004: PETAL AMONG PREYDATORS

As soon as the dance is announced and the music begins in the background, Cassian immediately shrinks to the corner, almost as if he wants to vanish into the wall. He crosses his arms over his chest and ignores the couples that have already made their way to the dance floor at the center of the majestic hall.

Cassian watches, his mask hiding most of his expression, but the tightness of his jaw speaks volumes. Vampires. He can never get used to the sight of them; these despicable creatures—they appear so civil, ethical, and moral, yet when they display their fangs, they drain you dry without an inch of thought. Disgusting.

“Hello,”

Cassian moves his head gracefully and casts his gaze to the tall vampire that approaches him, bowing slightly. Luckily, Cassian's mask hides his grimaces of disgust.

Would you care to have a dance with me?”

“No,” Cassian's answer comes too quickly; the man blinks, surprised, yet shrugs and then walks away without another word. Cassian watches him with a clenched jaw till he disappears among the crowd.

Suddenly, Oscar appears right above his shoulder. Cassian fights everything inside of him not to bring out his dagger and strike him.

“Perhaps we have come to dine and leave empty-handed, your highness?” Oscar’s tone is laced with sarcasm and amusement. “At this rate, you're going to chase all of them; perhaps you have forgotten why we are here.”

Get selected. The words echo in Cassian’s head. He is here to get selected by a vampire lord, and he’s not doing a great job at it.

Oscar chuckles and drops his voice low as he speaks again, quietly. “This isn’t a fight, Cassian. It’s a courtship ball. If you go the whole night without dancing, they’ll think something’s off. You’ll stick out. Perhaps you've forgotten why we are here. Try again.”

Cassian nods. He turns his gaze to the dance, watching the way they move perfectly, like they have all the time in the world; maybe they do. He watches, calculative, until a deep voice cuts through.

“May I have this dance?”

The gravity of the voice is what makes Cassian turn sharply, and the words of rejection immediately die in his throat, and his breath almost hitches in his throat at the pair of eyes that jam his.

The man standing before him is tall, taller than any of the others, dressed in elegant but simple black, with a mask that only hides the upper half of his face. His mouth is visible, and it’s smirking, but what catches Cassian’s attention are his eyes; they are obsidian black with flecks of red—they stare at Cassian like a predator who has finally cornered his prey and is taking his time before devouring him whole.

His eyes sent a shiver down Cassian’s spine, but still, he scans him over, and instantly, Cassian’s instinct screams danger and flight. He doesn’t need to be a genius to know this one is a powerful vampire, and that’s what Cassian is here for, right? The powerful.

Cassian straightens. “You’re asking me to dance?” he keeps his voice steady, meeting the vampire dead in the eyes, unwavering.

The smirk on the man’s face turns amused, and he straightens. “I am. Will you deny me, little one?”

Cassian narrows his eyes. “I might.”

There’s a sparkle of danger in the man’s eyes that doesn’t settle well in Cassian’s stomach, yet the sight is awfully alluring. He takes a predatory step forward, and Cassian is hit strongly with the scent of his cologne; he smells like leather and fire, with a mixture of spice. “What should I do to gain a chance of a dance, little one?” he proceeds to say.

Cassian forces his features to relax. “Tell me who you are underneath the mask, and I might consider,”

The vampire looks at the dance floor, then back at Cassian with the same amused smile. “The dance is going to end soon. I will tell you on the dance floor. So may I have the honor?” he holds out his hand. Cassian stares at it blankly.

Meeting the man’s eyes one last time, Cassian accepts the offered hand, and he is led to the dance floor.

As soon as he stands at the center of the room with the stranger who wraps an arm around his slender waist and pulls him close, the dance floor is immediately cleared up and everyone is watching; it’s just the two of them and the slow music in the background.

“Is everyone meant to be watching?” Cassian whispers, his heart suddenly racing underneath his chest at the proximity; they are too close; all his instincts are screaming fight or flight. He blinks rapidly to stay composed.

“They are watching,” the vampire murmurs, his voice deep and smooth. He moves in to brush over Cassian’s ear like velvet. “Not because of me, little one—because of you.”

Cassian’s jaw tenses, though he keeps his steps fluid as the stranger guides him easily into the rhythm of the music. His mask hides most of his face, but Cassian knows the man can feel the rapid thrum of his heart and smell the quickening of his breath. “And why…” he starts, his voice sharp despite the softness of his movements, “…would they watch me?”

The vampire’s lips curl into a cunning and knowing smile. He spins Cassian around to catch him again. He whispers. “You stand out like a petal, and predators always notice when prey shines.” His hand presses firmer against Cassian’s waist, pulling him closer until there’s barely a breath between them.

For a moment, the room seems to blur; the only thing Cassian feels is the sharp, dangerous pull of the man in front of him, but his throat tightens at his words.

“So, tell me, what’s a delicate little thing like you doing in a place like this?”

“I’m not delicate,” Cassian mutters.

“No?” the vampire lets out a dark chuckle that’s chilling. “Could have fooled me, Petal,”

There isn’t a warning when the music suddenly starts to fade out till it comes to a stop, and the dance comes to a stop. The stranger lets go of him and steps back. “It was an honor to have this dance with you,” he says, bowing slightly before walking off.

Cassian stands there, his pulse still pounding so violently it drowns out the echo of the applause that follows the dance. The floor is occupied by dancers again, and Cassian finds his way back to the corner. Oscar gives him a thumbs-up.

The night drags on, and Cassian accepts the dance of other vampires, but none of them appeals to him as much as the vampire with obsidian black eyes with flecks of red, but it doesn’t matter who he finds appealing or not.

“Now, it’s the moment you have all been waiting for. The selection shall now begin.”

A voice echoes through the hall, and everyone stops. In an instant, the music halts. The guests turn toward the raised platform at the end of the hall, where a masked announcer steps forward with a scroll in hand.

“Tonight, they will decide who among the candidates is worthy to be taken as a mate and life partner. To the candidates whose names are called… congratulations.”

Names begin. One by one, couples are matched.

Until—

“Alastor Lancaster selects Cassian Vale from the Eastern cluster.”