The Vampire Prince returns to High School (Book 2)

Paying it Back

That night I couldn't sleep. It was just an invitation. I wasn't necessarily required to go. Then again, the invitation hadn't given any information about who to call to RSVP. I doubt I could cancel.

I should have expected this. Hadn't I been waiting for this to happen? So, why was I so surprised? The one thing I didn't understand was why the mafia wanted me there in the first place. I didn't believe that they had invited me just on a whim. They had an agenda. But what could that be?

The other issue was telling Alexander that I was attending the Royal Ball. Even he would ask me why the mafia was inviting me. I hadn't told him specifically that I had used their help to get Micah to confess. He would be so mad. What was done was done. There wasn't anything I could do about it now. Not to mention the fact that I had to tell my parents. I didn't want to use any vampire tricks on them. If they didn't let me go, that would be great. Technically, I was still underage and needed their permission. I doubted the mafia could do anything if my parents refused to let me go.

Sometime in the early hours of the morning, I managed to doze off and stay asleep. It was almost noon when my mom finally told me to get out of bed. After lunch, I tried to focus on my homework but that wasn't happening. I completed my immediate homework due tomorrow but that was about it.

As I complemented whether to take a nap or not, my phone rang. Thinking it was Alexander, I snatched it off the bed and looked at the screen. It wasn't him. It wasn't any number that I recognized. Considering who I suspected was behind all of this, I answered.

"Miss Borek," Camellia said from the other end. "Thank you for answering my call."

"Uh, yeah," I forced out. I cleared my throat. "So, what can I help you with?"

"I'm sure you've seen the invitation, yes? We'll be sending someone to pick you up tomorrow and get your measurements for your gown. Don't worry. Your parents will be informed."

"I . . . guess this means that attendance is mandatory, huh?"

I was glad she wasn't here right now. Blood pounded against my eardrums and I felt sick.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," she replied. "We won't force you to attend. However, debts must be paid, no? Plus, we owe a lot to you and so we would like to thank you by inviting you as our guest of honor."

Camellia sure knew how to spin it in her favor. But, I wasn't going to back down from my word. I knew they had helped me a great deal and I was going to go through with it. That didn't mean that I wanted to go but if I had to, I would.

"Alright," I told her. "I'll be waiting. Let me know when and where."

"Lovely, have a great day Miss Borek."

"You as well."

I ended the call and stared down at my phone. In retrospect, I should have found another way to save Alexander but it was too late to complain now. He was here with me and that's all that mattered.

***

Dinner was quiet. Too quiet. Mom and Dad weren't talking. Did they get into a fight? It wasn't like they hadn't had arguments before. That was normal in any relationship, but lately, it was different. If Dad was against vampires, what did that mean for his job, my school, and everything in general? It's not like he wasn't allowed to change his mind on his viewpoints, but doing a complete 360 was something else. Then again, I was probably overthinking this.

"So," I began if only to fill the silence. "What did you guys think of Alex?"

While I did want to know what they thought, perhaps it wasn't such a great idea at the time. My parents were caught off guard by the question.