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Heartache sucked, but again I deserved all of it. Miss Manners was right I was being a shitty servant and for no reason. Aleksi loved me, and he couldn’t control what Elizabeta did any more than I could. He didn’t deserve to hear me voice my insincere doubts and regrets.
No, he didn’t. You’re pushing him away because you’re afraid of losing him, and if you don’t get your act together, he might just cut you off forever. You got a second chance, stop being a bitch.

“C’mon, we’re going to be late
,” Leslie declared slipping out of the door. I paused and glanced at Colette. She knew, there was a thread of recognition behind those enormous shockingly blue eyes.

“He wants you there, Autumn. He will never not want to see you, now run along! I’m sure you can think of a good birthday gift while on the way.” Colette beamed at me before she too walked across that polished wood floor and left
into the hall leaving me alone to stare at my reflection.

As always Leslie and I took the subway, she sighed about dancing with Aleksi the whole time and how lucky I was to have him. Apparently watching him dance up close and then having his hands on her was making her think un-friend-like thoughts.

“Of course
, you know I would never, ever, ever do anything about them. I have Tristan after all. And honestly, the way Aleksi moves aside… Tristan’s cuter. Not to mention open, and kind and loving…” She practically swooned as we walked down the simmering, summer sidewalk. We were about a block and a half from Dire, I could see the sign from where we were and the line—yes line—to get in.

      
Paparazzi was outside, snapping pictures wildly of everyone who was able to bypass that winding line. It seemed so odd to me, they had never been this interested in vampires before. I couldn’t help but to wonder what changed. But I knew what changed, Elizabeta saving me from a life on the dreaded registry was her last act as the cool, calm and collected, old-school, back-room-dealing benefactor for the region. It was her black satin gloved fist that kept the press in line. Tristan ruled the region now, or at least that was what I heard.

      
We paused down the street and I turned to Leslie. She spoke before I could open my mouth like she knew what I was going to say.

“We don’t have to go in, we can text happy returns or whatever if you’re unsure.”

“Happy Returns? How British of you.” I smirked at my friend and let out a soft sigh. “Do we have to cover our faces?” I couldn’t help but to ask. It was sobering. How would
being tied to vampires effect my career prospects? I knew the clairvoyancy would if anyone found out, I never bothered to think about what dating a vampire would do.

“I don’t know, I won’t. But I’m expected to be there. I’m dating Tristan and I’m a Principal
Dancer in du Nuit… you on the other hand…” She trailed off. “Yeah, you should probably cover your face.”

As we approached the front of the restaurant, I took my jacket off and draped it over my head. Then we made our way into the belly of the beast, the photographers erupted in a cacophonous frenzy, each yelling Leslie’s name and asking her who was under the jacket. She ignored them and opened the door, ushering me inside.

Once the door was closed, the shouts turned to faint murmurs which were near to drowned out by soft piano music. We continued through the restaurant, passed the hostess stand and back into where the private rooms were.

“And now you can take the jacket off of your head
,” Leslie snickered out. “It’s kind of a rush. I know it will eventually stop, but for right now it’s kind of fucking awesome.”

“Yeah, I guess…” I trailed off and for a moment let the repercussions of this wash over me. This would follow me forever
, it would taint my job prospects. Leslie was dancing with vampires, I’m sure her relationship with Tristan made for great press for the Ballet.

We walked into the room together and she practically ran into Tristan’s arms, locking him in a deep kiss. I looked at the two of them fondly for a moment while I pulled my jacket on and let my eyes wander to Aleksi. He actually smiled when he saw me, but he didn’t move from his corner of the room where he sat with a sharply dressed African-American vampire, I didn’t recognize him. He wasn’t one of the dancers, and then it occurred to me for the first time ever that Aleksi might have friends not in ballet.

“In the end,
my friend, Elizabeta will always get exactly what she wants. It's why she’s so good at making money.” I suddenly found myself feeling slightly racist as I heard the man’s accent. He was certainly not American, the accent was thickly French.

“Isn’t that the truth.” Aleksi snickered before raising his eyes to me. “Fabien, this is my servant, Autumn.”

“
Mon Dieu
, she’s beautiful. It’s a pleasure to meet you,
ma chère.
Ah, those eyes, like autumn leaves.”

“Fabien is an old friend, he is actually in control of most of Europe now.”

“Bah, Western Europe. Italy, Germany and over to the Atlantic. Your Master exaggerates.” Fabien laughed bringing his glass to his lips.

“That’s still very impressive, that’s a lot of
territory,” I commented as I slipped in beside Aleksi, who slid his arm around my waist.

“To a mortal who does not know how we have divided up the world, I suppose it does seem fairly large. It is the ninth largest territory, Elizabeta… I’m sorry, Tristan”—He raised his glass in Tristan’s
direction—“ controls the tenth if you would like a comparison. Though, admittedly I am the richest. Vasile can, how you Americans say, suck on that. But where is the little Papillion? I see everyone save
ma petite chèrie
.”

“Colette is taking an interest in Evan again.” Aleksi chuckled out taking another sip of his glass.

“Poor boy, I tried to talk him out of joining you. I saw his last performance, it was spectacular. He had another ten maybe even fifteen years left dancing, but he wouldn’t hear it. Then again, I could not offer him what our little Papillion could.”

Colette walked in the room with Evan on her arm, he followed her slowly. Even I could hear his mumbling about not staying too long. Her hair was softly curled and she wore a salmon colored sheath dress. In her hands was a bright red box with a big bow on it. Ignoring Evan for the most part she made a b-line straight for Aleksi, but stopped and squealed when she noticed Fabien. Quick prattling in French followed, and Aleksi, Evan and myself were all forgotten. I felt bad for Evan, but something told me it was just what happened. Vampires turned people and then forgot about them. Mortality was sexy, and when you lost it, they lost interest. Much like millionaires with trophy wives and their looks.

Staring at Evan’s sad gray eyes my vision started to blur again and time seemed to slow.
Don’t fight it!
This was one of those odd moments when I didn’t argue with Miss Manners. I tried my best to relax everything as the reflection in Evan’s eyes became the screen for my vision. The reflection of people shifted and I saw that cell from my vision the night before… empty.

Unlike before, my vision quickly returned and time sped up to normal, everyone around me was still talking. Tristan’s cell phone rang in the corner of the room and he answered it and then Fabien’s rang. It spiraled outwards from there, until the room turned into endless ringing and muffled hellos. Leslie and I locked gazes from across the room. Aleksi tightened his grip on me, pressing me almost painfully against his hip as he murmured to whoever was on the other line. I stood on my toes and leaned up to Aleksi’s ear.

“Gregory escaped
,
” I whispered to him and he actually dropped his phone. There was an instant when I saw a look pass over his face that read scared little boy.
Honestly, the look could have lasted longer but he pulled me into his strong arms and buried his face in my hair. I looked across the room from the small gap his arm allowed and saw Tristan holding Leslie similarly. He was whispering to her as he rocked her and she sobbed. Aleksi, however, was silent as he clung to me, clutching to me as though if he let me go I’d fall to pieces.

Tristan reluctantly let Leslie go, stepped into the center of the room, and clinked a fork on his glass. The murmuring stopped as everyone tucked away their cellphones and turned their attention to Tristan; with the exception of Aleksi, who still had his arms locked around me.

“Everyone,
” Tristan started, his voice oozed authority. Standing in the middle of the room he actually did look like someone who could lead a whole region. “I know this has hardly been a party, but in light of recent events, I can’t in good conscience let any of us be out in the open tonight. Or have so many of us gathered here in a room that’s not completely secured. Crimson Hill will be opened to everyone as long as they wish, and higher ranking vampires and their servants will have mandatory protective details.” The room erupted after he finished and slowly but surely everyone started leaving until only Tristan, Aleksi, Colette, Leslie, Evan and myself remained. Tristan was busy on his phone and Colette and Evan were comforting Leslie.

Aleksi, however, had yet to move and my arm was starting to grow numb. I struggled in his arms.

“My arm… can you let me go?” I pleaded softly and he released me and sniffled. Sniffled? I looked up and found that beautiful face tear stained. His eyes were bloodshot and his nose was bright pink, making his eyes look somehow
bluer. Why was he crying?

He rubbed my arms slowly and let out a soft sigh before sniffling again. It was odd seeing that level of deep emotion on his face.
Hell is probably freezing over, as we speak the devil is handing out snow cones and renting out ice-skates.
I glanced around the room and found Leslie and Tristan in a similar state, even as Tristan stayed on the phone. Colette and Evan looked dumbstruck as they stared at Aleksi. It didn’t last long because near to instantly Colette darted across the room to Aleksi and gave him a tight hug.

“What happened?” I asked furrowing my brow
s. Aleksi shoved Colette off of him and wrapped his arms around me again.

“Someone blew up your flat, and Leslie’s after leaving threats at Crimson Hill
,” Evan spoke keeping his voice low.

It sunk in slowly as Aleksi cried silent tears as he clung to me. He didn’t invite me to his party… if I had just gone home. If I had done what I always did I would be dead. I could have died. Why my apartment building? Was it because of something Aleksi or Tristan did? Was it because Leslie was a human dancing with an all Vampire Ballet company? Was it Gregory?

      
Tristan and Leslie were escorted out by a horde of vampires dressed in all black. With their black blazers and little earbuds, they looked like what they were—a security detail and not a subtle one. I looked at Aleksi, Colette, and Evan. What about us?
You’ve always been expendable.
Elizabeta wouldn’t let anything happen to Aleksi, he’s Vlad’s heir. I glanced at Evan whose brows furrowed expressively. That was probably the same look I had on my face, the realization that you’re utterly expendable.

“
Let's all go to the Hill, we’ll stay in the Petit Trianon. It’ll be like the last time this happened,” Colette smirked.

“It was 1904 the last time this happened. We have rehearsal now… and
a show in a few weeks,” Aleksi’s voice cracked. Colette wrapped her arms around him and he let me go. I glanced up at Evan as they comforted each other. I think we came to the same realization as we stood in that room.

“We’ll never be to them what they are to each oth
er,” Evan murmured. “He loves you, but Colette is infinitely more his than you are. And the she loves him infinitely more than she does me though she cares for me too.” I couldn’t help but to let his words sink in. Then I took a slow breath and craned my neck to gaze up at him as he stared at them.

“
No.” I declared bluntly.
You should comfort him not berate him.
“I don’t think it’s that at all.”

“Then what is it? I’ve watched them for a little over half of a decade now. You’re new to this dance
, but I know it so well I can do it in my sleep. At the Trianon, you’re going to wake up in bed alone. You’ll walk to the door, close your eyes and hear the faint sounds of their muffled sex. Colette will return to me with bites over her torso and too sore to have me for a week, and Aleksi will come back to you smelling of their carnal endeavor.”

I couldn’t counter his words so I fell silent and he gave me a quick hug and smoothed back my ponytail.

“You’ll get used to it
,” He breathed.

“No, I don’t think I will.” I chewed nervously on my bottom lip as Aleksi pushed Colette from him and walked over to us. Without a
word he kissed my forehead.

“We’re going to spend a few days in the Petit Trianon at Crimson Hill, you too Evan.
Tristan is going to join us with Leslie and we’re going to rehearse in the theater on the grounds.” Aleksi dictated with a slight sniff. His eyes were almost as bright red as his designated color, making the blue almost burn in contrast. Aleksi draped his arm over my shoulders and Evan shot me a look that read nothing short of I-told-you-so.

We took Aleksi’s car, when we got outside there was a vampire dressed all in black waiting for us next to that black oh so shiny Mercedes. He and Aleksi exchanged a phrase in what I think was Russian before we got in the car and the security got into a huge nearby SUV. I watched in the window as that massive SUV trailed us all the way back to Crimson Hill, through the gardens and right up to the stairs of the replica of the Petit Trianon. I got out and Evan climbed out from behind me. Watching his tall frame unfold almost made the tiny convertible look like a clown car. Aleksi and Colette started up the stairs without a word, and the moment my feet hit that marble stair, BAM. I was suddenly hit with the realization that everything I owned, with the exception of what little was in my purse and on my person, no longer existed. It froze me in my tracks, I couldn’t move, my body refused to cooperate. Was I poor? No, I had my bank card and I.D. I even had my passport, but I was homeless.