Page 92 of The Duke’s Bloody Bargain

“There has been no change.” Graves stroked his sister’s hand.

He’d regained his healthy complexion and wasn’t as gaunt as before, but shadows haunted his gaze, and he didn’t stand proud and straight as he usually did.

Instead, Lucy remained unchanged. Aside from the paleness and coldness, she looked as if she were asleep.

Alex leant closer to her and sniffed. “She isn’t decomposing.”

“Alex.” I touched his hand to warn him.

“It’s true.” He shrugged. “She doesn’t smell either.”

“Oh, dear.” I rubbed my temples.

Graves narrowed his gaze. “Is that a certain sign she’s going to turn?”

Alex cradled his chin. “I think so. She’s in stasis. Why Bethlen turned her into a vampire is a mystery though.”

“Is she going to suffer when she wakes up?” Graves asked.

A little tug at the bond meant Alex was reluctant to discuss the matter. “If she remains in this deep sleep and wakes up as a vampire, she won’t feel any pain. But yes, the transformation is excruciatingly painful. I won’t hide that from you.”

Graves pressed his trembling lips. “That’s what I thought.”

Alex put a hand on his shoulder, surprising both Graves and me. “We’ll take care of her. And we’ll make sure she doesn’t drain anyone. We’ll keep her soul safe. And you’re welcome here.”

Graves gave a solemn nod. “Thank you, Your Grace.”

Two months had passed since we’d returned to the palace, and Darius had performed a true wonder. Taking inspiration from the legendary mist of Avalon, he’d turned the fog into a protective, concealing shield around the estate. The shield glittered in the sun, and when the moon was full, it sparkled with silver light.

I found the constant shimmering a bit bothersome, but at least it was confined to the border of the estate. Conjuring the shield had taken Darius an entire week. He’d worked, rested, and eaten at intervals, absolutely refusing any help from the fairies. I supposed he’d wanted to prove a point.

The plants had recovered almost completely, but the grass was still brown and crunchy. The great sycamore had put on some new green leaves, which was encouraging.

We hadn’t found Bethlen or Odette yet. Although another criminal had been found bloodless, which was an improvement of sorts. At least Bethlen wasn’t killing at will. Not that Rothbart was concerned about the fate of his men. He was too worried about his own fate for that.

The good thing was that the occupants of the palace had safely returned to work and the snakes had vanished with the fog.

Instead, Carabosse hadn’t improved, at least physically. Her magic hadn’t returned, and the dark vines were still covering her skin like a cobweb. She hadn’t spent a lot of time out of her bedroom, and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Although rumour had it that she and Graves had spent some time together, forgetting past arguments and finding solace in each other’s company. They’d both lost something precious to them.

That was why I wished to see her.

“Cara?” I almost tiptoed into her bedroom, not sure if my presence was welcome.

I came to a halt upon seeing Graves next to her. The rumours were true.

“And what is this?” he asked in a rather sweet voice.

“That’s Aurora’s country, a small principality in the south of France.” Cara’s aura had improved. Azure light—calm—suffused it.

Even Graves’s aura was less in turmoil.

They were sitting at her escritoire, surrounded by books. One of them was a world atlas, opened to the central part of the Continent.

“Good morning,” I said. “Graves.”

He stood up. “Miss Harlowe. I was here for… I mean, Cara needed help with… We’re just reading.”

I had no idea why he was so nervous, but if he’d found a friend in Cara, I would only be happy. “That’s wonderful.”