CHAPTER 458: TO STAY

Lord Dragomir seemed to draw every breath with difficulty. It was clear that something kept the gears in his head turning and churning no valid results.

Silas made sure to avert his gaze away from the man, hoping intermittent glaring wouldn’t alarm him.

His right hand man trailed along wherever Darrick and Anastasia went. Although he, on the other hand, was quietly having the time of his life. At least, that was the impression he gave Silas.

"Oh dear! Lady Persephone!" Anastasia’s voice remained the same through centuries. Always so shrill and chirpy whenever excitement struck.

"My lovely Anastasia," Persephone cupped the younger vampiress’ cheeks, "Thank you for coming tonight,"

"But of course!" she squeaked, "I had already missed the previous ball and... The previous one before that. I couldn’t miss this one too," her smile then dimmed at once, "I truly am sorry for what’s happening with your daughter,"

Daughter... By all means, to his mother, Allegra did count as a daughter. Persephone was the one to watch her grow after all. It mattered very little that another woman had birthed her.

However, to hear that word uttered so freely did sting a bit.

Anastasia was the first to speak it in front of Persephone. With good reasons, she herself had spent a lot of time at the Eleazars’ throughout her childhood and that despite having parents of her own.

Anastasia was well ahead in line to observe how Persephone treated all of her adoptive children... The love and care she always gave them.

"Don’t you worry about that, my dear," Persephone’s smile was meeker.

What became more noticeable to Silas in that moment, was the way Darrick’s heart battered its cage. No one else’s pulse rose to such a degree.

Not even Arabella or Abigail was at that level of discomfort.

Not only that, but his attitude was different too. The Lord did not have the habit of standing in the background while his wife did all of the talking and yet, there he was, just smirking feebly and nodding along.

"Are these your new recruits?" Anastasia brought the attention towards Ada and Abigail.

The poor things turned even redder than before, their heads threatening to release steam out their ears.

The vampiress then took a good whiff of the air surrounding her only to render the biggest grin she had yet to offer, "You girls are just succulent,"

A breath hitched in Abigail’s throat at those words as her eyes refused to leave the floor.

"Thank you, my Lady," both Ada’s and Abigail’s voices trembled a tad.

"Oh dear, did I say the wrong thing?" Anastasia asked upon noting the reaction.

It was Arabella that cleared her throat to answer with a smile, "Pardon us, my Lady. We are yet to get used to such direct and innate compliments,"

"No, no," she shook her head, "It is you who needs to forgive me. I have spent the past few months like a recluse but even outside of pregnancy, I haven’t dealt with humans much,"

The conversation between the women moved on, but Darrick’s demeanor did not shift by an inch.

He stood as though his outfit was two sizes smaller for him even though it appeared just perfect.

From another angle Cedric’s gaze refused to leave Arabella, sticking to her for so long that Silas decided to move behind and shield her from the unnecessary weight those chestnut eyes laid upon her shoulders.

She did not mind having her husband’s arms wrapped around her while speaking to multiple of the guests that came to congratulate them for their union. Some for the first time and others simply wished to say the words again.

Silas found refuge in her smile and the grace with which she learned to handle interaction with nightwalkers. There was some hesitation in her voice and motions here and there, but overall, she carried the conversations from point to point without much hassle.

At least, he had that to focus on as having hundreds of eyes on him did not help quell the tension turning his muscles rigid.

All of those voices that whispered about him, her, his mother, Allegra... His late father.

From wishing to read minds prior to that, the vampire turned his prayers to trying to block the thousands of words that hit all at once.

Life was funny like that sometimes.

Standing in that sea of many colors, only the silver of his hair refused to fall in line. The diamonds that served him as eyes did not do any better in that regard with the most common shades for vampire eyes being the darkest of black and the mooniest of purples.

Every cell in his body, every spark that shot through his brain screamed at him, demanded that he leave the ballroom right that second for the sake of his sanity.

His nerves trudged on the very edge of collapse but for once, he had a better reason to stay and tank it than to run.

The warm body niched between his arms was the greatest one. Although, there was also the fact that his mother held on to the thread only by her teeth.

In no scenario would he have forgiven himself for bolting out of there and abandoning them. Especially with the presence of the prince and Lord Dragomir.

All that was left for him was to clench his jaws, nod when needed and follow along in his wife’s steps while begging his heart not to betray him.

Then, after a good chatter, the announcer’s voice rose for the third time that night to declare that the tribute auctions were soon to begin.

Finally relieving his shoulders of some of the weight that the attendance had forced upon them.

The assembly broke apart in the middle yielding a circle. Space for the tributes to walk and stand as Ada and Abigail were seen heading for the stairs behind the curtains to reach the entertainer’s balcony.

Arabella pushed herself further into his hold all of the sudden... Silas had no questions on the matter.

The reasons for it were clear as day.