Bound By Blood: The Pureblood Prince

Chapter Thirteen

When I awoke, the room was filled with sweet dawn light. Gabriel's arms were still tangled with mine, and he was dead asleep. I sighed contentedly, reaching up to gently push the dark hair from his forehead. My eyes lingered on his face. His shapely brows, always furrowed. His dark lashes, fanned over his cheeks. His long, distinguished nose. His lips; flush with sleep, the corners of them curled upward just slightly.

I loved this man.

I felt that warm burst, igniting from within my stomach. It enveloped my body, dripping from my soul. Gabriel's breath hummed evenly, and I listened to it for a while. I noticed the sound of birdsong in the distance. Everything was so still, and so right.

I was only able to steal a few moments before Gabriel began to stir. I kissed him awake, and he gave me a groggy smile.

"Belle," he murmured. "You are incredibly beautiful."

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We only had a few more moments before Joel came to the door, telling Gabriel we were departing soon. Nicholas's warning came echoing back into my head, making my stomach turn. I dreaded going back, for fear of what kind of torment he had for me next.

I began to worry if the King would know that Gabriel had rejected the Princess's hand when we returned. As Claire was readying me for the day, Gabriel caught my eye in the mirror and smiled warmly. Why didn't he seem concerned at all?

We were almost ready when a palace servant came to the door.

"Miss Delavine, Princess Sarah requests your company in the study. She wishes to speak with you alone."

My heart skipped. Alone? What would she possibly want with me? I looked to Gabriel, who had stopped tying his tie to turn to me. He looked confused, but nodded in reassurance. Claire gasped, unable to contain her excitement. "The Princess must really like you, Miss Cora!" she called. I shot her a look as I left.

The Princess looked so small in the large study, surrounded by ornate furniture and books. She had stationed herself in the center of the room, where we had arrived. She knelt elegantly against a bench, reading a book. My feet reached the marble floors, and she snapped the book shut and stood. I swallowed hard, finding myself intimidated by a tiny girl. 

"Come, sit with me," she urged, reaching out her hand.

I took it hesitantly, allowing the Princess to guide me to the bench. The room was cold, but she felt even colder. She settled into her seat, giving me a polite smile. I gave a smile back, shifting uncomfortably beside her.

"I know that I must look like a child to you, Cora," she began. "But I have lived for one hundred and fifteen years."

My eyes darted away for a moment and I straightened my shoulders, trying to seem comfortable. The Princess leaned in, fixing her eyes on me.

"I've lived long enough to know what it looks like when a vampire Prince is in love with a human girl." 

My eyes locked back on hers.

"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, and assume that Prince Gabriel hasn't yet told you everything about him. The De Vincents are the original Pureblood family. They rule over the entire Vempire, and the King will not let anything get in the way of his place in power. My father tried to shield me from the darkness of our world, but I have watched human companions have their throats ripped out by vampires like King De Vincent."

My heartbeat quickened, and I shuddered.

"If the King discovers what has happened with you and Prince Gabriel, he will promise you a painful death. I don't say this to scare you, or to turn you away from the Prince. I tell you this in hopes that it will save your life."

I crossed my hands in my lap, and forced a smile. "Thank you, Princess, for allowing me into your home," I stood, bowing my head. "I'm so sorry, but I should get back to the Prince. We are leaving soon."

She did not stop me as I left. I held myself together as the servant opened the door for me. The moment I heard it shut, I fell apart. I clutched my stomach and fell to my knees, body racked with sobs. The servant who escorted me put his hands on my shoulders.

"Are you okay Miss?"

I couldn't answer. My body was no longer obeying my wishes.

Princess Sarah's words had sealed it for me. Loving Gabriel was a death sentence. Even I knew, deep down, before Nicholas had ever paid me a visit in my room. And yet, I had done nothing to stop it. I only had two options: to stop loving Gabriel, or to die. The moment I walked away from the Princess, I knew I had made my choice. No part of me- body or soul- could stop me now.

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The minute I returned, Gabriel came rushing to me. My eyes were red and I was visibly shaken, but I reassured him until he gave up on prying.

 We gathered our bags, and returned to the study. Joel cast a silent spell, and returned us all to the De Vincent palace. It was a shock to the system- the change in the room, the light, the temperature, the smell- all in an instant. My stomach threatened to bring up my breakfast. I could teleport a thousand times, but I didn't think I would ever get used to it.

"How long until your father calls for you?" I asked. We were alone in Gabriel's room. He had sent away the servants to unpack in peace.

"He is gone for business for two days, so I won't be hearing from him for a while."

Gabriel continued to unpack as if he was unbothered by my question. I moved closer to him, leaning against the bedpost.

"What do you have to do today?" I asked.

Gabriel sighed. "Well, I have some letters to write now."

I looked down, fiddling with the fabric of my dress. Gabriel's hand wrapped around mine, and I looked up. "But they can wait until tomorrow. I want to spend the day with you."

When he looked at me like that, I couldn't help but smile. "Gabriel, I shouldn't be getting in the way of your business."

"Every day is business for me." he said, dragging his fingers up my arms. I shivered. "I want a day that's just you, for once."

I smiled, and he leaned in for a kiss. On the surface, Gabriel seemed so at ease. But I could feel the worry buzzing underneath. At first, I thought it was just a product of my own anxiety, but I knew now that this was different. But I kept it to myself, for fear of making it worse. I could just have this one day, I told myself. Deal with all of it tomorrow.

"What would you like to do first?" I asked, weaving my fingers with his.

"I know what I'd like to do," he purred, littering my face with kisses. "But we should get you some lunch first. I'll call a servant to order some food. What would you like?"

I hooked my fingers onto his as he pulled away. "Some soup would be fine."

"Oh, come on," he jested. "You can do better than that. What else?"

I giggled, looking down. "With some bread and some fruit and some coffee. Happy now?"

Gabriel stole another kiss before turning to the door. "I am now."

I watched him leave, smiling to myself. I gathered my bag, deciding to return it to my room. I huffed as I carried the heavy bag, cursing myself for not allowing Claire to carry it back herself. Why did she insist on packing so much? How did such a small woman carry such a heavy bag?

I dropped the bag and opened my door, dragging the bag the rest of the way. I closed the door behind me and turned.

Nicholas was standing at my window, holding something dark behind his back. I jumped backward with so much force my head slammed against the wall behind me. Nicholas came bounding towards me in a flash. He punched me hard in the stomach, and I collapsed to the ground. It felt like all of the air had been sucked out of me. I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't move.

I gasped desperately, helpless as he pulled something over my head, filling my world with darkness.

"The King would like a word with you."