I'm Back...

Also... I'm sorry for not updating for so long!

I'll try my hardest to continue writing Blue Flames in the upcoming weeks. Hopefully, I won't jinx myself this time. Hopefully.

Huge thanks to everyone who voted or commented or left me a message. You guys are the sweetest.

Enjoy!

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We had dinner at Venus' palace.

The dining room was an opulent space of gold and turquoise. A large square table sat in the center, its dark wood gleamed under the bright lights of the chandelier. The chairs, upholstered with turquoise velvet, matched the long curtains covering the windows. French doors opened to a terrace, letting in a cool breeze.

In attendance were the Five, their entourage and members of the council, including my father and his consort. Everyone was still standing in clusters, discussing whatever it was that important people discussed.

Noah delivered me to Arthur's company and joined another man. By the amber eyes and the stubborn set of his jaw, it must be his brother.

"How do you feel?" Arthur asked in a low voice. I avoided his eyes, dead set on ignoring him.

"Peachy."

"Are you still mad?" he asked, taking a step closer. It was difficult to ignore him with the amount of heat he emanated. And his smell. And his looming presence.

I was a lost cause.

I glared at him. "Whatever are you talking about?"

His eyes smiled. "I'm talking about our earlier quarrel, when you were deeply concerned for my safety."

I crossed my arms. "You're not taking this seriously, are you?"

"Let me see." He frowned, then snapped his fingers as if recalling something. "'you realize that we'll be facing a lot more crap before this trip is over-'"

"I'm going to stab you in the face," I told him. He just threw my words back at me. "this is not the same situation and you know it."

"Isn't it?" he asked.

Before I could argue. He looked over my shoulder, his amusement disappeared behind the mask of his public image.

"Your highness, your highness," Arthur said. "What a lovely evening."

I turned, standing next to Arthur as Amelia and my father stopped in front of us.

"Lovely indeed," Orion said. "You've been keeping my daughter much to yourself, lord Arthur."

"And I will continue to do so in the future," Arthur replied. "I'm very fond of her, you see."

Heat climbed up my neck. Arthur's amusement travelled through the bond, yet his expression remained stoic. Asshole.

My father grunted. "I see." He switched his attention to me. "You've had an altercation with some of my people earlier."

"Yes?" I raised my brow. Where was he going with this?

He sighed. "I would have appreciated the first contact with your people to not be hostile. They were simply kids being kids. A measure of self control should have been used."

Pushing away the illogical sense of hurt, I held up one finger. "First, they're not my people." I added a second finger. "I didn't choose to make first contact. My reaction to the situation was quite reasonable, if I do say so myself. Also, you should teach your people to be more cautious in the future. I know they're young, but this is the real world. If it had been someone else, they would have been in a lot more crap."

He frowned. "Still-"

"Your highness." Arthur's voice dropped the temperature to a freezing degree. Amelia froze, and my father's scowl deepened.

I gave Arthur a look. He better not get involved in this. I didn't need him to fight my battles for me. He didn't even glance my way. My temper flared.

"I would be careful," he said. "You're addressing my mate. She's not a child to be scolded or told how to behave."

"She's my daughter-"

"She's a twenty-six year old woman," I said. "You'd do well to remember that."

Orion's face thundered. Amelia put her hand on his arm and smiled. "She's right, my dear. The other party were barely adults, they shouldn't have been left to their own accords on foreign land. It's my own fault." She turned to me, "if you'll accept my apologies, lady Elle; I was the one who gave them the permission to tour the grounds of the castle unattended. I should've foreseen such a problem."

My anger fizzled out. I smiled at Amelia. "No apologies needed, your highness. It was just a misunderstanding."

"Thank you for being gracious." She gave a regal nod.

After Amelia's intervention, I felt as though I had overreacted. I shifted on my feet.

Orion and Arthur were still engaged in a senseless stare-off. Amelia smiled, shaking her head. Her thoughts seemed alligned with mine.

Men...



This long day just wouldn't come to an end. We sat at the dinner table, Arthur on one side of me and Burak on the other. I glared at the setting in front of me.

Why in the world did these people need more than a fork and a knife to eat? How was I supposed to know which of the three forks to use? And why were there two knives? A knife was a knife in my book. I had half a mind to get my dagger out and eat with it just to see their reaction.

Right. That would scream savage and I didn't think uncle Robert would be proud of me if I did that.

I glanced at Arthur and hid my smile. Arthur probably wouldn't care if I did that.

"Something funny?" he asked, leaning his head so close to mine I was sure it was inappropriate in this public setting.

"Nothing," I said. The image of my dagger on the table made my lips twitch up again.

Damn it, I was still mad at him. He smiled with his eyes. Under the table, his hand found my knee.

I glared at him. "I have daggers."

"Oh, I know," he said, squeezing my knee. Ironically, his touch seemed to dampen my anger. I blew out a breath. I guess we should talk about this. I just hoped he wouldn't simply dismiss my worries again, otherwise I might really stab him.

The guest on the other side of Arthur tapped his arm. He turned. She was a female witch with thick, glossy honey-colored hair, pale brown eyes and golden skin. She was stunning. And she was making googly eyes at Arthur.

I stopped myself from reaching for the dagger in my thigh sheath. Arthur squeezed my knee again, his amusement travelling through the bond.

Dinner was served. I stole glances at Arthur to see what fork and knife he used for each course. I was the focus of many guests. I guess I should learn the damn etiquette since I would be rubbing elbows with the haughty and sophisticated immortals from now on. Amanda would no doubt be thrilled to teach me.

It didn't escape my notice that I was not served a goblet of blood, like the rest of vampires.

The female on Arthur's other side cocked her head to the side and nodded at something Arthur said. The thick waves of her hair slid on her bare shoulder like silk and her skin shimmered under the bright lights.

"So, little fae," Burak said from beside me, "how do you like your new blood?"

"What's new about it?" I asked, stabbing an asparagus and shoving it into my mouth.

"Oh, I don't know," he said, smiling and dropping his voice. "The blood drinking thing might be a little offsetting for normal people."

I was glad my hand stayed steady. Burak was looking at me with a satisfied smile, as if waiting for my reaction.

I raised my brow. I had no idea if he knew about yesterday's episode or not. Had Arthur told him? No, Arthur wouldn't do that without my knowledge.

Burak's smile widened to a grin. He took a sip of his goblet. It was blood, I knew, because I could smell it.

I turned back to my food. "Yeah, most people would find the idea of drinking blood nauseating." I looked around the table. "But I don't see people around here, do you?"

"Are we not people?" he asked, genuinely curious. The witch next to Arthur laughed at something he said. It was a tinkling, feminine sound.

I cut into my steak, watching the juice leave the meat as the knife glided through. I bet my dagger would cut through her neck just as well. The thing that kept me from going all bat shit crazy was Arthur's irritation travelling through the bond. The poor woman must not have good conversation.

I shrugged. "It depends on your point of view. Even if we were people, most of those present here are not normal by any stretch of the imagination. They wouldn't bat an eye about ending a life. You think they'd feel uncomfortable with a little blood?"

"What about you?" he asked, leaning closer. He must not be the only one curious.

I snatched the goblet from Burak's hand, sniffed at it and took a tiny sip. It tasted rich and sweet and better than chocolate. I was sick at the thought, so it didn't take an effort to wrinkle my nose when I gave Burak his goblet back. He raised his brows.

"It's an acquired taste, I guess," I told him, neither confirming nor denying his claim about me. "It takes a special person to appreciate it."

Burak chuckled, raising his goblet in a toast my way. "Well played, princess. Well played."

Princess. Ugh, he just had to have the last word.

The female witch laughed again. I had no idea what she found hilarious, considering Arthur's end of the bond was almost bursting with impatience.

I glanced their way and caught her eyes. She blinked her big eyes at me, then looked back at Arthur with a sultry smile.

"She's a beautiful woman, isn't she?" Burak said.

I looked ahead and raised my brow. "Whoever you're talking about?"

He chuckled. "Don't worry. Arthur won't be replacing you anytime soon."

I rolled my eyes. He was speaking about me as if I was a car or something. "How comforting."

"She's the daughter of a prominent figure in the witch community," he leaned closer and whispered in my ear. "Arthur is keeping her distracted while I sort through her head."

I glowered at him. "You couldn't find another way to keep her distracted?"

He chuckled. "I could. But she has had a crush on Arthur ever since I could remember, so Arthur would be the most effective way," he said. "Besides, witnessing your reaction is very entertaining."

Damn vampire.

"So, did you find anything?" I asked.

Burak shook his head. "If the witches are involved, then her father isn't aware."

Arthur turned my way and gave Burak a warning glance. "Is everything alright?" he asked me.

The witch on Artur's other side gave me an annoyed look and patted Arthur's forearm.

Alright, that's about enough. My magic flared. All it took was a spark of it, and the food on the witch's plate was ravaged with a bright blue flame. The witch and several others screamed, the fire died down before it could burn through the plate, and her food was a crisp, charred mass of black. Silence reigned on the room.

I leaned over. "I apologize..."

She just stared at me. Arthur's lips twitched as he said, "Lady Catherine."

"Right. Thank you, sweetheart," I told Arthur and smiled widely at the witch, "I apologize, Lady Catherine. My control over my magic has been a little erratic today. It must be a side effect of the spell breaking."

She gulped and sat straighter, glancing around us. People were watching, whispers breaking through the silence. She nodded once, gracefully. "Of course."

"I truly apologize. I just happened to look over at your food and thought that your steak looked so juicy compared to mine. Then boom! It happened," I said. Then pushing a spark of blue flames to my eyes, I added with a grin, "a girl should really not look at things that don't belong to her, don't you agree?"

Her eyes widened a fraction. She glanced at Arthur, then at me. Her hand touched her throat. "Indeed. Apology accepted, lady Elle."

I sat back. We had attracted a fair bit of attention. I looked around the table. Some avoided my gaze, others stared back. I caught Natalia's eyes from across the table and winked at her. She frowned and looked away.

"I guess I keep confirming people's suspicions that I'm crazy," I whispered to Arthur.

Arthur leaned back in his seat and stretched his arm behind my back, not even bothering to hide his smug grin. His reply made me laugh.

"You've always been a little crazy, honey."



Dinner ended with no further issues, safe for some whispers and stares to which I was used by now. I didn't see Noah again, and when we reached Arthur's place, Marianno dragged me to Arthur's study and pulled a bottle of blood from the fridge. He put it on the table next to his open laptop.

I sat at the table and glared at the blood. Arthur and Charles huddled in a corner, discussing something in low voices.

"How do you feel?" Marianno said, "blood wise."

I blew out a breath. "I don't feel any need for it, right now."

"Hmm, well you did gorge on it the night before," he rubbed his chin, "take a sip, please."

I opened the bottle. The heady scent hit my nose. I raised the cold bottle to my lips and took a sip. I just couldn't think of it as blood.

"Well?" Marianno asked, "do you feel the urge to drink more?"

I took a deep breath and focused. As much as I wanted to reply with a negative right away, I took my time because this wasn't just about me, it was about the safety of everyone else around me.

After a few moments, I shook my head. "It tastes nice, I guess. But I don't feel the need to empty the bottle, if that's what you mean."

Marianno nodded and typed something on his laptop.

"Alright," he said, taking the bottle and corking it up. "How did you feel during the day?"

A question and answer session ensued with Marianno. He was very meticulous, asking about everything I ate and drank during the day and my emotions throughout. Meanwhile, Arthur and Charles' conversation evolved to a hushed argument.

A few minutes later, Marianno closed his laptop and left. I sat back and watched the two vampires. My hearing had gotten sharper after the spell broke, but Arthur and Charles were being careful to keep their voices low.

Arthur nodded to the door. Charles shook his head and left, but not before shooting me a seething glance.

"What happened?" I asked once the door closed.

"Nothing," Arthur said, leaning on the wall next to his desk. "What did Marianno say? How are you with blood?"

I raised my brow and waited. He was not going to change the subject this time around.

He sighed heavily. "Charles is simply concerned for security reasons."

"He's been concerned since yesterday, at the very least," I said. "Something happened, didn't it?"

He stared at me for a few minutes, then nodded. "There has been a security breach attempt."

"Where?"

"Here," Arthur replied. "I believe they were trying to get in while I was away, lie low and wait until we got here."

My hand stroked the hilt of my sword, its reassuring presence anchored me. "You were the target?"

He nodded. "Most likely, yes. The vampire leading the operation is known for his animosity towards the Five," he paused. "Mostly against me."

I rose and paced the room. Arthur was strong. He's lived for ages and managed to keep his life. There must have been hundreds of attempts against him. This wasn't anything new.

Yet my stomach twisted up in knots. The thought of anything happening to him, of him being hurt made my blood boil and my magic light up.

Arthur might have always been a target, but right now, I was the excuse his enemies had in making his murder a fair case.

I was the reason. Just as I had been the reason for my mother's death. uncle Robert's lifeless eyes flashed in my mind.

I faced him. "Where are they now?"

"Taken care of," he waved his hand off. "Don't worry yourself over inconsequential matters-"

"These aren't inconsequential matters!" I threw up my hand, my temper rising. "Why don't you take this seriously!"

"Because," he said slowly, "it isn't serious. I've been dealing with this for ages before you came along."

"But this time they have a justification for targeting you!" I said, "and a fair one, at that! Meaning more people will fall in line with them!"

"It doesn't matter how many people target me," he said, "the end result will be the same. I've survived for centuries, and I will continue to do so no matter who wants me dead."

"Ugh!" He just wasn't listening! I wanted to nail him to the wall and gag his mouth to just Make.Him.Listen!

I headed for the door. Before I took two steps, strong arms surrounded me from behind. I tried throwing him off my shoulder. He didn't even budge. Damn him.

"Elle." Arthur's chin rested on my shoulder. His proximity made my frustration abate, but only slightly.

"What?" I grumbled.

"What do you want to do about it?" he asked, "if we assume you are, indeed, endangering me. What will you do? Will you leave me?"

I kicked his shin with my heel. He gave a grunt, but didn't move. "Well?" he asked.

"I'm not leaving you!" I said, "I don't know... maybe we should just go back home. It'll be safer back home."

He chuckled. "Well, you're in agreement with Charles in this one."

"Yeah, well, we're the ones thinking straight right now, I guess."

He tightened his arms around me and kissed my temple. "Should we just let Robert's murderer walk away?"

Uncle Robert's bloodied face flashed before my eyes. I closed them, struck with the heavy weight of grief all of a sudden. Arthur pressed his lips to my cheek.

A couple of months earlier, I would have balked at having him sense the vulnerable emotion. Now, his warmth at my back was comforting.

"It's not worth your life," I said.

"Honey, you're insulting me by assuming this will even have an effect on my safety," he said, I dug my elbow in his stomach. He grunted, "alright, I'll admit that your existence might be a catalyst to threats against me, but that works both ways. You will be targeted in the future just because you're my mate.

"We can't do anything about it, unless you want us to run away everytime with our tail between our legs. Do you?"

"No..." I grumbled.

"Well, then," he said, a smile in his voice, "we're in agreement. Why are we fighting?"

I rolled my eyes. He was immensely amused and I had no idea why. "What pissed me off was you brushing it off." And if I learned anything as a headhunter, it was to never lower your guards in hostile waters. That's when shit usually happens.

"I didn't brush it off," he said. "I'm just not giving it any more attention than it deserves."

"How will you deal with it, then?" I asked.

"We'll just have to kick the first person's ass and the rest will think twice before doing something as stupid as targeting us again," he said. "Not that the attacks will stop, mind you, but the frequency will decrease."

"Alright," I said. And even though in my head, uncle Robert's lifeless face was replaced with Arthur's for a fraction of a second, I let the matter rest.





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Much Love <3

Mia.