From the Ashes (Force of Nature Book 1) by Amber Lynn Natusch Page B
Authors: Amber Lynn Natusch
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got the most distressing news. The king had called for a soirée at his home. And there was no declining that kind of event; not if you were me.
Like it or not, I prepared myself for the inevitable.
7
Vampires loved to have parties, or balls, as they insisted upon calling them. They were formal affairs, complete with gowns and tuxes and all the finery one might come to think of when the term “ball” is used. I hated them with a passion, and they couldn't stop finding reasons to have them—even when the treaty was in jeopardy.
When I learned that the vampire king himself was throwing one, I cringed, knowing I couldn't wriggle out of that one. Not showing would be a clear slap in the face, and that was an affront that few, if any, would survive. I most certainly would not, especially after everything that had happened. So I swallowed back my resentment at being made to go and started searching for a dress. I had a closet full of them, but you never wore an outfit twice to an event like that.
It was social suicide.
While I scrolled through sites containing the season's hottest looks, straight off the runways in Paris, someone knocked on my bedroom door.
“Come in!”
“Hey, Piper. It's me,” Jase called out as he strolled across the large room. “I just wanted to make sure you got word of the king's shindig this weekend.”
“Yep. Shopping for it now.”
He looked over my shoulder at the screen, pointing to a stunning black gown. It was form-fitted and sleek, without any embellishments at all, save the cutout in the side that spanned from hip to breast.
“That one has you written all over it,” he said with a smile.
I cringed internally, rolling back over onto my stomach.
“I was thinking of something more like this,” I replied, pointing to sapphire-blue dress that was equally simple-but-stunning, and was conveniently without gaping holes that would expose my scars. Jase shrugged, disappointed that I didn't jump at the chance to purchase his choice. If he'd known what I'd have shown off if I did, he would have been far more understanding.
“Whichever. Just be sure you let Mia know so she can reach the designer. If we need to send the jet for it, she'll have to make arrangements ASAP.”
“Yeah. I'll talk to her about it before I go to bed for the night.”
“You're not coming out again?”
“Sorry. I'm still just not up for it.”
He forced a smile, trying to wrap his head around something he couldn't possibly.
“Okay, but expect an early morning wake up call, then,” he warned, ruffling my hair. “Dean will probably want a drunken cuddle before he heads to bed.”
“Deal.”
“And don't forget to talk to Mia.”
“Going now.”
“Good. Talk to you later, Piper.”
“Later, Jase.”
* * *
Walking into a party full of vampires was like walking backstage at New York Fashion Week. There were perfect faces and bodies as far as the eye could see. I, however, wasn't one of them, a fact that the females in attendance loved to point out every chance they got. It was like a supernatural Mean Girls . I usually did my best to find a corner to hole up in and watch the clock as it slowly ticked away. Sometimes Jase and Dean would take turns saving me from the bitchy firing squad, but even they could only handle them for so long.
The king's party was every bit as opulent as all the others I'd been to that year, but as always, his was sprinkled with an extra dose of grandeur. The old ones seemed to like things to smack of an era long gone, a nod to the aristocratic feel that the 1700s had boasted. Personally, I was never impressed by it. It felt like having a party in a museum; everything was old, priceless, and not to be touched.
When we arrived, the butler showed us in. Jase and Dean made their way toward a group of stunning females on the far side of the room, and I quickly found a servant with a tray of champagne flutes and hijacked her,
Like it or not, I prepared myself for the inevitable.
7
Vampires loved to have parties, or balls, as they insisted upon calling them. They were formal affairs, complete with gowns and tuxes and all the finery one might come to think of when the term “ball” is used. I hated them with a passion, and they couldn't stop finding reasons to have them—even when the treaty was in jeopardy.
When I learned that the vampire king himself was throwing one, I cringed, knowing I couldn't wriggle out of that one. Not showing would be a clear slap in the face, and that was an affront that few, if any, would survive. I most certainly would not, especially after everything that had happened. So I swallowed back my resentment at being made to go and started searching for a dress. I had a closet full of them, but you never wore an outfit twice to an event like that.
It was social suicide.
While I scrolled through sites containing the season's hottest looks, straight off the runways in Paris, someone knocked on my bedroom door.
“Come in!”
“Hey, Piper. It's me,” Jase called out as he strolled across the large room. “I just wanted to make sure you got word of the king's shindig this weekend.”
“Yep. Shopping for it now.”
He looked over my shoulder at the screen, pointing to a stunning black gown. It was form-fitted and sleek, without any embellishments at all, save the cutout in the side that spanned from hip to breast.
“That one has you written all over it,” he said with a smile.
I cringed internally, rolling back over onto my stomach.
“I was thinking of something more like this,” I replied, pointing to sapphire-blue dress that was equally simple-but-stunning, and was conveniently without gaping holes that would expose my scars. Jase shrugged, disappointed that I didn't jump at the chance to purchase his choice. If he'd known what I'd have shown off if I did, he would have been far more understanding.
“Whichever. Just be sure you let Mia know so she can reach the designer. If we need to send the jet for it, she'll have to make arrangements ASAP.”
“Yeah. I'll talk to her about it before I go to bed for the night.”
“You're not coming out again?”
“Sorry. I'm still just not up for it.”
He forced a smile, trying to wrap his head around something he couldn't possibly.
“Okay, but expect an early morning wake up call, then,” he warned, ruffling my hair. “Dean will probably want a drunken cuddle before he heads to bed.”
“Deal.”
“And don't forget to talk to Mia.”
“Going now.”
“Good. Talk to you later, Piper.”
“Later, Jase.”
* * *
Walking into a party full of vampires was like walking backstage at New York Fashion Week. There were perfect faces and bodies as far as the eye could see. I, however, wasn't one of them, a fact that the females in attendance loved to point out every chance they got. It was like a supernatural Mean Girls . I usually did my best to find a corner to hole up in and watch the clock as it slowly ticked away. Sometimes Jase and Dean would take turns saving me from the bitchy firing squad, but even they could only handle them for so long.
The king's party was every bit as opulent as all the others I'd been to that year, but as always, his was sprinkled with an extra dose of grandeur. The old ones seemed to like things to smack of an era long gone, a nod to the aristocratic feel that the 1700s had boasted. Personally, I was never impressed by it. It felt like having a party in a museum; everything was old, priceless, and not to be touched.
When we arrived, the butler showed us in. Jase and Dean made their way toward a group of stunning females on the far side of the room, and I quickly found a servant with a tray of champagne flutes and hijacked her,
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