The structure was black and symmetrical, looming so high that the sharp points of the towers pierced the clouds. Dusty snow coated every surface, bringing an odd contrast of light and dark into the scene. Snakes were everywhere, the statues double my size.
“I can’t believe you grew up here,” I whispered into Altair’s ear. He sighed, his eyes darting around the area.
“Me either.”
We walked forward, my hand on his arm and our cloaks dragging behind us. The path was lit with violently bright balls of tech floating in the air, all of us walking along in a sort of line as we neared the castle.
Nerves clawed through my stomach, my hands sweating.Stars, we’re going to die here.
“Perhaps.”
Leave me alone right now, you’ll only stress me out more.
“Stop chatting with the voices in your head, love,” Altair whispered, tapping my hand. I looked up, eyes wide. Glancing down, he winked, facing forward again.
“How can you tell?”
“Your eyes twitch when you speak to them. Focus.”
“Seeing as you look at me enough to know something like that, I’d sayyou’rethe one who needs to focus,” I teased, trying to calm myself.
Altair’s smile grew, flashing those damn dimples. “I’d stare at you all day long if you’d let me.”
Another couple came up behind us, close enough that we were forced into silence. We were only feet from the entrance now, and I could make out the shapes cut into the hedges surrounding the structure. Eight-pointed stars. Of course.
“Hello, Adam. Jenna.” I looked forward, seeing a startlingly beautiful woman. She had piercing blue eyes and long, blonde hair. There was a pink hue to it, the light around us making her look ethereal in her silver gown. Across her face was a thin glitter, mirroring the star-flecked sky above us.
“Elise, it’s so wonderful to see you. As always, you look like the stars themselves.” Altair grabbed her hand, placing a gentle kiss to the top. Elise? This washis mother.
“Thank you,” she cooed, turning to face me. “As the lady of this house, I think I’m supposed to look the nicest. Yet, here you are, looking like a gift from the stars.”
Smiling, I said, “Thank you, Elise.”
A sense of curiosity abruptly took over me. What features of hers had he inherited? Definitely her mouth, which was full and even, the dip in the center of their top lip deep. And then she smiled, dimples appearing in her cheeks.
Something about him being a part of her stunned me. Unsettled me. This was who Altair was born to be. What he was raised to inherit.
“Enjoy yourself tonight, Adam. Don’t let him get too crazy in there, Jenna,” Elise Altair said, winking in the same quick way her son did. I smiled back, nodding. Altair didn’t give me the chance to speak again, sweeping me away.
“Remember, talk as little as possible.”
“Right,” I agreed. That I could do.
We made our way into the entrance, my gasp loud as I took it in. Dark wooden floors seemed to stretch for an eternity, with rugs and runners splayed tastefully. The black walls were covered in paintings and adornments, silvereverywhere.Snakes and stars were the main theme, though very little color was incorporated. Above us, a five tiered crystal chandelier loomed, lit by floating lights, the tech matching what was used outside.
“Try not to gawk too much,Jenna.You’ve been here before.” Altair’s lips were so close to my ear that I felt them graze it. Shivering, I leaned the slightest bit away, earning a soft growl from him. He pushed forward, his lips pressing into the hollow behind my ear. “Be a good girl,love.”
Fuck. I like that.
“Us too.”
Oh no. Oh no, no, no!
“Too late, we already heard it. Can’t take it back now.”
Is no place in this world sacred? Am I truly going to submit to a lifetime of privacy invasion?
Their laughs grew louder when Altair pulled his arm away from me, placing his hand on my lower back and swiping two glasses of something pale and bubbling a servant offered on a tray. He passed one to me, clicking his against mine before tipping it back and drinking it in one gulp, his throat bobbing.
