“You waltz with vampires and parade about town with undead monsters, and yet you are afraid of me, Duchess?”

“From the way my mother's eyes lit up, I could guess she was wondering about a marriage between me and one of the Grand Duchess Miechen's sons. Never mind that the eldest, Kyril, was only thirteen.”

“Give me one year.Give me a year to prove to you that we belong together. That your darkness won't blot out my light. Promise me”

“Your Imperial Highness, will you do me the honor of this dance?" I turned to see Miechen's twelve-year-old son, Boris Vladimirovich, looking at me solemnly. "Of course," I said with a polite curtsy. Angels and ministers of grace, defend me.”

“You know what must be done.""No, I do not know what must be done. I do not routinely summon people from the grave and have them following me around!”

“I don't want you stashing yourself away with your Smolny friends tonight," Maman said. "I want to see you dancing with lots of handsome young princes and grand dukes."I rolled my eyes and stared out the window at the snow-covered city. I resolved to dance with the ugliest and the poorest men in the ballroom--if they should ask me.”

“You are going to have a nasty scar," I said as I gently held pressure to stop the bleeding."All true warriors wear their scars proudly," he mumbled. "How can I be proud of this one?"I looked up at him, horrified, as I realized what he meant. "What will your parents say?" I would be sent to Siberia. My whole family would be exiled. If not executed. He shook his head. "They will know about the count before too long. My father will think that I failed to protect the public from this danger. It is I who fear being sent to Siberia.""But...wait. I didn't express my fears out loud, did I?" I dropped his arm and backed away, suddenly spooked by his silvery faerie eyes. "Can you read my thoughts?""Sometimes, when I concentrate." He winced and grabbed the bandage from me to apply pressure to the bleeding himself. "You are very easy to read. Most of the time.”