?"

"Yeah. I'm Finley."

"Wonderful to meet you," she says before turning towards me. "Echo, Dear, you seem quite overwhelmed." I narrow my eyes at her.

"She can hear your thoughts. As it turns out, you don't only broadcast them in wolf form," Jovi says with a soft laugh. I feel a blush creep up my neck.

"So tell me, why have you been hiding in the corner all night? That's not how you usually handle parties, Echo." My brows furrow.

"How would you know what I usually do at parties?" She smiles at me.

"Well, two reasons. The first, I can see your memories. The second, you've been to two of my balls. At both, you were dancing and talking to everyone. So why are you hiding now?" I glance at my mates.

"I'm pretty sure you could figure it out, since I broadcast my thoughts. Is that normal?"

"What, broadcasting thoughts?" I nod. She gives me a little grin. "Normal, sure. Common, no. Usually I have to dig for the information I want. With you, I can hear everything. Memories, thoughts, feelings." I frown, playing with a button on my sleeve. Vita clears her throat before turning to my mates. "Would you two mind if I took her to the sitting room?"

"Not at all." I follow Vita out of the ballroom and into a room with black leather couches and pink-tinted walls. Vita laughs.

"You don't like pink very much, do you?" I shrug, closing the door behind me.

"Why are we in here?" She sits and gives me a small smile.

"Well, Dear, I figured it was probably a lot for you in there, and I'd like to talk to you without you having to monitor your words for your mates." I sigh, sitting across from her.