I’d thought Vincent would be by his mother’s side when the Lords came down to greet us, but he wasn’t. I took one of the blood flutes from a waiter’s tray and engaged Rowan in conversation, while the rest of our team did the same with other Maras. Slowly but surely, we were going to use our charms and smiles to keep the Lords busy and not paying attention to Heron and Avril.

“This is a beautiful event, Rowan,” I said with genuine admiration.

She smiled, glowing in her yellowish-green ballgown, as she scanned the entire ballroom.

“Thank you. We put a lot of effort into it every year,” she replied, then took a sip from her blood flute.

“Do you have balls often?”

“Oh, we have one to celebrate each of the four seasons we get here.” She nodded. “Each year, without exception. It’s important to our way of life to mark these little moments and give them value. And our people love dressing up, so it’s always quite the visual spectacle!”

“I can definitely see that.” I smirked, glancing over the sea of stylish up-dos, glimmering gems, and smooth, colorful fabrics.

“Fiona!” Vincent’s voice made me turn my head.

Heat instantly spread through my cheeks when I saw the way he looked at me. His green gaze was dark and intense, lust lighting it on fire as he closed the distance between us. He looked handsome as hell, sporting a champagne-pink suit with a pearl-gray shirt and a white ascot. I didn’t often appreciate any shade of pink on a guy, but I had to admit that Vincent wore it a little too well, as I found myself staring and wondering what it would be like to touch his chest and feel that fabric on my fingertips.

“Vincent.” Rowan snapped me out of my reverie. “Darling, why don’t you join us for a drink?”

She snatched another flute from a passing waiter’s tray and handed it to Vincent. He smiled and gave her a thankful nod, then bowed before me with a seductive smirk. I was used to guys giving me these looks and asking me out and all that dating malarkey, but the way Vincent did it made me blush and flutter my eyelashes like a genuine damsel. I barely recognized myself.

“Thank you, Mother,” he said slowly, then came closer, enough to make me crane my neck a little to look him in the eyes. “You look absolutely stunning, Fiona.”

“You’re too kind.” I smiled and lowered my head, sipping from my flute.

“I’m simply describing what I see,” he replied, then took my glass and discarded it onto a tall nearby table, along with his own. He firmly took my hand, his eyes locked on mine. “Mother, excuse us, but I must dance with this wonderful creature.”

He made me giggle as he gently pulled me onto the dancefloor, resting one hand on my waist. He led me through a soft waltz, giving me enough time and space to acquaint myself with the rhythm and melody, before he got close enough for me to inhale his fragrance.

“How is your investigation coming along?” he asked, his voice low, his gaze burning.

“It’s still early days.” I shrugged. “Still many unknowns, but we’re hoping to identify a pattern over the next day or so.”

“If there is anything I can do to help, please do let me know,” Vincent offered. “I will do whatever I can to get my sister back.”

“I will definitely let you know if you can help.” I gave him a reassuring smile.

Something weighed heavy in my stomach at the sight of his torment over the loss of his sister, Sienna. I felt a powerful urge to help him, and his gentle display of both willingness to help and raw emotion had an interesting effect on my senses. Vincent was attractive by all possible standards, and I was in no way indifferent to his charms. Keeping him distracted for the evening certainly didn’t feel like a chore.

“Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself?” I suggested, placing my hands on his shoulders as he pulled me closer. A slower song began to play, which required some mellow swaying. Vincent was an excellent dancer. “I know next to nothing.”

“You want to know more about me?” He raised his eyebrows with genuine delight. “Where do I start?”

I laughed lightly and caught a glimpse of Avril and Heron dancing their way toward what looked like one of the servants’ exits at the far end of the ballroom. They kept looking around, waiting for the perfect moment to sneak out and go see Arrah at Vincent’s mansion. Their plight gave me the courage I needed to push myself closer to Vincent, enough for our faces to be only a few inches apart. I felt his grip on my hips tighten, and I knew he was reacting to my gesture.

“I don’t know. Tell me whatever you think will help me understand you—the real you,” I replied, lowering my voice.

I mentally congratulated myself for being so smooth, as it definitely had an effect on him. He took a deep breath and lowered his head, his cheek brushing against mine as we danced.

“I’m merely the product of the happy marriage between my mother and my father,” he said. “Since my father passed away some years back, however, I’ve learned to appreciate the special people in my life. If I meet someone who makes my heart beat faster, I always make sure to keep them close and enjoy their company, like my parents did with each other. Such emotions are rare and precious, and I place great value on them.”

He gave me a sideways glance as he said that, expecting me to understand the underlying statement.

“What do you want to do with your life?” I asked, trying to keep my cool, despite his closeness and his body heat seeping into my skin whenever our cheeks touched. The physical attraction was definitely there.

“I’m going to inherit House Roho,” he replied, holding me close as we swayed across the dancefloor, the fluid music flowing around us. “I love the arts, and I plan to live a long life enriching the lives of my people and supporting artistic development. I would actually like to see Azure Heights become able to export its artwork to other worlds. Perhaps even develop some trade agreements. I know we keep to ourselves here, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I think the rest of the worlds would love what we have to offer…”

I nodded, processing his views of the future. He had some entrepreneurial visions that were different from the otherwise isolationist policy of Azure Heights. I couldn’t help but wonder if the other Lords would ever agree to such a proposal.

“What about you, Fiona?” he asked, pulling his head back so he could peer into my eyes. “What do you want to do?”

I blinked several times, trying to think of an honest answer that I could give. I’d asked myself that question on different occasions, and my conclusions always brought me to the core of GASP. All my roads took me to a life with the agency, helping supernaturals and defending those who couldn’t protect themselves. It had been instilled in me since I was a kid.

“My life is with GASP,” I replied. “Upholding justice, protecting the innocent… I was raised into it, and I firmly believe in all supernaturals’ rights to a free and decent life. I refuse to let anyone take that away from them. I guess I see myself in a senior officer position someday. Maybe even in charge of my own base, or out there, exploring the In-Between… I don’t know. I have plenty of time to think about it.”

He nodded slowly, his eyes scanning my face with what looked like a mix of curiosity and fascination. As if he were trying to understand what made me tick.

We were two creatures, from two different worlds, who seemed to each have a voracious appetite for what the future held. I didn’t feel like anything could stop me from getting what I wanted, and he didn’t seem to mind.

I could have slapped myself for how I was reacting to his gaze, his touch. My second day on Neraka, and I was already letting Vincent get a little too close. It was alarming because I didn’t make a habit of crushing on complete strangers.

There was something about him that I liked, undeniably, but as we continued to dance and talk throughout the night, there was also something deeper underneath his façade… something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I had a feeling he wasn’t telling us everything about Sienna, and the fact that we knew his servants had been mind-bent didn’t help, either. It made me keep my defenses high, despite his charm.

Nevertheless, he was a pleasant way to pass the evening, and I sure didn’t mind his attention.

Especially while Avril and Heron were infiltrating his mansion.