The girl bows at the waist and then obeys immediately. I think Nevina might follow her from the room at first, but when she reaches the open door, she closes it instead. I roll my lips inward, then straighten and try to strike a casual countenance. Chill, Eloise. Be likable. You don’t want to piss off the queen your first day here.
She turns. “No one has been in this room since Damien died,” she says. “Did you know? Aside from the housekeepers, that is.”
“This was Damien’s room? Like, his childhood room?” I look around again, newly fascinated by the space.
“It’s also a shade tradition to honor those who die in battle. As an elf, I thought it was a ridiculous waste of space, yet here it is, filled again with his presence.”
I try to picture Damien as a boy, lying in the center of the massive four-poster bed with the dark fur covering. My mouth curves into a smile thinking about him dressing in the enormous, attached dressing room with its rows of shoes, tunics, and pants.
“This pleases you?” She’s studying me as if she doesn’t quite understand my smile. “It doesn’t make you feel like you’re sleeping in a tomb?”
“Not at all. I do wonder, though, how his parents kept him from sneaking out.” I gesture toward the open balcony.
She laughs. “It took me the longest time to become used to how open and airy this castle is. I made Brahm install glass in our room and a few of the others, but their kind prefers this.” She gestures toward the sky beyond. “Brahm assures me they have no problem with unwanted pests. Something about an enchantment. I think it was a gift from the witches of Dimhollow.”
“I suppose when you are made of shadows, the night air doesn’t bother you. For my part, I’m quickly beginning to love it, even though it is not the way on my world.”
She couples her hands in front of her waist and sighs. “That’s good. I know Brahm explained to Damien that the kingdom is a much different place from when he left. Damien told Brahm he’d take any position in the kingdom. I was wondering if that went for you as well. Are you willing to contribute to the success of New Stygarde?”
New Stygarde. I don’t miss the way she emphasizes new. And suddenly, I get why she’s here, lingering and making small talk. She’s worried Damien is expecting to pick up where he left off, perhaps even challenge Brahm for the throne. She’s seeking my assurance that we aren’t a threat to her or Brahm.
I’m tired. My overuse of magic has left me feeling sluggish, but I think carefully before I reply. After my experience in Night Haven, I know what a person in power will do to stay in power. I have to put her at ease. “Of course I am,” I say. “As far as Damien and I are concerned, we’re starting over. All we want is a place to call home. Brahm is the last of Damien’s family. We both just want to…reconnect.”
“How one sees themselves can often change with time.” She tilts her head as if she’s weighing the truth of what I’ve told her. She runs her thumbnail along a groove in the wood that makes up the back of the chair. “You should know, there are those who have never been comfortable with me as queen. Even now, it’s something we struggle with every day.”
For a moment, a flash of insecurity crosses her face. I’m genuinely empathetic toward Nevina. It had to be difficult giving up everything she knew to come here in order to keep the peace.
“Let me reassure you, then. Damien accepts your rule of New Stygarde. We aren’t here to upset the peace you’ve brought to this kingdom. Far from it. He would never do anything to risk the future of New Stygarde. We are simply attempting to find our own slice of peace in this world.”
Tension eases from her shoulders, and her smile softens. “It’s kind of you to be so candid about your intentions.”
I shrug. “It’s true. We returned here because my planet isn’t safe for us anymore. He’s here because he misses his home and his family. Brahm is all he has left. I think Damien is excited to be a part of what you’re building here.”
Her bright smile is back. “Thank you, Eloise.” She sets her delicate fingers with their long, tapered nails on my forearm, and I have the fleeting thought that her proportions are like a fairy-tale character’s. In fact, she could easily pass for Sleeping Beauty with her long, bouncy blond curls, elongated limbs, and full, sparkling pink gown. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d love your help tomorrow with preparations for the Harvest Festival.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
She nods. “Good night, Eloise.”
I’m relieved when she’s gone and the door is closed and locked between us. Nevina seems perfectly pleasant, but I know so little about this kingdom or her expectations. I’m simply relieved not to have upset her. Hopefully, I can keep it up for the duration of our stay.
6
Shadow Man
ELOISE
I toss and turn in bed, but despite my exhaustion, sleep evades me. Have Damien and I done the right thing coming here? Maybe Chicago and the Lamia coven would have been the better option after all. But even as I consider it, I cast the idea aside. There’s no going back. I can’t even light a candle using my magic, let alone imbue a symbol with enough power to carry us across worlds.
Which leaves us with only one choice. Build a life here.
After all, our decision to come here made sense. If nothing else, Damien deserved to go home after centuries of servitude. But now, everything has changed. It’s hard to see the future when the present isn’t what you thought it would be.
I shift onto my side, studying a lighted shadow box on the wall. It looks like something was once displayed there, although it’s empty now. I wonder if it was a tapestry or a vase.
I’m still contemplating it when the night appears to pour from the sky and form into a man on the terrace. My human eyes would have missed how gracefully he forms, how the distinct edge of his shadow self emerges fully from obscurity in the equally dark room, but my vampire senses register it all. I can see him clearly, the stars in the night sky an arresting backdrop to his silhouette. And I can smell him. His leather and rain scent surrounds me, draws into my lungs, and goes straight to my core, igniting something wild and untamed.
I hear his deep inhale, know that he senses my desire like the fragrant blooming of a rose. “Little bird,” he rumbles. “You need me. The blood wasn’t enough?” He swaggers toward me, his white teeth flashing in the darkness.
