Vampire Girl (Vampire Girl, #1)

by Karpov Kinrade

We get all kinds at The Roxy, but not his kind. He has no kind.

I wanna visit The Roxy!

"It's my birthday cake," I spurt out. Because I'm a five-year-old with her first kindergarten crush, apparently.

Make your choice, Arianna. Sign in blood and let this be done.

He raises an eyebrow when he sees me. "You clean up quite well." "I wasn't dirty," I say, stepping into the room with him.

My white dress remains mostly unscathed as I climb out of the boat and stand in front of a giant slab of grey stone, but my shoes don't fare as well sinking into the muck on the edge of the canal. I give up and take them off, tossing them back into the boat so I can walk barefoot. Asher looks ready to argue, but I hold up a hand. "You want to trade shoes? No? Then shove it." He makes the smart choice, and his mouth snaps closed.

Fen looks down at me. "You really should stop getting drugged and nearly kidnapped." I muster some indignation, though I can tell I won't be conscious much longer. "People really should stop drugging and nearly kidnapping me," I mumble. It's his laugh I hear as darkness takes me.

"Relax. I didn't touch anything I shouldn't. Your virtue is intact." I snort. "I'm not worried about my virtue. What century do you think this is? I'm worried about consent."

"Beware the princes of hell. Not all of them are pleased that you will decide on the next king. Not all of them wish you alive."

"And what are your demon charms?" I ask. "Killing." "Huh. That's less charming than you might imagine."

"Is it always this cold here?" "No, we have four seasons. This is the beginning of winter. We haven't seen cold yet. But it's coming." "So… is that when hell freezes over?" The look he gives me is funnier than my lame joke and I can't help but laugh.

My lips twitch and she smiles. Guilelessly. Beautifully. Like we share a secret no one else knows. But I'm the only one with secrets. And she can never know them.