“Nothing to worry about.”
I swallowed down more blood, but it tasted like ash.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Amalthea
Damerel, the castle withina mountain, was a marvel.
But Ioni, the seat of northern power, was the most magical castle Amalthea had ever beheld.
“It’s lovely,” Dyna rasped. Her guard was exhausted from the brutal pace of travel.
“Indeed.” Through tricky lighting and precise planning, the capital was situated between two snow-capped cliffs in the north, almost hidden in the valley. It seemed like an odd spot for a castle, unassuming even, unless you knew of the thermal wells that heated the ground beneath. Even now, with snow falling all around, wisps of steam stretched in the distance over the white spires.
Once the eye adjusted to the view, the castle was a sight without parallel. Entirely white, it was composed of elegant spires, limestone gleaming in the sunset.
The answers Thea needed were hopefully buried inside, as intangible as the wisps of steam that billowed out. Ferreting them out would take precision and luck. But Eka was the oracle’s goddess, not Lixa. And Anagenni seldom rewarded interlopers.
If Thea had energy for guilt, she might have spared it by not forcing Dyna to walk through the day. The sunlight, even fading as it was, bounced off every inch of snow. Unpleasant for a vampire.
But every hour she delayed, the future grew darker and darker. So she paused only for a moment before the two began their descent to the castle.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Samara
The next day therewas no thralling, only a brief visit through the markets in the morning. The later hours were spent meeting Lady Jaen once again. I couldn’t tell if I hated it more when her attention was on me or on Raphael.
Today, Raphael had led me through Limanos again, but instead of practicing compulsion, he had me pick out different species with my senses. He’d explained that part of not hating being a vampire was working through the overwhelm of sensory information—the noises, the scents, the general sense of fullness that was hard to process.
We returned to the palace after that, but any assumption I’d made that we were finished for the day was quickly put to rest. Earlier, we’d gone out in unassuming garb, casual enough to blend in with the crowd. The outfit I was now in was not built for blending in. My dress was in the southern style, with high shoulders and a long skirt, but Damerel’s colors: bright purple with dark blue accents that shimmered in the moonlight.
Raphael matched, though I’d seldom seen him in anything but black. Raphael’s suit was made of deeper shades than my dress.
Limanos was a city that knew no hour for rest. Enough of its inhabitants lived during the day that the market began at dawn, but with it being a vampire city, the nocturnal activities were just as prevalent.
We were going to the theater.
“You haven’t seen enough?” I asked, remembering the distaste he’d had for the play and Flo’s performance.
“I think you’ll enjoy this.”
That halted me. He was thinking about my enjoyment.
Larissa opened the door of the carriage. “You look dashing,” she praised.
I grinned, despite myself. “You look nice as well.” She’d traded her usual uniform for a dressier version, matching the style Demos wore for balls in Damerel.
Likewise, we’d switched from the smaller coach built to navigate the winding mountain passes for a more ornate carriage befitting Raphael’s status. The ride wasn’t any big distance, but it was about being seen. When we finally stopped, Raphael got out, and I peered at the sight over his shoulder. Throngs of people, too many to all be attendees, looked on. Many were vampires; several were not.
“You’re here with me, little viper,” he said.
I took Raphael’s outstretched hand. The carriage was a bit tall for me, and when I stumbled slightly, his other hand quickly found my hip, guiding me down so I didn’t completely fall in front of the onlookers.
Though we were a bit north of the palace, farther from the sea, the night breeze was still cool and sweet. At first, I wasn’t sure why we’d stopped. There was no obvious building.
Then we turned past the crowd, and I looked down. A massive theater had been carved from stone down into the ground.
