The Vampire's Bride

Chapter 18

"Your highness, would it not just be easier to kill the girl now?"

Adelaide slipped her gaze to the demon soldier beside her. She pulled her cloak tighter around her, fighting against the chill dawn.

"I will kill her when the time comes. Until then, you will amass your forces and be ready to attack," she told him coldly. Adelaide allowed her eyes to flick to silver, away from Evelyn's green eyes. Keeping the body controlled was proving more taxing than she would have liked- the assassin's mortal body simply wasn't strong enough. Prehaps Iris was worth keeping alive. Her body would make a fine vessel.

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Iris smiled as Jason pressed a kiss to her cheek. Her eyes cracked open, squinting against the bright sun. With a groan of protest, Iris pressed her face deeper into the pillow.

"It's too early," she complained. She heard Jason chuckle softly and felt him nuzzle next to her ear.

"I'm sorry, love, but the maids are here and I have to leave," he murmured. Iris shook her head and held to his arm, refusing to let him go so early. "Iris, it's our wedding day, I'm not supposed to see you..."

Her silver eyes flew open as she remembered with a jolt. Her face flushed red. Iris turned over, thoroughly embarressed, and smiled.

"I'll see you later?" She asked Jason softly, reaching up to put a hand to his face. He smiled and nodded. Jason pressed a kiss to her forehead before leaving the room, passing giggling maids.

Iris stood quietly, giving a quick smile to Madeline and the younger maids before they began.

Twenty minutes later she was silently cursing the damn corset, hoping whoever designed it met a swift end, when Evelyn strode into the room. Iris looked up and frowned slightly. She was still annoyed with her bodyguard for returning without any alert that she had arrived back at court.

"Oh, don't give me that face. You certainly shouldn't be scowling on your wedding day," Evelyn chided, smirking.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were back?" Iris interrogated, shifting slightly in discomfort. "You stormed off to have a temper tantrum. We were worried."

"Terribly sorry. I got back at the end of the coronation," the assassin replied. Evelyn sat neatly apon the couch, smiling at Iris. "It's nice to know you missed me."

"Yes..." Iris said, lifting her arms as the white dress was neatly slid over her head. She was uneasy. Something about Evelyn seemed... off. "Have you seen Kova, by the way?"

"Oh, he's been sleeping in my chambers. I just can't seem to stop him from following me," Evelyn told her. Iris glanced at her, watching her pick daintily at her fingernails.

"So you stole my dog?" She scolded the assassin.

"It would seem so," the girl laughed in response, glancing over at Iris, clearly expecting a smile.

Instead, there was a frown.

Iris couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Evelyn seemed insanely different. The way she sat, instead of sprawled across the couch. The ladylike way she cleaned her nails, rather than biting at them. The nonchalant way she referred to Kova.

"Where have you been?" She asked quietly.

"Where haven't I been?" Evelyn replied with a smile, evading the question. Iris bit at her lip anxiously as the maids carefully fixed pins into her hair. Every instinct was screaming at her to run for her life, but why? She felt herself shift away as the assassin rose.