"Is it?" Naia asked innocently, helping with the jacket fastenings. "You did look quite striking last night. And he did seem rather focused on you during dinner."
Right.Because the most powerful Death Lord was secretly hiding romantic feelings for her. That made total sense.
"He was watching to keep me from getting murdered by courtiers with too much wine and too little sense."
"Of course." But Naia's smile warmed. "Though I must say, the midnight blue was particularly effective. You should wear it more often."
Brynn shot her a look. "You made sure that dress was picked, didn't you?"
"I may have given him limited options." Naia's innocence was so exaggerated that it was practically criminal. "If it happened to complement your coloring and catch certain people's attention, well..."
"You're enjoying this entirely too much."
"I've been dead for decades, miss. I take my entertainment where I find it."
Brynn couldn't argue with that logic, even if it meant being the subject of castle speculation. She moved to the breakfast tray, noting how the coffee tasted better than anything she'd had in years. Either the death realm had excellent suppliers, or someone was putting in extra effort to keep her comfortable.
And she had a pretty good idea who that someone might be, which was almost more unsettling than the gossip.
"Any other reactions I should know about?"
"Lord Lucian's asking questions about your training schedule. Lady Vivienne wants to observe your next session. Master Magnus thinks you're fascinating." Naia began tidying the wardrobe. "Oh, and several courtiers are placing wagers on how long you'll survive here."
"How optimistic."
"The smart money's on 'indefinitely,' actually." Naia's smile returned. "After last night's display, people are starting to think you might be more permanent than previous tributes."
Previous tributes who'd died within weeks. The reminder settled uneasily in Brynn's stomach.
She finished her breakfast and checked her appearance one final time. The midnight blue did look good on her. Brought out her eyes, complemented her coloring, made her look like she belonged in a court instead of a prison cell.
The walkthrough the castle confirmed Naia's predictions about servant gossip. Conversations stopped when Brynn approached, resumed in whispers after she passed, and she caught more than one curious stare directed her way. At least no one seemed hostile. If anything, the attention felt more curious than threatening.
A death knight stationed near the main hall directed her to a passage she'd never noticed before. It led to a spiraling staircase that descended far deeper than the castle's exterior hinted was possible.
The air grew cold and stale with each step, thick with the scent of damp stone and old magic—the kind that made her skin prickle with awareness that she was somewhere she shouldn't be.
The staircase ended at double doors carved with the same intricate ward symbols she'd been studying. They swung open at her approach, responding to whatever magical signature she carried now.
The chamber beyond made her stop in the doorway.
It was massive. A vaulted hall that stretched at least a hundred feet in every direction, with smooth stone arches overhead. No bones here. No skulls watching from walls, no ribcage chandeliers, no skeletal hands emerging from shadows. Just clean lines and stone, asif whoever had built this space understood that precision work required clarity, not intimidation.
The absence was almost unsettling after weeks of bone architecture pressing in from every direction, like stepping into a different building entirely.
Ward-stones hung suspended from the ceiling at varying heights, connected by silver chains that hummed faintly. Channels of blue light crisscrossed the floor in complex patterns, linking raised platforms positioned throughout the space. The light here was different too. Warmer, steadier, designed for work rather than atmosphere.
And standing at the far end near the largest suspended ward-stone, adjusting something, was the Reaper.
Her pulse quickened before she'd made it halfway across the threshold.
Get it together.This is just training.
Shadows drifted around him as he moved, responding to gestures too subtle to catch. She suppressed a shiver.
"You're early," he said without looking up from his adjustments.
"Punctuality is a survival skill." She moved closer, forcing herself to sound unaffected even though her heart was doing interesting things in her chest. "This looks significantly more complicated than last time.”
