"Dear lord satan, sister, can you please get a room?"
The voice was sharp, like breaking glass. I pulled away from Dave instantly. My face, which had been warm, now felt cold.
"Amelia…"
Amelia Moore, my younger sister, glided towards us. She was a vision in a deep red dress, cut low to show off her figure. Her blonde hair was flowing free, a stark contrast to my formal, pinned-up bun.
She always loved the attention.
"Amelia, you are being rude," I said, my voice tight.
"Am I?" She smiled, a sweet, cold smile. "It looked like you two were about to swallow each other whole. Right in the middle of all of us. What is the meaning of this indecency in public?"
Dave stepped slightly in front of me, shielding me. "Amelia. It is good to see you. But that is no way to speak to your sister. Especially not tonight."
Amelia's gaze flicked to him, and her smile widened. "Oh, Dave. Always the noble gentleman. Protecting my dear, fragile sister. How... boring."
"What do you want, Amelia?" I snapped, stepping out from behind him.
"Nothing at all." She shrugged, a perfect, delicate motion. "I just came to wish you luck. I hear the summoning ritual can be… unpredictable."
Her eyes flashed with malice. "It would be a terrible shame if you summoned something pathetic. Or worse, nothing at all."
"That won't happen," Dave said firmly as he put a hand on my shoulder, as if reassuring me.
"We'll see," Amelia whispered, her eyes locked on me.
Before I could answer, the jazz music stopped. A heavy silence fell over the Grand Hall.
Every guest turned toward the main entrance. The air itself seemed to grow heavy, as if getting charged with power.
Two figures entered, and the entire room seemed to bow under their presence.
My father, Alfred Moore, walked first. His black suit was severe, his handsome face carved from marble. He was the leader of the Vampire Clan, and he commanded absolute respect.
Of course, his wings were not visible in plain sight. After all, we were all civil beings.
Beside him walked a woman of equal grace and power. She wore a dark blue gown that seemed to absorb the light in the room. Her black hair was pinned up, matching my father's severe elegance.
This was my mother, Eleanor Moore, probably the only one in the entire world who could make my father do her bidding.
Dave, Amelia, and I immediately lowered our heads. "Father." "Mother."
The crowd parted for them like the sea.
Amelia, however, broke formation. She rushed to our father's side, ignoring our mother and linking her arm with his.
"Father! You're finally here. I was just talking to Casey." Her voice was sickly sweet.
Father Alfred's eyes remained fixed forward as he walked toward the raised platform. "Were you?"
"Yes." She glanced back at me with a smirk. "She and Dave were being improper in the middle of the hall. It was so embarrassing. People were staring."
I tensed, my fists clenching at my sides. How dare she?
My father stopped walking. The entire hall held its breath.
He looked down at Amelia. His voice was not loud, but it cut through the silence like a razor.
"Amelia. Let go of my arm."
She froze, her smile faltering. "Father...?"
"Tonight is not about you," he continued. This time, his voice was firm and slightly angry "Tonight is your sister's summoning. It is her night. Do not make trouble and behave, or else I will have you escorted out."
His cold eyes met hers, speaking more than words could ever convey. "Do you understand me?"
Amelia's face turned pale, then blotchy red with humiliation. She had been scolded in front of everyone.
However, she did not dare to make any protests when her father was that serious.
She slowly removed her arm and stepped back, bowing.
"Yes, Father."
"Good." He gave her no further glance and continued to the platform with my mother.
"Haha, serves you right," I muttered under my breath, just loudly enough for her to hear as i walked towards the main stage.
Amelia stood frozen, her eyes burning holes into my back.
"Vile bitch. Let us see if you can still be so smug after today." Amelia's face turned into an evil smirk as I left, but I did not see it.
"If I don't make you lose everything today, then I swear I will change my name today."
As my parents reached the platform, another man stood up from the front row. He was broader than my father, with a wild, regal look and a short-cropped grey beard.
He approached the platform, and the crowd murmured his name.
King Krawler, leader of the Obsidian Wolves.
Dave's father.
He nodded to my parents. "Alfred. Eleanor. Please accept my greetings."
My father nodded. "King Krawler. Thank you for joining us."
Father Alfred, my mother, and King Krawler took their seats on the platform, like royalty on their thrones. My father then stood and walked to the center of the small stage.
"Welcome, everyone," he announced. The room was silent, hanging on his every word.
"We are gathered for an ancient and important tradition. An occasion of great joy for the Moore family."
He looked directly at me, across the wide floor.
"Tonight, my daughter, Casey Moore, will summon her first familiar."
He held out his hand. "Casey. Come."
My heart hammered. I walked from the shadows and stood beside him on the stage. He briefly placed a hand on my shoulder, a rare sign of public approval.
"Let us wish her success."
The hall erupted in polite, measured applause. It felt distant, like I was underwater.
As my father led me off the small stage, we were immediately surrounded. The summoning could wait. The politics could not.
"Lord Moore, a wondrous occasion!" a Baron from a minor demon clan said, bowing deeply.
"My son, Marius, has just completed his blood-right," the Baron continued, pushing a nervous-looking boy forward. "He would be a perfect match for the talented Lady Casey."
Another woman, a powerful Duchess, pushed her way in. "Nonsense. My son is the heir to the Eastern Lands. An alliance with the Moore family would secure..."
"Lady Casey is known for her beauty, but my heir is known for his strength..."
As more and more people approached me, I felt helpless. Frustrated, I looked at Dave for help.
Dave's face was like thunder. He strode forward, his powerful presence easily parting the crowd of nobles.
"That is enough," he boomed.
The murmuring stopped instantly.
Dave stood next to me. He did not look at the suitors. He looked at my father and at his own.
"Lord Moore. King Krawler. On today's occasion, I would like to say a few words, may I?"
My father nodded, giving him permission.
He turned to the silent, watching crowd. His voice rang out across the hall with an air of authority.
"Casey Moore will not be marrying any of your sons."