Kade’s nostrils flared, and his fists clenched, but Raine smiled at him. “Try not to break anything,” she said and left the room.
Captain Pezar eyed us as if he was disappointed we didn’t create more of a scene. “Guards will escort you and your lady friend to a private dinner with the king in three hours,” he said, and then he promptly left the room, followed by the guards who’d been escorting us. The last guard closed the door behind him, and I didn’t need to check to know there were guards stationed outside.
“I don’t fucking like this,” Kade growled and began stomping back and forth across the length of the bedroom. Locke strode to peer out the window at the other end of the room, and Asher dropped onto the closest bed.
“Better a fine room with comfortable beds than the dungeons,” I pointed out. “And we still have this, remember?” I rubbed my chest. “If anything bad happens to her, we’ll know.”
Kade clenched his jaw before speaking. “We can’t be sure they’re taking her to the next room. If they hurt her—”
“If we want to get information about the curse, we need to stay out of chains,” Locke said. “Darian’s right. We’ll know if she’s in danger. If we feel the slightest hint of pain in our chests, I’ll happily help you destroy this place to get to her, but for now, we wait. From what the captain said, we’ll see Raine again at the dinner in three hours.”
Asher let out a low whistle. “Do you think Sharachi’s room is as fine as this, because damn.”
“It’s better than the forest,” I agreed, hardly showing appreciation for the opulent room we found ourselves in. Every surface appeared to be lined with silver down to the lush cushions covering the chaise lounges near the far wall.
A door was situated on the right side of the room, and I opened it to find a gleaming water closet equipped with a large ceramic bath. Getting clean wasn’t the most important thing we needed, but after recent events, I wasn’t too proud to take advantage of our situation.
“For now, we are guests in the palace. We need to give Prince Azaren a chance to bring us the information about the curse. Until then, we have a dinner to attend in a few hours,” I said, turning away from the bath.
“And what if he doesn’t come through?” Asher questioned. “It’s obvious he wants the books, but I still don’t understand why he would help us. We all know things will take a bad turn for us once our abilities return and they realize we’re monsters. I don’t intend to end up with my head severed from my body, and I sure as fuck ain’t goin’ to let that happen to Sharachi.”
“If it comes to it, we’ll take matters into our own hands and search for the information about the curse on our own,” Locke said. “But without knowing the layout of the castle and what powers each of the fae have, and without our monster abilities, even I have to admit it would be difficult. For now, we go along with Prince Azaren’s plan.”
“Agreed,” I replied. “And on that note, I must get some of this grime off me so I can feel like a dignified being again.”
“Dignified? You’re not the one with your ass crack hangin’ out,” grumbled Asher.
Fine garments had been left on the ends of each of the beds, and I snatched one up and tossed it to Asher. “Seems like you’re in luck.” Then I grabbed another for myself and disappeared into the washroom. The bath was already filled with warm water, and I stripped out of my clothes, eager to step in.
CHAPTER 12
~ Raine ~
Thesilverclochecoveringthe plate before me was so shiny my reflection stared back, and I found myself looking at a strange version of the woman I’d once been. A silver dress with long, pointed sleeves and intricate beading clung to my body, and I’d arranged my hair into a simple braid that hung over one shoulder.Of course it had to be a dress,I sighed internally.
True to his word, hours earlier Captain Pezar had escorted me to the room next to the one Kade and the others had been placed in. It was a lavish space with a single four-poster bed and elegant floral wallpaper, but it was empty without my monsters. Still, I’d tried not to think about how our separation unsettled me, and I’d focused my attention on my next tasks.
The dress had been laid out on the edge of the bed, and I didn’t need to be a genius to understand it had been left for me to wear. It wasn’t a practical outfit, but I’d been glad to have something else to change into. There’d been a not-so-pleasant smell in the room, and I was starting to suspect it might have been coming from me.
After trying to peer out of the frosted window that only provided a blurred view of the fae kingdom beyond the castle, I’d allowed myself to bathe and dress in preparation for our dinner with the king. The water was glorious, but the longer I’d been away from Darian and the others, the more my stomach had twisted with unease. Honestly, I’d been downright ecstatic when Captain Pezar had arrived to escort us all to dinner.
Though we had only been apart for a few hours, Asher and the others had visibly relaxed when they’d spotted me, their gazes frantically sliding over my body like they were desperate to drink me in and check I was unharmed. My lips had twitched upward in amusement, but my heart had swelled at the attention.Goddess help me if I ever need to separate from them completely.Did one need their sanity to live? That was a problem for another day if it ever came to it.
The long dining table we’d been taken to was situated in the middle of a great hall, and I sat on one side of the table in between Asher and Locke. Kade, Darian, and Prince Azaren sat opposite us, and King Chalir was positioned at the head. The monsters had all obviously taken advantage of their time in the room like I had, because they were all bathed and dressed in fine silver suits, and they looked sexy as sin. Asher’s and Locke’s scents of musk, leather, cedarwood, and spice swirled around me like a delicious cocktail, making my mouth water.
Even Prince Azaren looked regal and fit for an audience with the king, with his pressed suit and spiked blue hair that was no longer thick with blood. The fae who’d fussed over the prince when we’d first arrived at the castle clearly hadn’t been joking when they’d promised to restore him to health. There wasn’t a single mark to indicate he had ever been tortured or carried unconscious through the forest.Good for him.
Moving light reflected from above, glittering over the cloche, and I turned my attention to the large, glowing statue of a fish hovering in the air above the center of the table. The piece of art hung suspended as if held by invisible strings, and the fine detail of the creature’s eyes and scales made it appear real. As I stared, the blue mass began twisting and shifting, remolding into the sculpture of a bird of prey taking flight.
Four smaller sculptures hovered in each corner of the room, and these changed in time with the larger statue as if they were all responding to the same command. It took me a moment to realize the sculptures were entirely made out of water that must have been manipulated by magic, and a shiver swept through me.If fae can manipulate water to create such beauty, I hate to wonder what else they are capable of.
“Ah, now those were gifted to me by the water fae a century ago. Just some of the many mesmerizing wonders in this palace,” King Chalir said, drawing my attention back to him. The fae king had entered the dining hall shortly after us, along with another half a dozen guards, and a herald had announced his long string of names, most of which I’d already forgotten.
King Chalir appeared older than many of the other fae in the room, with lines marring his forehead, but he was attractive with striking cobalt-colored eyes and a chiseled jaw leading to a prominent chin. A silver crown encrusted with sparkling gems sat atop his long white hair, and two fae females stood at either side of his chair, pawing over him like he was their purpose for existence.
The females had entered with the king, and I’d first marveled appreciatively at their shimmering clothing which was an artful display of silver mixed with bright pinks, yellows, and greens. That was, until I’d realized the fae were actually naked and those clothes wereliteralart. The colors had been painted onto their skin to mimic the appearance of tight-fitting garments, and the moment I understood those silver circles on their chests were actually nipples, my gaze shot to Asher beside me. Of course, he pretended he hadn’t been looking, and I shook my head at him with a grin. Locke acted like the females were invisible, Darian merely looked curious, and Kade looked like he wanted to rip their heads off. I figured that was better than them lusting over the females, so I took it as a win.
“I imagine you haven’t seen anything so refined,” King Chalir added condescendingly, and for a moment, I thought he was talking about the pretty fae female who was trailing her manicured fingers down his muscled chest. Then I realized he was talking about the water sculptures.Right.
