Her best friend. "I don't know what to say, Cas."
"Enjoy tonight with the vampire, Bettina," he grated. "It's his last." Cas traced away.
The certainty in his words gave her chills. A week ago his statement would have delighted her. Now . . . ?
She couldn't lose either of them.
Morgana grabbed her hand. "Off we go. You must get ready."
"For what?"
"The Prince of Shadow will be coming for you," she said, ushering Bettina away from the ring, Inferi trailing. "To stake his claim."
"Morgana, please, I'm in no mood for this."
"This was the battle," she insisted. "Killing Caspion tomorrow is just a formality."
"Stop talking like that!" The male she was falling for had lived, and the gut-wrenching fear she'd felt for him had momentarily dissolved. But on the heels of her relief, dread rebounded.
"Your demon is simply too young, with too few kills under his belt. He doesn't stand a chance against that vampire." As Morgana whisked her back to the castle, she said, "The Prince of Shadow is no longer a prince, dear. He's as good as king of this realm."
Three onerous hours had passed since Bettina had returned to her spire, with no sign of Daciano.
She'd spent the time with Morgana and Salem in her room. The two were convinced that Bettina and the Prince of Shadow would consummate their relationship tonight, so they'd decided to wait, hold vigil with her-and give her pointers.
Bettina was not convinced this was happening. I just want to talk to him, to ask his opinion. She knew exactly what she would say: "Okay, you were right, vampire. Cas is just a friend, but he's my best and oldest one. I can't lose him. Having sex for the first time-with the male who's going to behead my best friend-is a difficult concept to wrap my mind around. Suggestions? Comments?"
Now Bettina crossed her arms over her chest. "I thought you said he was coming."
"So eager to be bedded by the vamp?" Morgana asked, reclining over the foot of Bettina's bed, wineglass in hand. She looked tipsy, relaxed, and happier than Bettina remembered seeing her in, well, ever.
Chapter 42
Salem had been hanging out in her headdress, thrumming comfortably.
"You shan't go to him-it would scream of desperation," Morgana said. "He'll be along."
Bettina's eyes went wide at a sudden thought. Oh, gods, what if Daciano's injuries had been worse than she'd supposed? She hopped from the bed to her feet.
"Salem here will bar the doors. Won't you, Salem?"
"Right you are, Morgana." He was all but purring.
With a glare at both of them, Bettina grudgingly sat back down. When did they get to be so chummy?
"Besides, we haven't finished our chat," Morgana said. A birds-and-bees lecture. "I'm just getting to the good parts."
Bettina knew that no matter how hard she mentally scrubbed her brain, the sorceress's words of "wisdom" would never be forgotten. Nor Salem's commentary.
Among other things, she'd learned about . . .
-An immortal male's refractory period: "A vamp in his prime? We're talkin' seconds, chit."
-A sorceress's infrequent fertile seasons: "No ankle biters for a while, then? Actually, Princess, vampire spawn will bite your ankles. You'll be knees up, doin' a lively jig."
-And some mortal named Grafenberg: "Now, that's the spot!"
Though Bettina had barely digested this information, she supposed listening to them beat waiting for Daciano alone to the sound of the clock ticking. "You two are just assuming I'm going to sleep with the vampire?"