Page 30 of Dhampira

Then I remembered where I was.

Nocta. My father’s fortress.

I bolted upright. Today was the hunt.

The chamber’s double doors swung open, and Delphine swept inside with a black gown draped over her arm. She stopped short, her long skirts swinging around her ankles.

“Oh good, Your Highness. You’re up.” She moved to the armoire and hung the gown on a hook inside.

“Good morning,” I said, my voice hoarse with sleep. Despite the luxurious mattress, I’d spent the night tossing and turning, and I fought a yawn as I shuffled to the washstand. My watery reflection revealed smears of purple fatigue under my eyes.

Delphine spoke over her shoulder as she smoothed the gown’s black skirts. “I had to guess your size, but the castle tailor is very skilled. I’m sure this will fit.”

I blinked. “She made that gown overnight?”

“He,” she corrected. “And it was no trouble.” She faced me, and her white brows pulled together as she tapped her chin with a slender finger. “Two petticoats, I think. Anything more will be too hot.”

As she had the night before, Delphine worked miracles in a dizzying whirlwind of speed and competence. After serving me a breakfast of chocolate-filled croissants, she pinned and laced me into layers of undergarments and the elegant black riding dress, which had a clever split in the skirt that would allow me to sit comfortably in the saddle without flashing anyone.

Riding boots and a silky black cravat completed the ensemble, and then Delphine drew the upper half of my hair away from my face and arranged it in an intricate braid I couldn’t have replicated if my life depended on it.

When she finished, she turned me around and eyed me with a critical expression. “May I?” she murmured, raising her hands.

She hadn’t steered me wrong yet, so I nodded. “Sure, go ahead.”

“Hold still.” She smoothed her thumbs under my eyes, her touch featherlight. A beat later, dark circles appeared under her eyes—and then slowly disappeared.

I sucked in a breath. Whirling, I went to the mirror and examined my reflection. My face was well rested, with no trace of the purple puffiness under my eyes. I met Delphine’s gaze in the mirror.

“You took the dark circles onto yourself.”

Her lips curved. “I’m a caladrius. My people are healers.”

“A caladrius.” The name was unfamiliar.

She bobbed her head. “We can absorb illnesses and injuries, along with some kinds of pain. It doesn’t affect us.”

Well. That was a handy gift. I looked in the mirror again. My skin glowed. My hair fell over my shoulders in glossy black waves. Even my eyes seemed a brighter green. It was all Delphine’s doing.

I faced her. “Thank you. I’m grateful for your help.”

A shy smile touched her lips. “It was my pleasure, Your Highness.” Abruptly, she cocked her head. A second later, her smile fled. “The guards are coming.” She took my hands. “The king will honor you today, Your Highness. You must accept it. Do you understand?”

Something in her voice made anxiety twist through me. “You mean the hunt?”

“Yes. You can’t refuse the king’s honor.”

“Why would I—?” A loud knock cut off my question.

“We’re here for the princess,” a male voice called through the door. “The king asks for her.”

With a final look at Delphine, I crossed the chamber and opened the doors. Two vampire knights in black armor and crimson cloaks stood at attention.

“This way, Your Highness,” the taller one said. Without waiting for a response, the men turned and marched down the corridor.

Heart kicking against my ribs, I followed. The fortress was quiet, the beautiful furnishings bathed in the soft glow of the diffused morning sunlight. Our footsteps echoed, and my skirts rustled as we made our way to the grand foyer where Rasimir had greeted me the previous evening. Then we were in the courtyard and through a stone archway that opened onto a sprawling forest.

The guards stopped at the edge of a grassy clearing, offered terse nods, and walked away.