I thought Cian would give her the brow furrow and nothing else, but surprising me, he stood taller, looked her in the eyes and nodded.
She returned the nod and squeezed my hand. “It’s been hours. Bathroom break? I’m sure you need help with the dress.”
I did, and with Fiona in tow, we headed to the bathroom. I could tell Cian wasn’t comfortable with me wandering off, but Keenan started to talk to him, and Fiona was with us.
Delaney kept giving me side-eye glances. She wasn’t comfortable with Fiona. I could tell not everyone was. She was so quiet and lived inside of her head a lot, but it was her eyes that seemed to make people uneasy. She didn’t trust. It was only our love of romance books that had bonded us together.
I casually brought up how much I missed the bookstore, and that Fiona was a reader too. The conversation seemed to relax Delaney and Fiona, and after using the bathroom, Fiona ran to grab a book Delaney was going to get signed for her. The author was going to be doing a signing at The Bell.
We planned to meet Fiona back in the ballroom, but we took a wrong turn somewhere along the way. This side the of the castle was extremely cold and dark. I’d never been before.
I felt uneasy suddenly.
“We should turn back,” I whispered. Though my heels were lightly clacking on the floor, the noise was too loud. It felt like this side of the castle was almost…dead.
“What’s wrong?” Delaney whispered, probably picking up on my tone or feeling the same thing I was.
The feel of my cold hand suddenly in her warm one almost jostled me. I had no clue how chilled I’d become.
“I don’t think we’re supposed to be on this side.” My voice was deathly quiet.
“Why? Is something wrong?” Hers was too.
“I don’t know,” I breathed, half expecting cold vapor to blow out in a puff.
We turned to go back when she stopped at two ornate double doors.
“Does this look like the same ones we left through?” She didn’t wait for an answer and opened them. The doors made a yawning sound, and I froze.
It was the forbidden ballroom.
“Oh my God. Why didn’t you have the reception in this ballroom?” Delaney whispered. “It’s beyond beautiful. Like somethingstraightout of a fairy tale.”
It was. A few sconces were lit, the flames throwing shadows over the floor, and the stained-glass windows shimmered.
Delaney went to take a step inside, but I put a hand on her arm. “Will you find Keenan and tell him we’re lost?”
“You’re not coming with me—”
“No. I don’t want to walk all around if I don’t have to.” I lifted the dress and showed her the heels.
My feet were starting to ache, but my curiosity about the beautiful ballroom was why I wanted to stay. If Delaney told Keenan we were lost, no one could get mad, right?
“Stay right here. I’m not even sure if I can find my way back. This castle is like a labyrinth!”
After she walked off, I almost took off behind her. Something in the air felt…haunting.
I was being ridiculous.
How could a room so jaw-dropping beautiful be haunted?
I took a step inside the cavernous room and just stood there, looking around. I stepped deeper in, my dress sweeping the floor, nothing but a whisper in a completely silent room.
Too silent.
Like it was a tomb.
As cold as one too.
