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"Bals, bals, bals! I ae breath as Anya helped ant torture device "Much better," I said with a deep sigh I could finally breathe again

I had attended three balls in the past teeks, not to mention a ball et and an opera I was exhausted I had an essay on Pushkin due first thing Monday , as well as a chemistry test, and I had not studied for it yet And the winter social season still had twotoon ilded plasterwork on the ceiling No ht you wanted to be a doctor, Duchess," Anya said, carefully folding oay "What about medical school?"

"No medical school in Russia will ado to Paris Or Switzerland" I sat up "Anya, let&039;s run away together" She shook her head, her eyes wide "Oh, no, Duchess We&039;d get whipped by your father, for sure Maybe you could marry a doctor and help him out in his office?"

"I don&039;t think I could ever be happy just being a man&039;s helper And I doubt any suitable husband Maressive sort ould allow me to attend medical school No, I think Iit would throw Anya into fits Still, I did worry that ht never coram, one had to prove proficiency in Latin and Greek I had doubled my efforts in inner&039;s Greek textbook forthrough it I was determined to succeed

I&039;d seen the handsome prince Danilo and his sisters several ti with hientle vampire at all

I mentioned the prince to Princess Cantacuzene when Maman and I were invited to a suests-at the Vladimir Palace All members of the Dark Court, of course

"He has not reached the age of his ascension yet," the princess Cantacuzene told hteen?"

"This June," I told her We strolled together through the great hallway fro room to the more intimate and more exotic Persian roo? I do not want to kill anyone, Your Highness"

"Are you willing to lay down your own life, then? For he will surely kill you

Or worse, turn you into one of his undead mistresses You put others at risk as well Your servants, your family, your children, even"

"Children?"

"If you rin prince, you will be required to produce heirs for hihters will become witches, and your sons will becohteenth birthday

Will you conde and grabbed ! Mon Dieu, child! You will not be able to resist his char!"

The old worins of black ic, I found it difficult to believe Prince Danilo could be capable of any evil Even Dariya had warer frohen she saw the two of us dancing together

The old worabbed my chin with her cold hands and snorted "Bah, I can see it in your eyes," she said "You are already in his thrall" I did not want to believe it The thought of being under sohtenedfrorins&039; presence They will trick you with one of their herbal potions They put so in that poor man&039;s sorbet at the Anichkov Ball"

I stared at Princess Cantacuzene in shock Her supposed senility that night had been just a ruse to protect the grand duke! It would not surpriseto cast spells onI hoped the tsarevitch was safe And his brother I&039;d not seen Grand Duke George Alexandrovich at any of the recent balls Of course, we had not attended any that belonged to the Light Court

But Princess Cantacuzene was still talking about Prince Danilo "Before his ascension, he is merely a mortal and can die easily After his ascension, he will not be immortal, but more difficult to destroy You will have lost your chance"

If only I had so hts kept ht Think rationally, I told myself Hoould I find scientific proof thatto turn into a blood drinker on his birthday?

I thought about my dreams

Dreams are not proof, I reasoned But Princess Cantacuzene&039;s words had frightened h