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She scratched her head and the sweet scent of her shampoo surrounded me. “I don’t know what that means.”

While I would have loved to see her in red, I may as well put a target on her back. The gown was quickly placed back on the rack. White? No, that was too virginal, and Annalise was aching for a sacrifice.

Cassia was not pure. The lingering essence of past males clung to her spirit like the stars to the skies. Ripping them from her aura was becoming more necessary with every moment that passed me by.

“Here.” I thrust a navy-blue dress toward her. I had to dampen the need to skim a sharpened nail along her wrist. If the introduction went poorly, I didn’t want to be compromised by blood lust. I would kill everyone in attendance.

When she took the gown, her hand trembled and she crushed the silk in her fist. “So, I bow, and stuff, right?”

“Yes, you’ll follow my lead. On your knees, forehead to the ground. Don’t look her directly in the eye, keep your eyes cast down unless she instructs you otherwise.”

Cassia nodded, her throat bobbing. “Okay. Got it. What happens if she doesn’t like me?” The room shifted, vibrating with her nervousness. “The only humans I’ve seen are workers and they seem terrified. For the most part, I mean. I guess they would since they’re food.”

She shrugged her shoulder before she glanced up. “You’ll keep me safe?”

The fabric was clasped by her neck, the deep shade lighting the cyan of her anxious eyes. I’d chosen well, if only out of necessity. Irritation steeled my spine. “That is my job.”

“Don’t look so thrilled about it,” she muttered, walking around me but leaving a wide berth.

Before she slammed the ensuite door shut, I ordered, “Hurry. I’ll be back in a few moments.”

* * *

“Are you going to formally introduce me as well?” Kiam entered my office and promptly made himself at home in one of the armchairs facing the desk.

Leaning back in my seat, I rested my arms, tapping a nail against the carved wood. “That is my plan. Thank you for not taking the liberty of doing so yourself.”

He lifted a hand slightly, as if to brush me off and instead ran his fingers through his hair. “I considered it.”

“I know.” The man had zero regard for anyone or anything but himself, doing precisely what he desired at any given time.

There was a stack of paperwork in front of me, demanding my attention. While we had multiple conveniences we could have easily utilized—and did, the vampire way dictated we left a paper trail. Parchment and note paper held biological signatures that data bases and memory cards just couldn’t. Energy didn’t lie, but the internet could and always would.

While I was busy keeping society in order, my friend was wandering the palace and who knew where else, unchecked and unrestrained.

“But I haven’t heard any complaints although Kalix is highly suspicious of you. As is his right. Ezekiel mentioned you’ve been enjoying some of the slaves.” Kiam didn’t say a word. Nor did his pulse accelerate while we stared at each other.

He broke first. “I don’t plan to stay here, if you’re concerned about that. Consider me a visitor and your temporary guest.”

“That’s all that you are.” A lightbulb overhead shattered and one of the crystals dangling from the chandelier cracked. The glass turned to dust over my work, and I whisked it away. “I would like for us to remain friends but that is contingent on you not overstepping your bounds.”

The statement seemed to placate him and honestly, he hadn’t pushed his tentative privilege further since he’d arrived. I had to give that to him. My annoyance with him remained steadfast, knowing he was withholding something from me. It had to be consequential, or he wouldn’t be so guarded.

“Are you ready to tell me what you’ve been hiding from me?” He was impossible to control—which was anything but possible. The world bent to my will. Kiam, however, could not be controlled.

If he was my equal in station, he would be ruled by our laws, and his power would be respected and of no consequence. He would operate accordingly.

His status as a human born vampire stripped him of any upward mobility and with his capabilities, he posed a threat to the Realm.

Kiam stood, smoothing down his suit jacket and straightening his already perfect tie. “You presume I’m hiding something.” He arched a brow.

I turned to face him as he strode to the side of the desk. I rested my ankle on my knee. Tapping my pen against a scroll I said, “I presume nothing.”

When he turned around, I spotted the barest of falters in his step and I froze. This was the only time I’d ever seen him this unsettled. The man was granite, no matter what was occurring around him. The number of bodies I’d ripped to shreds in his presence was uncountable. Not that such behavior was out of the ordinary; perhaps I just enjoyed it more than others.

He snatched his wavering energy back sharp enough to cause me to hold my breath. A knock sounded on the door and Kalix walked in.

“Her Majesty is requesting your presence.” He gave Kiam a cursory glance and a nod. “Bring your woman to the throne room. And Kiam.”