Charles, Marianno, Noah and Irene all got individual rooms down the same hall from Arthur and I. Before she slipped into her room, Irene gave me a suggestive smirk complete with an eyebrow wiggle. I flipped her off and followed Arthur into our room with a flaming face.
The door closed behind me. The sound faintly registered as I took in the bedroom. It was quite spacious, with two wide windows looking over the front of the castle. A faint charcoal scent filtered through my nose, with a heavy layer of cool winter. The windows must have been opened just recently.
The deep green walls matched the upholstery of the seating arrangement near a fireplace. The red velvety sheets on the four poster bed looked smooth and inviting. The woodwork on the bed was very detailed. As I got closer to it, I could make out the little birds and serpents- no, not serpents, dragons. The carving was meticulous, and the dark wood of it gleamed under the natural lighting.
I looked at my boots, then at the beige carpet.
"Don't bother taking them off, we'll be getting out soon." Arthur stopped near the window and looked out.
I shrugged and joined him by the window. The people below were gathered in clusters of at least two. Guards dressed in green and gold walked the perimeter. The buzz of conversation reached my ears, along with clicking hooves and marching soldiers. The room wasn't soundproofed.
I looked at Arthur. His profile was sharp and handsome against the light. "What is it?"
A feeling of watchfulness strained the bond. Arthur was on guard ever since we entered the castle.
"There's something wrong." He turned to look at the room and rubbed his chin.
"With the room?"
He frowned. "With everything."
His eyes took in the room in a slow scan, not missing anything. His magic flared, erupting forward and licking everything in sight. Searching, tasting. I turned to look at the room and did the same.
Trying to push my magic out without igniting the flames was a challenge. But it did help me sense the world in a way my five senses couldn't do. There was no trace of magic in the room, other than Arthur's.
"What do you think of the king?" I asked.
Arthur's sudden smile sent a chill down my spine.
Damn it. There were still times when he elicited such visceral reactions from me. It wasn't exactly fear... or maybe it was. I would be an idiot not to be afraid of a being of such power. I knew, however, with absolute certainty that his power would never be aimed at me in hostility. That still didn't mean I didn't react to it like it would. It was simply an instinctive reaction.
"Rion is a spineless bastard."
I almost choked on my spit. I laughed. "Okay. That's one way to put it."
Arthur's mood lightened. "He's afraid of something, of that much I have no doubt."
"Was he always like this?" I asked. "You were here before, right?"
"I was here when your father was king. But Rion I met shortly in Paris after he was crowned. He was surrounded by guards, then, but it was understandable since it was on foreign soil and he had just been crowned." Arthur shook his head. "This situation, however, is far from understandable."
"Pair it with the overuse of the nullifying spells, and it is clear to the blind that the king is spooked."
A dimple popped in his cheek. "Spooked is right."
"Do you think it has something to do with us?" I asked.
"We will have to find out." Arthur straightened and gave me a once over. "I trust you are armed."
"To the teeth."
"Perfect. Noah will be your shadow for the duration of our stay here."
I stifled a grin, because I could feel how irritated he was as he uttered those words.
"That is not funny," he said.
"You could've just sent Irene or Charles with me, instead."
He shook his head. "Charles is an excellent fighter and guard, but he doesn't have the senses of a shapeshifter or their instincts."
"Irene is a shapeshifter," I said.
"She's also young and does not have as much experience dealing with other Immortals, especially the fae. Noah is an alpha. He's also been the shapeshifters' representative in the council a few times. He knows how to wade through immortal politics." He sighed. "He's also one of the strongest shapeshifters in the world. My irrational jealousy is not worth risking your safety."
I pushed back a smile. "Is the big, bad vampire lord jealous? That's cute."
He was not amused. I lost the battle against laughter. Arthur's cheek dimpled. He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly. It was odd how all my fear and unease about the future melted into nothing. He made me feel safe.
"Take care, Elle. If something happens to you, I'll paint the world red."
*** **** ***
The castle made me claustrophobic, so after a shower, Arthur and I ventured outside. The rest of our company trailed behind us like guards.
"Why is everyone staring," I grumbled. Our trek through the castle garden was only five minutes long and I already wanted to kick someone's ass. Back in Paris, people stared. I understood since I was a new commodity, and immortals weren't used to new.
But at least their looks had been inconspicuous, to an extent.
The fae did not bother with subtle glances. The people who occupied the gardens craned their necks and twisted their heads in an effort to take a proper look at me.
I felt like a gussied up chihuahua being paraded about in a dog pageant. Except I didn't get any of the admiration the puppies enjoyed. In fact, a vast majority of the fae around us reacted like they were looking at a flea infested mutt.
A woman stood to the side with a couple of men. She wore a pretty gown of deep green, her hair in a complicated updo on her head, and her eyes shining with a hint of disgust and a superior glint.
I caressed the hilt of my sword and smiled at her, my teeth flashing. Her face took on a slightly freaked out expression and she looked away. Arthur's chuckle was low. "Don't scare off people. We still need to fish for information."
"I just smiled at her."
"That was the smile a wolf flashes its prey."
I rolled my eyes. "Very flattering of you."
"I strive to impress, my love," he said. "They are curious. You're the daughter of their previous king. Part of the royal family."
"And a fae with vampire venom in my blood," I said.
"Yes." Arthur's voice turned cold. "And some see you as a ticking bomb they would love to see defused."
True. Vampire venom was dangerous to the fae, it turned them into creatures crazed with blood-lust. It enhanced their magic and heightened their pain threshold, but stripped them of all semblances of sanity. They turned into blood-hungry killing machines.
My mother had fought the craziness. But she had fed off blood, and the venom ran in her blood while I was in her womb. It affected me.
Some immortals were of the opinion of putting me down before I turned into a monster.
The fae were very sensitive to this issue. Uncle Robert used to tell me horror stories about bitten fae who had painted their villages red, leaving death and horror in their wake. I was the monster under the bed that fae parents scared their children with.
So their fear of me wasn't completely irrational.
"They're afraid," I said.
"Yes. You're an unknown in their world. And the unknown breeds fear in the hearts of the weak."
"So do you think Madeleine Byrne is still around?" I asked Arthur, keeping my voice low.
"Mhm. She is," Arthur said.
"How do you know?"
"They may not allow vampires inside the castle, but they are still close enough." He smiled. "The fae's aversion to vampires makes the latter easier to buy."
"You planted a mole?"
"That word has a negative connotation," Arthur said. "Let's just say I found someone with a more flexible definition of loyalty."
He planted a mole.
"So where do we find her?"
"She works in the king's cabinet. Apparently, she was promoted about a decade or so ago. She's one of the senior officials in the court."
A decade or so. Around the time they sent Martin Malone and his squad after us. "Aha. I guess getting Martin Malone to hunt us down worked in her favor."
"It appears so. Interrogating her without raising any eyebrows would take some finesse."
"I can do finesse."
Arthur patted my shoulder. Someone snorted behind me. I glared over my shoulder at Irene.
"The ball tomorrow evening," Arthur said.
Right. Before the king, my father and his consort saw us to our quarters, they mentioned something about a ball in our honor tomorrow evening. They also mentioned something about a formal dinner tonight.
"It would be a good opportunity to have a chat with her." He made it sound like we'd be sipping tea and telling jokes.
"Okay. Tomorrow evening."
A rider moved our way. His horse's coats gleamed a deep brown, its dark mane cut close to the body. The male fae sat straight on the horse's back, his chin held high and his shoulders back. He wore a black riding jacket, white pants, black boots and an easy smile. His light brown hair was cut into short waves on his head, and a slight stubble darkened his angular jaw.
"That's your cousin," Arthur mumbled. It took me a second to realize he was speaking to me.
The man stopped and swung down from his horse with the ease of a professional rider. He stood a few inches shorter than Arthur, but his lean stature and long limbs made him seem taller.
His smile widened several watts as he came to meet us. "Lord Arthur!"
His voice was smooth, his accent British with a hint of an Irish lilt to it. Arthur gave a regal nod. "Ryan."
"It's been ages, Lord Arthur." His soft brown eyes swung my way. "And this must be my lovely cousin. A pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Ryan."
A cousin, huh? I didn't know how to feel about the sudden expansion of my familial relationships.
"Likewise. Elle."
"Ryan is your grandfather's nephew," Arthur said. A distant cousin, then.
"We're family," Ryan said, his smile wide. "That makes me an in-law with one of the Five."
"I don't think that's something a fae should be proud of," Arthur said, his tone light.
I frowned. What did he mean?
Ryan laughed. "Oh, I'm not one of those old-fashioned fae, Lord Arthur." My cousin looked at me. "Some of the fae-"
"The majority of them," Arthur said.
Ryan sighed. "True. A majority of the fae hold the belief that we shouldn't mate outside of our race. It dilutes the bloodline. It is especially true in the case of the royal line."
"Aha." I looked at Arthur and put on a martyred expression. "So technically, I mated beneath me. How very lowering."
Ryan's eyes widened, his smile froze.
"I will make it worth your while, my love. Your great sacrifice will not go unnoticed."
I snorted. Ryan blinked. Then he chuckled, looking relieved. "Well, I hope to make your acquaintance in more depth, dear cousin."
He held out his hand for me. He bowed over my hand. I didn't even feel his lips on my skin. A gentleman.
He shook Arthur's hand next. "I shall see you at dinner, lord Arthur."
His hand held Arthur's for a second too long. His lips moved. I strained my ears but barely caught the low timbre of Ryan's voice.
Ryan turned, climbed onto his horse and trotted away.
"What did he say?" I whispered. Arthur shook his head. Even Arthur didn't catch it. He looked over his shoulder. Noah and Irene both nodded. They heard him.
Good to have shapeshifters on board. Arthur led the way to the shadow of a tree away from prying ears.
Naoh nodded. "Information. He wants to meet you tonight."
Wide eyed, I looked at Arthur. "You think he has information about uncle Robert's death?"
"Or your mother's," Arthur said. However, his voice lacked all the exhilarating hope I was feeling. His hand found mine and squeezed. "Don't get your hopes up too much."
"Why?"
"Ryan is known to be the black sheep of the royal family," Marianno said, frowning. "He's known for some... eccentric pastimes."
"Eccentric?" Irene asked.
A grimace contorted Marianno's features. "Ryan has been using unnatural means to, supposedly, increase his power."
Why was he beating around the bush? Arthur sighed. "Marianno is trying not to jar your ears, ladies."
Irene and I exchanged a look. I looked at Charles and Noah. "I didn't know you were that sensitive."
Irene choked back a laugh. Charles glared, and Noah simply looked stoic. Arthur tugged on a strand of my hair. "Behave," he whispered, though his eyes shone with mirth.
"So what are these unnatural means, Marianno?" I asked.
Marianno cleared his throat, a smile fighting its way to his lips. "He's been indulging in acts of cannibalism."
I raised my brows. I didn't expect that. "Well..."
"Ryan is two centuries old," Arthur said. "By that age, an immortal's powers would normally have matured. Members of the royal line are the most powerful fae in the world, but Ryan's powers have fallen short."
Now that he mentioned it, I could see it. My father had a sense of vast power to him, his magic a force impossible to ignore. And despite his apparent cowardice, my uncle's magic was substantial, too.
Ryan, however, felt like a regular fae to my magic's senses. He lacked the edge that my father and uncle both had.
"He's eating human flesh?" I asked again, just to be clear. I was too horrified to believe it.
"Does that actually work?" Irene asked. "He's eating human flesh to increase his power?"
"Not human, fae." Marianno said. As if that made it any better. My stomach threatened to empty itself. It was kind of hypocritical of me, though. I had to drink blood to survive, so I wasn't exactly an angel compared to Ryan.
And that didn't make me feel any better.
Perfect. My uncle is a coward, my cousin is a cannibal and I was a blood-thirsy ticking bomb. So far, my family has failed to make a decent impression.
--- ---- ---
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