Cederic summoned the chamber's attendants to prepare Luna for the Blood Moon Banquet. He briefly excused himself to handle more pressing matters; his lieutenant had called him to personally greet guests and preemptively deal with potential threats, particularly rogue vampires, hunters, and other unwelcome supernatural beings.
When he left, the attendants unfurled a vast array of vials, pots, and bottles. They dusted her cheeks with genuine gold, accentuated her prominent Cupid's bow, and lined her large eyes with kohl. Luna hoped the cosmetics would mask the fresh bruises she'd received in her altercation with the were-leopard. A mix of lavender and jasmine fragrances enveloped her, a reminder that their main aim was to make her irresistible to the vampires.
Her patience was thinning, and she was on edge. Just as she felt she might snap from another indifferent touch, there was a knock at the door.
