The bathroom door burst open, and it was Drasas, the one she’d seen in Victorija’s limo.

“The battle is lost, Principe. We have to leave now.”

Victorija growled and turned her head to Amelia. “We may have lost the battle but not the war. Tell that to Byron when she’s whispering sweet nothings to you.”

“Principe, we have to go,” Drasas said.

Victorija looked back to Daisy, and said, “Before I go, I’ll drain every drop—”

Before Victorija could finish her statement, Daisy struck and bit Victorija’s shoulder at the crook of her neck.

It must have been hard, because Victorija jumped in pain. She pushed Daisy back, and all her features changed. Her eyes turned red, like Amelia was sure Byron’s had done, and she saw sharp fangs in her mouth. Amelia was terrified.

“Just for that, little girl…” Victorija sank her teeth into Daisy’s neck.

“No!” Amelia got up and ran at Victorija, but Drasas kept hold of her.

“We don’t have time, Principe,” Drasas said again.

Victorija pulled back gasping, gazing silently into Daisy’s eyes. She wiped her mouth and said, “Let’s get out of here.”

Daisy dropped to the floor clutching her neck, and then Victorija and Drasas were gone. Amelia crawled over to Daisy, just as another bloodstained vampire walked through the door.

“The new Principessa?” He snarled. “Just what I need—”

He stopped speaking when a hand burst through his chest, and pulled his heart out through his back. He dropped to his knees, and revealed Byron standing behind him, her shirt and chin covered in blood, and her eyes crimson red.

“Amelia? You’re safe now.”

Amelia watched as Byron threw the heart in her hand to the floor. She couldn’t take any more. Her head swam, she heard a confusing mix of voices around her, and then she lost consciousness.

Chapter Seventeen

Amelia became aware of a pounding in her head. She struggled to open her eyes, but when she did the light streaming through the windows startled her. She pulled the pillow beside her over her eyes and heard someone close the curtains in the room. It was only then she realized she wasn’t in her own bed.

She sat up quickly and found Katie sitting by her bed. “Katie? What…?” Amelia looked around the bedroom, trying to work out where she was. All the pieces of furniture had white sheets over them as if the room hadn’t been inhabited in a long, long time.

“How do you feel, Amelia?” Katie said.

It was then that last night thundered through her head. Being out with Victorija, Daisy appearing to help her, Byron and her people bursting into the club, and the realization that they were not human.

Amelia pulled the pillow in front of her for some imaginary kind of protection from Katie.

“Please don’t be scared, Amelia. You can trust me.”