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We walked into an open room with tables lined for a banquet, except there was no food, only goblets, and I didn’t need to look to know what was inside of them. “We’re almost there,” he said as if he could sense my anxiety.
The tail of my dress floated out behind me as I hurried down a second corridor, finally ending up in a hallway of paintings and doors. “The king is beyond these doors, love,” he said, lowering his night-blue gaze to meet mine. Could they hear us from here? I only nodded, and he brought his lips to my ear, his hot breath hitting the lobe. “We can do this,” he said, his voice barely a whisper.
I noted the dusty, musky smell lingering in the air from lifetimes using the decor and carpets with little updating. He opened the doors, and my stomach knotted. I followed him, pausing for a second before, as the sudden urge to run came over me.
This wasn’t just the king. This was my dad. The man who had given me life and loved too much, according to Sebastian. He was mad, terrifying, the leader of a world where mortals like me were imprisoned, enslaved, and looked upon as nothing. I almost forgot about Hamza until I saw him standing at the side of the small room. His eyes found me, watching like a snake as I matched my pace to Sebastian. He halted before a long, marble desk. Behind it sat the man who’d consumed my thoughts ever since I learned who he was.
A fire crackled near the two windows, hissing embers between logs and sending a charcoaled, smoky smell into the air. “Sebastian,” the king said in greeting, his smile far more vibrant than I could have guessed.
I saw now why my hair would have given him pause. The king’s hair was a perfect match to mine, only confirming what I already knew: he was my father. His locks fell in a slight wave down to his shoulders, which were draped with gray fur and clasped by a gold circle. The crown sat halfway down his head, stopping midway on his forehead. The antique gold housed glittering rubies and ornate designs. Thick brows lifted when he noticed me, forming lines above the bridge of his nose. “You must be the beautiful sorceress I keep hearing so much about.”
My breaths quickened as he walked around his desk, closing the distance between us. He took my hand in his surprisingly warm grasp and lifted it to his lips. He placed a kiss against the knuckle above the engagement ring Erianna had picked out and lowered my arm. “I am King Sargon of Sanmorte.”
I couldn’t speak. Closing my eyes for a moment, I searched my mind for words, anything to say back. There were many greetings. Even a grunt would’ve sufficed right now or a nod. Had I forgotten how to nod?
Sebastian cleared his throat. “Excuse Olivia. She’s a little shy.”
Sargon leaned back against the desk, picking a piece of lint off his embroidered sleeve. He turned his attention to Sebastian while I continued to look at him, taking in every line on his deceivingly youthful face. He appeared to be in his late thirties, although I knew his age far surpassed that.
“I have been awaiting your arrival. You did not tell me you met this lovely young woman,” he probed, looking from me to him. Hamza said the king would be angry that Sebastian hid a sorceress from him. I watched Hamza from the side of the room. A slight sneer curled against his lips, and I found my voice.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty, but that would have been my doing. I was brought here from an eastern town of Baldoria some time ago, and Sebastian found me in a blood den.” I paused for effect, glancing in Hamza’s direction, and was glad to see the smile on his face erased. “They placed a strange jewelry on me so I couldn’t use my powers, and when Sebastian found me and—” I gazed up at him with the most adoration I could muster. “W—well, I fell for him. He didn’t know what I was until much later. I’m grateful he’s accepted me for who I am.”
Sargon arched an eyebrow, regarding me carefully. “Accepted?” He scoffed a laugh, slapping a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. “I would say he lucked out, finding a sorceress. I can see why he made you his so quickly.” He eyed the ring, and a shiver snaked down my back. “You can sire an heir now, Sebastian. A child to one day take your place as Master of Travel when you want to retire, that is,” he added.
Sebastian laughed with ease, his fingers now entwined with mine. “We both know you can’t get rid of me that easily. But, like you, I doubt I’ll ever retire.”
“Good,” Sargon said, a slow smile building. “Of course, you have my approval.”
It took a moment before I realized he was talking about our engagement. “Thank you.”
The corners of his eyes softened when he looked at me. “I’d do anything for Sebastian here. He’s my eyes and ears of the city. Hamza was there recently, actually.” He waved a hand in Hamza’s direction, and Sebastian’s jaw tightened.
“Next time you should stop by. I’d love to host you for a night,” Sebastian said, somehow making it sound threatening. Fortunately, Sargon didn’t notice.
As I watched the king move, I suddenly had the desire to blurt out who I really was. But whether it was some biological response to being in front of my father after all these years, or just some stupid want to get this over and done with, I had to stop myself from speaking.
He had my mom, I reminded myself. Somewhere, in this castle, she was locked away. She hadn’t escaped with me for no reason. Things must have been horrible here for her to do that and hide me for this long. If I told him who I really was, Sebastian would be punished for keeping me from him, and I would undoubtedly be turned into one of them come my twenty-first birthday, fulfilling a destiny I didn’t want.
“Sebastian,” my father said, snapping me from my thoughts. “You will join me for dinner this evening. We have business to discuss.”
He nodded, and I noticed my lack of invitation. “Of course, my king.”
Hamza opened the door, reading the unspoken signal it was time for us to go. Sebastian dipped his head in a bow and turned to the door. I curtseyed clumsily because I hadn’t practiced, then followed Sebastian out. Before reaching the door, I stole a look over my shoulder at my dad, and my heart ballooned. I knew he was dangerous, or so everyone said, and I could never tell him who I really was, but I was weirdly glad he was looking at me too. I wanted to believe he recognized his blood in mine, that he could see the daughter he’d lost and loved, but I knew it had nothing to do with that and everything to do with the magic in my veins. He loved sorcerers, and I was one of them.
Once we were outside, Sebastian pulled me into an empty room with a dusty four-post bed at the end of the corridor. “How are you feeling?”
I let out the breath I’d been holding. “He wasn’t what I expected.”
“Even demons can appear mortal, love.”
“I know.” I looked down at my feet, my heart pounding. “I wasn’t invited to dinner.”
His brows knitted together. “Naturally, you will be coming with me tonight,” he assured. “It’s common courtesy to just invite the man. It’s expected that their partner will join them.”
“In my society, women are equal and would expect an invitation too.”
“I know. I was a part of modern society only a few years ago.”
