sharp yank on his arm and he was dragged to the ground. While the dogs gnawed on his cloak, he tried to reach for the mason chisel he had lodged in the waistband of his trousers, but he could not grasp it. He said a short prayer, just in case he didn’t survive the brutal mauling about to unfold.
Luckily for Romeo, the dogs let go of him willingly, in order to chase down large chunks of raw meat that had just been tossed into a row of rosebushes. He glanced up and grinned at Mercutio, who was standing above him with a light glaze of blood on his hands.
“Maribel’s a smart one.” Mercutio beamed. “She left some treats for the dogs at the foot of the door. I guess they haven’t eaten in a while.”
“Well, that much is obvious,” Romeo replied. “Let’s get out of here before they are ready for dessert.”
Mercutio held a hand out to Romeo, and he took it in his, bloodied and all. When he was back on his feet, he gave Mercutio a heartfelt smile.
“Mercutio, I owe you my life,” he said.
“Romeo, I am your friend. You owe me nothing.” Mercutio placed a hand on Romeo’s shoulder and grinned. “Now come on. You have a half-breed to woo.”
Romeo smiled and shook his head, then followed Mercutio down into the secret tunnel.
The life had practically been squeezed out of Juliet’s hand when her mother finally let go. Lady Capulet had dragged her to the edge of the dance floor, where an older, impeccably dressed vampire floated at attention before her. As Juliet shook out her pink fingers, hoping to revive them, she became distracted by all the graceful couples who moved in choreographed unison to the music. But when she felt Lady Capulet nudge her forcefully in the shoulder, Juliet’s eyes shot back to the man who her mother obviously wanted her to meet.
“I apologise for our tardiness, my lord,” Lady Capulet said with a dutiful curtsy. “Welcoming the prince took longer than expected.”
“Oh, an apology is unnecessary,” the vampire replied as he stared intently at Juliet. “Although I’msetting eyes on her for the first time, I can already tell that meeting your daughter has been worth the wait.”
Juliet stifled a laugh. The vampire’s charm was so uninspired and clichéd, it was comical.
“Juliet, this is Count Paris. He has come a long way to see you,” her mother said eagerly.
A flash of prickly heat was quickly visible upon Juliet’s cheeks. This was certainly the same Count Paris who had written to her.
“Hello, sir,” she muttered, and bowed her head in respect.
The count raised an expectant eyebrow and smirked. “Would you care to dance, Miss Juliet?”
“She would love to,” Lady Capulet answered, gently pushing her daughter towards Count Paris.
Almost instantly, Juliet was swept away by the count for a saltarello, a courtly dance that included box steps, twirls, and promenades. Count Paris stood next to Juliet, then reached behind her and put his right hand on her waist. As Juliet extended her left arm out to the side, he took her left hand in his.
“I haven’t danced in ages. This will be great fun,” he said cheerfully.
Juliet gave him a faint smile. Somehow she felt that dancing with him would be quite the opposite.
And she was absolutely right. With each step, the count’s grip on her waist became tighter and tighter. Sometimes, she swore that she could feel his nails clawing through the lace panels of her dress. But regardless of how uncomfortable she was, she managed to keep an airy expression on her face, because everyone at the ball—including a delighted Lady Capulet—was gawking at her as she danced in his arms.
“This music reminds me of my childhood in Bulgaria. My mother loves the sound of the panflute,” Count Paris said in an attempt to make small talk. “Have you ever been there?”
“No, my lord. I’m afraid I haven’t travelled much outside Wallachia,” she replied.
Count Paris ran his hand down her back. “I have a strong feeling that is all about to change.”
Juliet glanced over at the performer who was currently blowing into the panflute, willing him to cease playing so that she could excuse herself from this awkward encounter. But from the way Count Paris was breathing heavily in her ear, she could tell that her partner wanted the music to last until the first hint of morning light.
“Your parents never mentioned how beautiful you are,” the count murmured as he spun Juliet out to his left side and then back again.
She tried not to roll her eyes. “I suppose Lord and Lady Capulet do not like to boast.”
Juliet did not have the heart to tell Count Paris that she knew little about him, other than what he’drevealed in the letter he’d written. Nor did she have the nerve to say that while the “blessing” of immortality—and perhaps even the quality of human blood—had kept vampires rather young and virile over the years, it didn’t necessarily make all of them attractive. With his pointy chin, bulbous nose, and ears that stuck out like an elephant’s, Count Paris was proof of that.
Still, Juliet was not as shallow and fickle as other maidens her age. She believed that a person’s soul was to be loved above their physical appearance, which is why she found Count Paris’s leeriness more disturbing than the large mole upon his chin. Apparently, the vampire in front of her was not the cordial gentleman he presented in his letter.
Count Paris led Juliet into a short promenade, floating slightly above the floor with a proud look in his blazing red eyes. “No one should be modest when describing you, my dear.”
“You are most kind.” Juliet tried to think of a reason to take leave of him—an ill-fitting shoe? a severe headache?—but whenever a dance step led her into her mother’s line of sight, she resolved to continue.
“What do you think of the ball so far?” the count asked, twirling her three times in a row.
Juliet steadied herself on her silver heels, which were a touch too high for her. “I suppose it’s … nice.”
“Only ‘nice'?” Count Paris laughed. “I doubt that your mother or father would be happy with that answer. They have worked so hard to impress the prince.”
“Oh, I am very aware of that, my lord,” Juliet said as she dipped under the count’s right arm and circled around him.
“I’m not sure if you know this, but the prince and I have become very close as of late. I’m one of his most trusted ambassadors,” the count said. “When Vladimir was thrown into prison, Radu wanted to hire someone to negotiate with the Capulets. There was no one better suited to take on this task than a vampire, of course.”
“So do you think you’ll be able to convince Radu to reconsider his ruling?” Juliet knew it was slightly rude to put him on the spot, but she hoped that his response would be no.
The count took her hands in his and gazed at an
