Twilight clears the halls of Châtelet. Ordinary vampires vanish as the sun nears the horizon. House Lancaster—the Royals—ignore the burn, though they loathe the early hours... much like a human loathes a 4 AM alarm.

Dion Lancaster stands in his chambers before the first servant stirs. Queen Bellaceline would beam with pride at his discipline. But Dion isn't training for the Royal Ascension Trial.

He's hunting.

The human. His brother's bride. Brian's Blood Bride from the Kingdom of Aurelia.

The Queen offered him the contract first. He'd rejected it. He can't remember why... perhaps the idea of marrying a meal felt ridiculous.

Now, as he adjusts his silver cuffs, the idea doesn't grate as much. If he'd said yes, he wouldn't have to stalk through the Rose Gallery at dawn. Brian is at the border. King Alaric is a shadow. Dion is the favorite.

He gets what he wants.

Ruby Kingsley stands among the roses. She squares her shoulders and exposes the pale line of her throat.

"Drink," she says. Her voice cracks. "Just... just get it over with."

Dion's lips pull back. He doesn't show fangs... he laughs. A cold, dry sound.

Ruby's shoulders hitch. Her fingers dig into her navy skirts.

"I'm not in the mood," Dion says. He leans in, his shadow swallowing her. "Not yet."

Ruby blinks.

"Durell Palace," Dion says. He taps her chin with a cold finger. "Three o'clock. Every day. Find me".

He's said it before. She hasn't listened. His jaw tightens.

"What... what happens if I don't?" Ruby asks. Her voice is a tiny whisper.

Dion's eyes flare. The ruby-red pulses in the grey light. "I'll eat you. Whole."

Ruby's knees wobble. She believes him.

"Could you just... come to me? When you're hungry?" she asks. Her head tilts. "It's a really long walk."

Dion's hand snaps to the stone pillar beside her head. The masonry cracks.

"You're... you're bargaining with me?" he asks. His voice drops an octave. "With me?"

Ruby stares at the fractured stone.

The dream of a nap-filled life vanishes into the morning air.

Dion wanted her at Durell Palace at twilight. No witnesses. No gossip from the servants at Solara Palace or his own halls.

Ruby's shoulders slumped. This wasn't a romantic invitation; it was a commute. Her new career involved being a walking blood bag for a moody immortal.

She'd already forgotten the layout. "Follow the Moon Archway," he'd barked earlier. "Then trust your instincts".

He'd vanished before she could ask where to find any instincts in a stone maze.

The stone shifted under her feet. The hallway didn't match yesterday's map. It was a straight line of crimson carpet and bone-white walls. No doors. No windows.

Her head spun.

Châtelet felt like a fever dream. A set of gilded doors finally appeared at the end of the red.

Ruby reached for the handle. A cold draft hit her neck. "Just going to stand there?"

Dion loomed behind her. His hand covered hers on the brass, pressing the latch down with a heavy click. "In".

The study was a fortress. Books lined the walls like soldiers on parade. A gold-trimmed desk sat before a massive window, the twilight staining the glass grey.

Dion snapped his fingers. The curtains hissed shut. The room plunged into black for a heartbeat before amber lanterns flared to life.

Dion dropped into the desk chair and opened a leather-bound book. Ruby stood by the door, her fingers knotting in her skirts.

"Hungry?" she asked. Her voice was flat. Maybe if he ate now, she could go back to her naps.

"No." Dion didn't look up. He gripped a quill, his hand moving in frantic scratches. "Just stay there".

"Until when?" Her stomach gave a loud, hollow growl.

"Until I'm ready".

"You really aren't hungry?"

"No."

"Then what am I doing here?"

"Staying."

"Just take a sip," Ruby said. She tilted her chin, exposing her neck. "I'm right here".

Dion's knuckles turned white. The quill groaned under his grip. "I said... no!".

Ruby jumped. He was beautiful when he was angry—white shirt unbuttoned, hair a mess, the light catching the sweat on his pale skin.

He was staring at a math problem. A vampire doing arithmetic. Ruby bit her lip to keep from laughing.

He hadn't moved for five minutes. The quill stayed suspended over the ink. He was stuck.

Ruby leaned over the mahogany. Her finger tapped the page. "Try adding these two first."

Dion's head snapped up. His eyes were wide, the red pupils vibrating with shock. "What?".

Ruby didn't hide the smirk. Dion froze. No one in Châtelet dared look at him with that kind of... mockery.

"You... you're mocking me?"

"I'll leave," Ruby said, pushing off the desk. Maybe she could still find breakfast.

"Sit down."

Ruby slumped back into the velvet. "Fine. I can't leave. I can't look at you. Perfect".

Her head hit the cushion. Her eyes slid shut.

"No sleeping!"

Ruby's eyes snapped open. She glanced at the book. "Still stuck?"

"Shut up!" Dion yanked the book away.

He went back to the page. His ears, sharp under his black hair, twitched like a cat's. He looked like a frustrated kitten. "I can help. Seriously".

Dion stayed silent. Then, he nudged the book two inches toward her. "You actually know how to do this?"

Ruby's voice was steady as she broke down the steps. Dion watched her lips, then the numbers, then her again. His food was smarter than him.

"Got it?"

"Yeah." Dion finished the problem. He looked at the ink, his red eyes swirling. "Will drinking your blood make me better at this?".

Ruby shrugged. "I don't think brains travel through the veins".

Dion's jaw tightened. He slammed his palms onto the desk and stood up. His shadow swallowed her whole. "We'll see about that."