Page 45 of Fangs

“What about you?”

He is silent for a long moment. “I stay cursed here. I cannot leave these walls. My power, my essence—they are locked in the portrait. I am bound to this house until the curse breaks.” He meets my eyes, and I see the weight of two hundred years of loneliness staring back at me. “I cannot leave, Lucy. Not even if I wanted to.”

He moves toward the door, pausing at the threshold. “The shadows will take care of you.” His voice is rough. “Sleep. Rest. You are safe.”

Then he is gone, dissolving into the darkness, leaving me alone in the magnificent room.

The bed is impossibly soft, the pillows like clouds beneath my head.

The shadows bring me food—warm bread, fresh fruit, a decanter of deep red wine. I eat. I drink. I drift into a dreamless rest.

When I wake, moonlight streams through a high cathedral ceiling, its colored glass casting patterns of ruby, sapphire and gold across the floor. The ceiling soars above me, impossibly high, painted with scenes I can’t quite decipher in the dim light.

The shadows slide across the floor, tendrils of darkness that wrap around my limbs. I tense—then relax as they guide me from the bed. A basin of water appears, steam rising from its surface. The shadows bathe me, their touch gentle, washing away the blood and exhaustion.

They dress me in a silken rich fabric that gleams like liquid gold. I suspect it is real gold thread woven into the cloth. White gloves encase my arms up to the elbow. Ruby gemstones adorn my hair, catching the moonlight and throwing it back in flashes of crimson.

I stare at my reflection in the ceiling glass, hardly recognizing the woman who stares back at me.

I look like royalty. Like a queen from a fairy tale.

A passage opens in the glass ceiling above, and Blake descends.

He floats through the opening, his silver hair streaming behind him, his velvet coat replaced by something even more magnificent—black and silver and deep midnight blue, embroidered with patterns that seem to shift and move. His eyes blaze with crimson fire, and he lands before me with a grace that steals my breath.

“You always have to make such dramatic entrances?” I ask, my voice coming out breathless.

His smile is slow, devastating. “Would you have it any other way?”

He circles me, his eyes traveling over the dress, the gloves, the rubies in my hair. Something dark and possessive flickers in his gaze.

“Stunning,” he murmurs. “Absolutely stunning.”

I feel heat creep up my cheeks. “You are not so bad yourself.”

“Not so bad?” He laughs, and the sound is warm, genuine. “I have been preparing this for centuries, Lucy. I have had time to perfect my appearance.”

He offers me his hand. “I have prepared a surprise for you. Will you come with me?”

I hesitate only a moment. Then I place my hand in his.

His cold and strong fingers close around mine, no claws today. He leads me across the room, and the walls melt away, replaced by a ballroom.

It is breathtaking. The ceiling arches overhead, painted with scenes of stars and gods and lovers. Chandeliers blaze with candlelight, their flames reflected in a thousand mirrors. The floor is polished marble, gleaming like a frozen lake.

And in the center of it all, a feast awaits. Tables groan under the weight of delicacies I have never seen—roasted meats, fresh fruits, pastries dripping with cream and sugar. The shadows move among the tables, arranging and rearranging, acting as silent servants.

I turn to Blake, my heart pounding. “You did all this?”

He bows, a mockingly elegant gesture. “I hope it is to your liking, my lady.”

I laugh, and the sound echoes through the empty ballroom. “This is insane.”

“Probably.” He straightens, his eyes meeting mine. “But you are worth it, Lucy. Every impossible, insane moment of it.”

Feed

The feast sprawls across the table like a vision from a dream. Roasted meats glistening with juices, fresh fruits piled high in crystal bowls, pastries dusted with sugar that sparkles like diamonds in the candlelight. The shadows move among the dishes, pouring wine, arranging plates, tending to our every need.