Society Against Vampires

Chapter One

Chapter One

Meikah trudged up the stairs of Fable, unbuckling her weapons as she went. How long would it take before she could do a simple spell? She was beginning to think it would take a lot longer than anyone had expected. Reaching the top of the stairs, she entered the hallway, walking towards the third door on the right. The room Kellan kept saying was hers. She’d stayed in it when they’d returned from the Arcton Mountains three nights ago. There’d been questions from Danton and the rest of the assassins to answer. The many questions hadn’t surprised her. She would have had just as many if she’d been the one left behind.

The past two nights she’d stayed at home and her parents had barely spoken to her. When she’d arrived home two mornings ago they’d told her she was to go nowhere other than the Dark Blade Academy. That conversation hadn’t been a pleasant experience and she’d almost been happy to go to the academy. She hadn’t felt the same after a torturous day there and instead of going home, like she’d been told, she’d come here to Fable.

Yesterday and today she’d slipped out of her bedroom window the moment her parents had left to visit friends. Danton had organised for a sorcerer to train her. One who owed him a favour. An extremely experienced sorcerer. Not that it seemed to matter with how little she was learning. It was probably a good thing she wore a full face mask so he didn’t know who he trained. There were already more than enough negative rumours circulating about her.

Swinging open the door, she took one step into the room before freezing, her gaze fixed on the bed. Or more accurately, what was laid out on the bed. A dress finer than she’d ever owned. An evening gown made of burgundy silk.

“What do you think?”

She spun to face Kellan. She hadn’t heard him. “What’s it for?” His broad shoulders filled the doorway and his black hair was tied at the nape of his neck. She found herself looking into his dark brown eyes trying to figure out what he was up to.

“It’s for you to wear of course.” Kellan grinned.

“For me?” Frowning, she placed the weapons she carried on the chest of drawers that was near the bed, careful not to knock over the flickering candle. “It might not fit me.” Those hadn’t been the words she’d planned to speak. It had been a demand as to why there was an evening gown on the bed.

“It will. I copied down your measurements before Danton sent them off to have your battle outfit made.” Kellan gestured towards the gown. “Are you going to try it on?”

She removed her mask and dropped it on the chest of drawers next to the weapons. “The measurements were only taken two days ago. And not until the afternoon. How can a gown have been made that quickly?” She’d heard Sirena and Harlen’s complaints often enough when they were waiting for new outfits, to wear to important functions, to know that seamstresses weren’t that quick. Although with the outfits her grandparents already owned, they didn’t really need more.

“It was meant to be for another customer, but the colour didn’t suit. They should have listened to the seamstress to start with. Only a few alterations had to be made so it could fit you. I thought it would go well with your hair.”

She half raised a hand to her dark brown hair that was in a plait down her back. “I can’t-”

Kellan interrupted her. “Tonight. I have four invitations from Lady Eris for this evening’s entertainment. It’s a dance.”

“Four?” She’d begun to think it was the event they were to attend together with the way he kept avoiding her question. The one in payment of the bet she’d lost.

“The rumours are starting to die down so it’s time to ensure that doesn’t happen. Try the gown on.” Kellan closed the door, remaining in the hallway.

She looked from the door to the bed. How was this meant to create rumours? She slowly shook her head, crossing the short distance to the bed to pick up the gown. Her gaze remained on the item revealed underneath. A dagger in a thigh sheath. Dropping the gown on the bed, she picked up the weapon, drawing the dagger from the sheath. It was a simple weapon, sharp and well taken care of. What was he planning now? She opened the door to find he leaned against the wall opposite, his arms crossed over his chest. “What are you up to?”

Kellan stepped away from the wall, uncrossing his arms. “I already told you. Keeping the gossips busy.” He gestured towards the gown on the bed. “Try that on and see if it fits.” He grinned. “When we find that out, then I can tell you what the plan is.”

She stared at him for a moment, catching a glimpse of mist forming in his brown eyes. Whatever it was, she doubted it would be simple. None of his plans ever were. “Just because you come up with a plan, doesn’t mean we’re going to follow it.” She closed the door, facing the bed again and slipping the dagger back into the sheath. It didn’t take long to strip off her clothes and pull on the gown. The garment fit perfectly. She ran her hands over the material. It was too fine a garment to be part of one of Kellan’s schemes. It had probably cost a small fortune. And she was grounded. At the rate things were going, she’d be grounded for the rest of her life. Her gaze was drawn to the bed. Unless of course she was thrown out of home. She was beginning to think that was a distinct possibility. Picking up the sheathed dagger, she opened the door. “How is this involved in your plan?”

“You’ll need to wear it.” He grinned again, mist rising in his eyes. “You’ll know when to draw it. And the line you need to speak is that we need to fight you, not each other.”

Meikah frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“It will. Eventually.” Kellan looked her up and down. “I knew it would look good on you.”

She backed away, not liking the look in his eyes. They were full of mischief and admiration. It was the mischief that concerned her. “I can’t go. Have you forgotten I’m grounded?”

“I’ve already accepted for you. Lady Eris suggested you might like to bring along a relative, to chaperone you, when she heard who my two guests were. Which is how I ended up with a fourth invitation rather than the initial three I requested.”

Meikah closed her eyes and drew in a long, slow breath. Opening her eyes made no difference. Kellan continued to stand in front of her with the same look in his eyes. “Are you trying to get me thrown out of home?”

“I suggest you bring Isha with you. She’s the one less likely to be upset by tonight’s events,” Kellan said. “I can send a carriage to collect the two of you at seven this evening. Isha first.”

“Are you listening to me?” Meikah pointed the sheathed dagger at him. “I am not going to cause a fuss at Lady Eris’ dance.” She could imagine how much that’d upset Harlen. He’d lecture her for hours. Particularly if her actions caused Lady Eris to never invite a member of her family to one of her events again. Harlen had been trying to gain an invitation for years.

Kellan stepped close, taking the dagger from her. “Rafe agreed to help. You know we have to keep the rumours flying. And it’s either the ones we come up with or the ones about you being a necromancer.”

She sighed heavily. “But Lady Eris?” The woman was terrifying. She’d seen Harlen agree with her on more than one occasion when she knew he would have preferred to disagree. “None of my family will ever be invited to one of her events ever again. That would probably be enough to cause my grandparents to disown me.”

“You might be surprised. She likes having her events talked about as much or more than the rest of the nobles.”

She took the dagger from him. “You better not get me run out of town.”

“But I can get you thrown out of home?”

“No. Neither.” She closed the door more firmly than she’d planned. Turning her back on the door, she leaned against it. This was crazy. She looked down at the dagger she held. Whatever Kellan had planned, it was likely to draw the attention of every single guest at the dance. She was unaccustomed to that much attention. Pushing away from the door, she changed out of the gown and opened the door again to find Kellan still in the hallway.

“Would you like me to walk you home?”

“I can find my own way.” She looked at the garment and sheathed dagger. “I’ll need something to carry them in.”