Vampires Realm Prophecy 01 - Child of Light

ceiling and delicate chandeliers that gave the room a bright but warm glow. She kept close to the wall, taking in the movement in the room and the sheer number of attendees.
    There was so much power in the room.
    Looking up, she ran her eyes over the balcony around the room. Large columns supported it, and she remained hidden beside one while she tried to get her bearings. There was an orchestra set up at one end of the hall. All of the musicians were finely dressed, but their clothes weren’t as rich and expensive as those of the guests. They were a blur of darkness, of feathers and horns. She tried to focus on them as they whirled past on the dance floor. It was all so enthralling. She leaned forwards a little, her eyes wide as she took it all in. She’d never seen so many important people in one room, had never felt so much power. She wondered if all of the bloodlines were here. Her family usually had at least a dozen people in attendance at one of these balls. She secretly believed that Iona had loved the excuse to dance with so many different bloodlines. The ball was a tribute to the one who had created them all many millennia ago. They donned the masks to protect their identities, to shed who they were for one night.
    Tonight they were just vampires.
    They weren’t Venia, Vehemens, or Nocens.
    She wasn’t a Caelestis.
    Valentine wasn’t an Aurorea.
    They were just vampires.
    She tied the shawl tighter behind her back so it remained in place and hid the marks on her shoulders. Pulling up her satin gloves, she cast another glance around the room, this time searching for Valentine. She didn’t know what he was wearing. She wished that she’d asked him so she could at least find him in amongst all the other vampires. She listened to the sound of laughter coming from a short distance to her right and someone brushed past her.
    Turning quickly, she caught a flash of a black demonic looking mask and then it disappeared into the crowd. She frowned and tiptoed, trying to find him but not wanting to draw attention to herself at the same time.
    She smiled at a passing man when he nodded at her and wished that everyone would stop looking at her. No matter how much she tried to fade into the background, she seemed to be failing.
    Her eyes fell to rest on a tall man across the dance floor. He was standing on the steps that led up to the balcony. She recognised the mask as the one she’d caught a flash of not five minutes ago. It had long black horns and looked like the devil. His build was slim, emphasised by the fine cut of the black jacket he wore. It was decorated with what looked like deep green embroidery. She couldn’t see his neck. The tall collar of his jacket obscured it, making it impossible for her to see if he had a scar. She squinted, trying to see if it was Valentine. Her gut feeling said that it was but she couldn’t be sure without getting closer. He moved slightly, revealing the person he was talking to. She leaned into the column, her heart sinking when she saw the woman smiling at him. She was dressed in a tight black corset with a large pair of black-feathered wings adorning her back. Her lips were painted so dark that she couldn’t tell if they were red or black too. Either way, she was beautiful. She looked so regal, so well bred and delicate.
    Prophecy sighed and furrowed her brows beneath her mask when she saw the woman touch the man’s cheek and smile.
    She was about to turn away when someone caught hold of her hand. Turning, she expected to see Valentine.
    Her eyes widened when the bulky man grinned at her from behind his red mask and pulled her onto the dance floor.
    Before she could break free, one of his arms was around her waist and her other hand was clasped tightly in his. Her head spun as she tried to make sense of what was happening. Bringing her eyes up to meet the man’s whose arms she was in, she swallowed hard when they flashed red at her, betraying the fact he was a Vehemens. The room was a blur as the tempo of the music increased, the violins and fiddles sliding into each other and the tribal beat of the drum making her feel as though her heart was racing.
    She felt swept away when she suddenly found herself in the arms of another man. She breathed heavily. Panic rose up inside her when he grinned and revealed his sharp teeth to her eyes. She tried to lean away from him but he gathered her closer and all she could do was focus on the movement of her feet so she didn’t