“Not necessary, Gorvin. Let them enjoy themselves, but Lady Reyva and I will retire for the evening.” I breathed easier knowing I wouldn’t have to perform for the vampiric royal court of onlookers after…well, everything.
“Very good, Highness.” Gorvin’s signature agreeable demeanor ended their exchange and he excused himself.
Rhazien cupped my face in his hands as I sat up tall again. It didn’t take much searching to see the distress. “Dommik. Go. Confirm the Hive is secure and then entertain the guests or something.”
“I think it’s best if?—”
Rhazien stood abruptly. “It wasn’t a question. It was an order. You’re dismissed.”
Go,I attempted to say, but no sound came. Dommik hesitated, tilting his head and giving me a final once over.
Which mask was this? He’d been the devilish charmer. The cold, loyal soldier. The comforting friend. But this was different. Like the stormy seas in his eyes had parted and I had a clear view of the vulnerable depth of the tides.
I gasped and blinked in surprise as Rhazien removed Dommik’s coat from my shoulders. The stiff-backed regent stepped to his commander and placed the garment in his hands. Dommik’s gaze never left me, even as his regent growled, “I appreciate your service but you are openly disobeying me. Go. Now. Valta has been asking for you.”
The sound of boots tapping on the stones drifted down the hallway as Dommik made his reluctant exit.
“Come, Reyva.” Rhazien collected me, helping me to stand, and before we left, I looked back just once to see Dommik shrugging away Valta’s outstretched hand at the end of the hall.
After clicking the lock into place, Rhazien whirled to each corner of my chambers, ensuring we were alone before returning to me.
With his forehead pressed to mine, he whispered, “We aren’t making a positive impression on you, are we?”
I cleared my throat, making way for the words to break through the lingering smoke and ash. “If you’re asking if I’ve felt more unsafe than safe under your care, you’d be assuming correctly.”
But, somehow, I am still alive.
Concern coated his handsome features. He brushed a loose strand of hair away from my face and his fangs retreated as we both regained some level of composure.
“I’m sorry you had to leave the party,” I apologized to the floor.
Tonight was supposed to be celebratory, not filled with theatrical gore and menacing entities. He’d said it was about me—introducing me, welcoming me—but also, what having a prospect meant for the Hive and its future.
His prospect was proving to be a lot of trouble.
My lungs constricted, weighing every breath. The place in my mind I’d been shoving the atrocities of the last week cracked with every passing moment. Between my thundering heart beats, the truth made itself undeniable—I can’t handle this. A cry broke from my lips, shattering any sense of control I clung to, and tears carved into my face.
“Shh. Stop.” He wrapped me up in a comforting embrace. “Reyva, my jewel. Please, don’t give it another thought.”
His thumbs and lips alternated wiping and kissing my tears away. My arms found their way around him as well. The stubble of his beard scratched at my neck and face as he nuzzled into me and let me fall apart into him. Rhazien’s muscled arms lifted me from the ground, cradling me in a way that made me feel like no one could ever touch or hurt me again.
“That’s better,” he whispered to me as he settled us onto the sofa in front of my fireplace.
My tapering sniffles and the crackling birch logs filled my chamber, but my mind was a cacophony of voices.
You're a worthless whore. Not worth the trouble. There’s nothing special about you. Any goodness died…DIED…DIED WITH YOUR MOTHER.
“Reyva?” My name cut through the chatter and I looked up at Rhazien through tear-soaked lashes. “How do you feel?”
“I feel…empty. Like a fragile husk,” I admitted.
His stare intensified. “Would you like something to help change that?”
Anything to get the image of the shade from my memory and shut off my mind.
“Yes,” I said weakly. “What is it?”
“Nothing you haven’t had before.”
