watched her go, and Ben turned back to Allegra. “I didn’t want to give you the wrong impression. Renny hasn’t seen those other paintings of you. mother wanted me to put them away years ago, but I wanted you to see them. I needed you to see them. But like I said, they were the work I did right after Endicott, after you disappeared.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine….” He waved off her apology. “I know you changed me. I could feel it. Sometimes I would wake up and just… need you so much. But then I started painting, and it got better, little by little.”
“And you’re okay,” she said brightly.
“Yes.” He studied her. “I didn’t want you to go back to New York worrying about me. I wanted you to know that I went through hell—but it’s all right, I survived.” He blushed.
“Sorry to be so melodramatic, but it’s why I invited you to the studio. I just wanted you to see them.”
Allegra gave him a brilliant smile. “I’m so glad. She seems like a wonderful girl.”
“She is. Smart. She keeps me grounded.” Ben cleared his throat. “We’re getting married in the spring.”
Allegra nodded and took a sip from her martini glass, forcing the cold liquid down her throat. She could not begrudge him a wedding, especially since she herself was getting bonded to Charles soon.
“I figured, why wait, right? When you’ve met the person you’re going to spend the rest of your life with, why wait at all.” Ben sighed. “Renny’s good for me.”
“And your family?” Allegra had to ask. Do they like her?
Does your mother wish it was me?
Ben smirked. “Mother isn’t terribly pleased. She thinks I should wait.”
Allegra tried not to show that she agreed with mrs. Chase.
It did feel as if Ben was rushing into this—and what was the reason for it?
“But I don’t want to.”
“Good for you.” Allegra finished the rest of her drink. “I’m so happy for you. I’m happy for you both.”
Renny made her way back to the table and sat next to Ben. “What did I miss?”
“Congratulations. Ben told me the good news.” Allegra smiled as Ben kissed his fiancée’s hand. She could not help but notice the diamond the size of a meteor on the girl’s finger. Renny laughed and waved her hand, sending waves of light across the room. “I know it’s a bit much, isn’t it?” she asked Allegra in a conspiratorial tone. “I told Ben I didn’t need a ring, but he insisted. It’s the Bendix diamond. It was designed for his great-grandmother by Alfred Van Cleef himself.”
“It’s beautiful.” Allegra called to the cocktail waitress. “A bottle of your finest champagne, please. We’re celebrating.”
Ben looked pleased and abashed at the same time, while Renny beamed. The waitress set a magnum of champagne in a silver bucket in the center of the table, and Ben did the honors, popping the cork and pouring three glasses of the frothy, bubbly liquid. The champagne was perfect: bracingly cold, tart and smoky. Allegra did not know how she was able to keep a smile plastered on her face for the entire evening, but she managed, ordering up bottle after bottle of champagne, her vampire blood immune to the alcohol content. It gave her a small dark satisfaction to hear Renny complaining of room spin after a few rounds.
As the happy couple nuzzled at the table, Allegra decided she would call the service first thing tomorrow morning.
Charles was right, as usual. She didn’t know why it had taken her five years to figure it out, but it was time to move on. Ben had.
SIXTEEN
Holy Water
The demon children had crimson eyes with silver pupils, and when they hissed they showed their forked tongues. They parted easily as Schuyler and Dehua charged through them, but only when Schuyler put a hand on Deming’s wrist did she understand why.
Deming was a doppelganger, and she faded into the mist when Schuyler touched her. It was a trap. In seconds, Schuyler and Dehua were surrounded by the Nephilim.
“I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine….” He waved off her apology. “I know you changed me. I could feel it. Sometimes I would wake up and just… need you so much. But then I started painting, and it got better, little by little.”
“And you’re okay,” she said brightly.
“Yes.” He studied her. “I didn’t want you to go back to New York worrying about me. I wanted you to know that I went through hell—but it’s all right, I survived.” He blushed.
“Sorry to be so melodramatic, but it’s why I invited you to the studio. I just wanted you to see them.”
Allegra gave him a brilliant smile. “I’m so glad. She seems like a wonderful girl.”
“She is. Smart. She keeps me grounded.” Ben cleared his throat. “We’re getting married in the spring.”
Allegra nodded and took a sip from her martini glass, forcing the cold liquid down her throat. She could not begrudge him a wedding, especially since she herself was getting bonded to Charles soon.
“I figured, why wait, right? When you’ve met the person you’re going to spend the rest of your life with, why wait at all.” Ben sighed. “Renny’s good for me.”
“And your family?” Allegra had to ask. Do they like her?
Does your mother wish it was me?
Ben smirked. “Mother isn’t terribly pleased. She thinks I should wait.”
Allegra tried not to show that she agreed with mrs. Chase.
It did feel as if Ben was rushing into this—and what was the reason for it?
“But I don’t want to.”
“Good for you.” Allegra finished the rest of her drink. “I’m so happy for you. I’m happy for you both.”
Renny made her way back to the table and sat next to Ben. “What did I miss?”
“Congratulations. Ben told me the good news.” Allegra smiled as Ben kissed his fiancée’s hand. She could not help but notice the diamond the size of a meteor on the girl’s finger. Renny laughed and waved her hand, sending waves of light across the room. “I know it’s a bit much, isn’t it?” she asked Allegra in a conspiratorial tone. “I told Ben I didn’t need a ring, but he insisted. It’s the Bendix diamond. It was designed for his great-grandmother by Alfred Van Cleef himself.”
“It’s beautiful.” Allegra called to the cocktail waitress. “A bottle of your finest champagne, please. We’re celebrating.”
Ben looked pleased and abashed at the same time, while Renny beamed. The waitress set a magnum of champagne in a silver bucket in the center of the table, and Ben did the honors, popping the cork and pouring three glasses of the frothy, bubbly liquid. The champagne was perfect: bracingly cold, tart and smoky. Allegra did not know how she was able to keep a smile plastered on her face for the entire evening, but she managed, ordering up bottle after bottle of champagne, her vampire blood immune to the alcohol content. It gave her a small dark satisfaction to hear Renny complaining of room spin after a few rounds.
As the happy couple nuzzled at the table, Allegra decided she would call the service first thing tomorrow morning.
Charles was right, as usual. She didn’t know why it had taken her five years to figure it out, but it was time to move on. Ben had.
SIXTEEN
Holy Water
The demon children had crimson eyes with silver pupils, and when they hissed they showed their forked tongues. They parted easily as Schuyler and Dehua charged through them, but only when Schuyler put a hand on Deming’s wrist did she understand why.
Deming was a doppelganger, and she faded into the mist when Schuyler touched her. It was a trap. In seconds, Schuyler and Dehua were surrounded by the Nephilim.
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