At Blade's Edge by Lauren Dane Read Free Book Online Page B

the racks. Of clothes. Surrounded by women.
    Female Vampires, to be more specific. Rowan only barely stifled the urge to curl her lip at the sheer volume of chit chat about clothes. And clothing colors. And what everyone else wore.
    So many shrieks and giggles and air kisses, so much god-awful perfume and the stench of very old blood running through those bluest of veins that Rowan considered faking an illness of some sort.
    Yselda had gone her own way once they’d reached the ballroom, but once she began to circulate, heads began to turn toward Rowan and Antonia.
    “I suppose they’ll know who you are. Do you have calling cards?” Antonia asked her as they walked over to a rack of vintage Pucci.
    “Calling cards?”
    “Yes.” Antonia stared some more. “Your name, your contact information? You give it to acquaintances when you visit or meet?”
    Like in historical novels? She couldn’t say that though because even Rowan knew it was dumb to call your mother-in-law old even though she was thirty years older than Clive and he was proud of his age.
    So she went with, “No. I’m sure they’ll remember my name if they need to.” And as she was the Hunter, the Vessel and a main squeeze of a Scion, they’d fucking remember all right.
    “Will you be taking the family name?”
    Rowan linked her arm through Antonia’s and circled her over to a rack away from the other Vampires. “Please remember they can’t know about the marriage,” she said in barely more than a breath.
    “Well why not? Are you ashamed?” Antonia asked, a hurt little trill at the end that brought Rowan’s hands into fists just for a moment.
    “I’m sure you know why not. The First has not officially announced the mating yet.”
    “He’s not going to know.”
    Rowan let herself snort, got some satisfaction from the start it gave Antonia. Normally she might let it go on long enough to watch Theo maim a dumb bitch for something like this.
    She reminded herself that Clive would be sad if his mother got killed. And Theo was not in any sort of state of mind where this could end in any other way but execution. She might let herself get dragged to look at expensive dresses and eat watercress, but now was the time she needed to be absolutely implacable.
    She drew a purple dress from a nearby rack and looked it over as she kept herself between Antonia and anyone else.
    Rowan made sure she spoke clearly and firmly. “ I’m going to know. Which means he’ll know. We won’t be violating the Nation’s time honored traditions, even in a moment of happiness.”
    Antonia huffed. “It was just a bit of fun,” she said, channeling a sullen little girl.
    Rowan hated it when Vampires pulled that shit. Always manipulating, pretending to be helpless.
    Rowan pasted on a smile and indicated the clothing. “Were you looking for something in particular?”
    On the way toward the gaggle of female Vampires who reminded Rowan of whippets, she said quietly, “It’s fine they know I’m with Clive. That isn’t a secret. They know I’m the Hunter as well.”
    “Isn’t this divine !” Antonia grabbed a dress from the hands of the designer who’d been about to hang it once more. She shoved it in Rowan’s direction so fast it was all one big fluffy pink blur that nearly took her eye out. “Neon’s back and I couldn’t be more thrilled !”
    Maybe the sullen thing was better than the baby voice and perky cheer.
    The tag on the monstrosity said twelve thousand pounds. What the fucking fuck? Who would ever spend that sort of money on a neon pink mermaid gown with a frothy thing at the waist?
    “Uh, sure. Your color.” Rowan handed it back.
    Antonia gave one of her trilling laughs. Again . Rowan felt naked without the sword she usually wore at her back. It was good she left it home because every time Rowan heard that laugh she wanted to pull it.
    Rowan didn’t show any of that on her face. There was no way she planned to give quarter. Not even to her