It sings to me—a song both ancient and dark.
Touch me.
Like a moth to a flame, I draw closer, my fingers reaching out to brush the clouded glass. It begins to ripple like the echoes of disrupted water—liquifying around my fingers.
“What are you?”
The door swings open, breaking my trance. I jump back as two veiled maids in dark sleeveless shifts glide toward me, silently taking hold of my arms. I struggle against them as they drag me into a bathroom of floor-to-ceiling gold, strip me naked, and throw me into the pool of fizzling water.
I break the surface gasping before they wrestle me from the tub and into a two-piece gown. The neckline of the red metal breastplate starts where my ruby choker ends, suctioning to my skin and cinching in every part of me. The skirt’s sheer red panels leave little to the imagination, exposing the sides of my legs from my hips down to the strappy golden heels laced up my calves. My hair is pulled and twisted, my face prodded with tiny brushes. Every bit of exposed skin on my body is slathered with gold powder. The final touch is a golden tiara dotted with rubies.
The maids exit, never having said a word.
Kylian appears a moment later, the very definition of a siren, his tan chest and washboard abs on display in nothing but a pair of low-slung black linen pants. His hungry eyes appraise me as he saunters over to the dressing table and flings the crown on top of his head, adjusting it in the vanity mirror. His reflection smirks at me.
“That color suits you,” he says, walking back toward me.
I cringe as he grabs my hand and tugs me forward. “What happened here?”
His thumb skims over the bruise Mal gave me when he bashed my head into the wall. I wince, recoiling from him. “I asked you a question.”
“Your little handyman happened.”
He blinks, and a muscle in his jaw flutters. “Mal?”
I nod. His eyes flare, darkening a shade. Letting out a tight sigh, he grips me by the wrist and tows me down the hall.
“Where are we going?”
“I have a surprise for you,” he says, leading me to an unfamiliar part of the castle.
“I hate surprises.”
He lets out a dark chuckle, and the snarl on his face subsides. “This one promises not to disappoint.”
The beauty of this place still floors me each time I’m removed from my iron cage. I expected a palace of dark decay, of death and chaos and evil. I was surprised to find it couldn’t be more opposite.
The alabaster palace is a seaside dream, all natural light and open archways that overlook the most incredible pink sand beaches I’ve ever seen. Streams of seawater run directly through the castle like a network of veins spidering out through the main floor. It smells like salt air and endless summer.
I have no idea what to expect as we tread down flight after flight of curling cream-colored steps and enter a space as large as a Roman colosseum.
“Welcome to my Underground Theatre.”
The Underground Theatre is hewn entirely from pale white coral, like a waterless reef. Porous beams are erected throughout the massive space, and seats of matching make are carved into the tiers to accommodate row after row of scantily clad courtiers. I almost gasp at the size and magnificence of the chandelier. The gargantuan dome hangs like a golden sun above the audience, suspended mid-air, lit with thousands of warm white candles.
We make our way up the endless steps toward an opulent box where two thrones wait. Curious stares and hushed whispers follow us, blending with the orchestra tuning up beneath the red-curtained stage.
Ilspeth is already seated on one of the thrones, Mal hovering at her side. Kylian sits me down to his right and slides into the empty throne.
“What is this?” I demand.
“A little performance I put together in honor of my future queen.”
His thumb glides over my cheek, and I hiss, bearing my fangs. Hesnickers, amused, as the lights inside the theatre dim, and the crowd falls silent. Then the velvet curtains draw back as the stage lights flare, illuminating a male form.
I gasp when I see Kai strung up by his arms, barely conscious. His knees sag, his weight tugging at the rope suspended from the ceiling.
The orchestra breaks into a lively fanfare as the audience in all their finery begins to hurl small gray objects of varying sizes at Kai.
