My Love Lies Bleeding (19 page)

The noise and fury in the hall stopped so suddenly, it practically echoed. Even the Araksaka paused.

Each to a one, the vampires dropped to one knee in front of Helena.

In lieu of rightful succession, killing the present monarch granted you the crown.

Nicholas limped up beside me and held on to my hand tightly. I squeezed his fingers, stepping back so that our sides were
pressed together, feeling better with his cool skin against mine. Neither of us spoke. We didn’t have to.

On the glass bier, Solange finally gasped once, then swallowed hungrily. When she opened her eyes and saw dozens of kneeling
vampires in their best court finery, she groaned weakly, blood smeared on her lips.

“Oh God, I’m not a vampire queen, am I?”

I met Lucy in town. She was determined to force me into a semblance of a normal life, and meeting for coffee every Thursday
night was her current plan. She was waiting for me in the park. It hadn’t even been a week since I’d turned, and I wasn’t
ready to face the temptation of a coffee house full of human hearts beating all around me. I could ignore the squirrels and
the fox hiding in the far bushes.

Lucy was sitting on a bench with two paper cups and a plastic to- go container filled with what was left of a chocolate- covered
cherry tart. She wiped crumbs off her hands.

“I’m still celebrating,” she mumbled through a mouthful. “I won’t be able to fit into my clothes if I keep this up.” She eyed
me critically. “You’re wearing that?”

I frowned at my clay-stained pants. “So? I didn’t know I had to dress up for you.”

She eyed me again. “How are you feeling?”

“Any word from Kieran?” Lucy asked quietly as if she’d known I was thinking about him.

I shook my head, tried not to look like I cared. I had enough to occupy me, after all. My mom was the new queen, which meant
the prophecy hadn’t technically been fulfilled. We weren’t sure what to think about that. And we were still replacing an entire
wall of the farmhouse, which had been burned out by Hope’s unit. The gardens were full of water and soot. Bruno needed stitches,
and Hyacinth wouldn’t leave her room or lift the black lace veil off her face. London disappeared down the tunnels again;
no one knew to where. And I’d actually caught Nicholas sending roses to Lucy’s house, and they were on the phone with each
other all the time.

And Montmartre was still out there. He’d sent an engagement gift: a diamond ring.

I’d flushed it down the toilet.

So I was too busy to sit around thinking about Kieran Black.

“Oh, here.” Lucy passed me a package tied with ribbon. “A belated birthday present from my dad.” She rolled her eyes when
I pulled out a piece of carved deer antler on a leather tong. “When he heard about the deer heart, he said to tell you the
deer is clearly your totem animal and should be honored.”

I slipped it over my head as she guzzled the rest of her drink. Her eyes watered.

“Ouch, still hot.” She stood up quickly.

I stared at her. “Where are you going? I just got here.”

She grinned at me, her gaze flicking toward the sidewalk.

“You have a date.”

I froze.

“Lucy Hamilton, what have you done?”

“Gotta go!” She darted out of the park before I could say anything else. I didn’t have to look to know who it was standing
there. I could smell him, taste him.

Kieran.

“Solange,” he said softly. He looked good, even with the bruises on his jaw going yellow and the sling cradling his arm. He
didn’t smile, but the way he was looking at me made me feel warm all over. I stood up.

“Kieran.” I didn’t know what else to say.

So I leaned over and kissed him.