should be able to stay off their radar.” She turns to look out the window, eyeing the scene with some skepticism. “I mean, this mansion looks like someone’s house.”
I lean forward, excited. “This afterparty is going to be wild. I doubt if Stellan even knew that, because he’s such a fun vampire. This night just got interesting.”
Kalindi looks at me, scrunching her nose as the driver pulls the car to a halt. “I hate it when you say that. It inevitably turns out insane rather than interesting.”
I grin, opening my door. Loud music pours into the car, thudding so hard that I can feel it in my bones. “Come on!”
I scoot out, straightening my white linen dress. It’s super short and strappy, showing a rather daring amount of cleavage.
Well, what little I have, anyway.
“Princess Annika!” A couple of giggling teenaged girls call to me. “Can we have your autograph? Please?”
They wave a piece of paper and a pen in front of my face. I take a deep breath, then give them my most dazzling smile. “Of course. Tell me your names!”
One girl squeals. The other tells me their names.
“Sofia and Agnes,” she says. “I don’t have the words to tell you how much this means to me. God, I have to call my mother and tell her. She’ll be so jealous that I got to meet you!”
I shift from foot to foot, my perfect princess smile unwavering. “Tak, ladies. It is awfully nice to meet you as well.”
I spend a full minute chatting with them and signing their piece of paper. When we’re done, they run off into the deepening darkness, excited beyond words.
Kalindi favors me with a look. “You are so nice to everyone you meet. If I were you and I were accosted here, I would tell them to take a hike.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s a part of my job, Kal.”
“Is it?” she asks. “Have you figured out what you’re doing with your life, other than being an actual princess?”
My mouth pulls down. “No. I haven’t, thank you very much. Now if you don’t mind… there’s all kinds of excitement waiting right here.”
I squint out at the party raging in front of us. The mansion itself is quaint, red brick and covered in ivy. There are probably nearly a hundred party guests on the lawn alone, drinking and talking, tapping a keg in the far corner. The front door is open like a hungry mouth, inviting us in.
I grab Kalindi by the hand and halfway drag her up across the manicured lawn. She allows it too, her free hand fluttering over her conservative, preppy outfit. Her white blouse is tucked into a light blue skirt, topped off with a herringbone tweed jacket.
I slide her a look as we climb the steps of the front porch. “Expecting to see someone?”
She looks at me, blushing. “No.” I narrow my gaze at her, and she lifts her chin. “I’m not. I’m just… being prepared. You should try it some time.”
I grin, pulling her deeper inside the house.
Taking a deep breath, I reach in my purse for a piece of hard candy wrapped in a shiny gold colored wrapper. I pop it in my mouth and let it start to melt onto my tongue. The creamy toffee flavor instantly brightens my mood.
I can admit it; I’m more than a little addicted to these hard candies. And because they are low in sugar, I pop four or five of them in my mouth a day. Just whenever I need a little boost.
Once we get past the doorway everything is harder to make out. If there are any lights on in here, I don’t see them; I continue straight down the main hallway, bumping into at least a dozen people, squeezing past a whole clump of girls gathered at the foot of the grand staircase.
Once we are past them, we make it into the kitchen. There I find Stellan and Margot, holding court in one corner, leaning against the kitchen counter. A dozen people I don’t recognize are gathered around them. The music is a fraction quieter in here, so when Stellan sees me, he raises a plastic cup.
“Annika is here!” he calls.
My lips twitch. He and Margot are clearly drunk; poor little Margot doesn’t look like she can stand on her own. It’s a little cute how she leans on Stellan. She looks at my ridiculously hardheaded brother like he’s the reason for her very existence. He slips his arm around her